How to Transfer Apple Music Playlists to a New Account: Easiest Way

Passionate music fans understand the value of playlists better than anyone. People get attached to their playlists for a reason, sometimes to the point that they become a burden.

For example, you might be better off using a different streaming service. Or, for some reason, you might need a new account on your existing platform.

If you’re moving to a new Apple Music account for any reason, we’ve got the best options for taking your precious Apple Music playlist with you. Let’s dive in!

• How to Transfer Apple Music Playlist to a New Account: Fastest Solution
• Preparing for Apple Music Playlist Transfer: Checklist
• 6 Ways to Transfer Apple Music Playlist to a New Account
  • Option 1: Export the Playlist and Import It to the New Account
  • Option 2: Share the Playlist from the Old Account to the New One
  • Option 3: Use a Playlist Transfer Tool
  • Option 4: Manually Recreate the Playlist
  • Option 5: Using Apple’s iCloud Music Library to Merge Content
  • Option 6: If Both Accounts are Under the Same Family Sharing Plan
• How to Transfer Playlist to New Apple Music Account From Another Streaming Service
• Common Issues When Transfering Apple Music Playlist to New Account + How to Fix Them
• Summary

How to Transfer Apple Music Playlist to a New Account: Fastest Solution

The easiest way to transfer your Apple Music playlist to a new account is to open your old Apple Music account, go to the playlist you wish to export, then in the main menu go to File – Library – Export Playlist, and save your playlist as .txt file. Now open your new account, go to File – Library – Import Playlist, and open the .txt file you previously saved.

Preparing for Apple Music Playlist Transfer: Checklist

Before you can transfer your Apple Music playlist, we recommend going through this rundown. It’s only a few seconds and it will help you avoid most issues associated with Apple Music playlist transfers.

• Verify Subscription Status: Ensure both your old and new Apple Music accounts are active with a valid subscription.
• Backup Playlists: Consider taking screenshots or writing down your most important playlists’ names and their tracks as a precaution. Or if you want a more elegant solution, use the Tune My Music Backup feature.
• Update Apple Music Apps: Check that the Apple Music app is updated to the latest version on all your devices to avoid compatibility issues.
• Make Sure Your Computer Is Authorized for Apple ID Purchases: To avoid the error of Apple Cloud Music Library stuck on updating, open your Apple Music app, click “Account” in the top menu, go to “Authorizations,” and then click “Authorize This Computer”.

6 Ways to Transfer Apple Music Playlist to a New Account

There are actually several ways to transfer your Apple Music playlists. We believe the first three options listed below will cover the needs of most users, but don’t hesitate to check out the full rundown. You never know what your best fit might be!

Option 1 (Fastest Solution): Export the Apple Music Playlist and Import It to Your New Apple Music Account

The first option you can do is to simply export your Apple Music playlist from the old account and import it to the new one. This is how it works.

• 1. Go to your old account on Apple Music.
• 2. In the left menu, click on the playlist you wish to transfer.
• 3. In the top menu, go to File – Library – Export Playlist.

• 4. Click “Save” (you might want to edit “Where” first to set where the playlist file will be saved).

• 5. Log out of your old Apple Music account.
• 6. Log in to your new account.
• 7. In the top menu, go to File – Library – Import Playlist.

• 8. Find the .txt file you previously saved and click “Open”.
• 9. The playlist will be imported to your new Apple Music account.

Option 2 (Also Fast, No File Saves Required): Share the Playlist from the Old Account to the New One

The second fastest option only requires you to know how to share a playlist on Apple Music. That’s basically two clicks. Some users prefer this option because you don’t have to save a .txt file like when exporting an Apple Music playlist in our first option. It’s all done on the Apple Music platform.

• 1. Open your old Apple Music account.
• 2. Go to the playlist you want to transfer.
• 3. Click the three dots on the right side.
• 4. Click “Share”.
• 5. Choose “Copy Link”.

• 6. Log out from your old account and log in to your new account.
• 7. Open the shared link in your new account.

• 8. Tap the three dots again and select “Add to Playlist”.

• 9. Add the playlist to a new playlist you already created or create a new one on the spot by clicking “New Playlist”.

Option 3 (Premium Experience): Use a Playlist Transfer Tool

If you want a premium experience, it’s a good idea to opt for a service like Tune My Music because it allows you to easily transfer songs and playlists between multiple Apple Music accounts – or between different streaming services.

Tune My Music also allows you to Sync and Backup your playlists. This is how it works.

1. 1. Go to Tune My Music.
2. 2. Click Let’s Start.
3. 3. Select Apple Music as your source and click “Connect” when prompted.

1. 4. Sign in with your Apple ID.
2. 5. Click Allow to grant access.

1. 6. Select the playlist you wish to transfer and click “Choose Destination”.

1. 7. Set Apple Music as the destination.

1. 8. Click “Add new account” to add your new Apple Music account.

1. 9. Hit the “Connect” button when prompted.

1. 10. Initiate transfer, and that’s a wrap!

Option 4 (Slow But Very Easy): Manually Recreate the Playlist

This is the old-school way, and while it’s the option most users understand, it’s by far the slowest one.

You can use it for all Apple Music playlists that you can access, including an Apple Music collaborative playlist. Here’s how it’s done.

• 1. Open the Apple Music app or website on your old account.
• 2. Navigate to the playlist you want to transfer.
• 3. Make note of the songs in the playlist (a screenshot or written note can be helpful).
• 4. Log out from your old account and log in to your new Apple Music account.
• 5. Create a new playlist by going File – New – Playlist in the main menu, or simply hitting Command + N.

• 6. Search for each song individually.
• 7. Add each song to your new playlist by clicking the three dots next to it, and then “Add to Playlist” and your new playlist.

Option 5 (For Advanced Apple Users): Using Apple’s iCloud Music Library to Merge Content

Another option is to use Apple’s iCloud feature. Important: you need to activate your iCloud Music Library both on new and old Apple Music accounts.

• 1. Go to your old Apple Music account.
• 2. Go to “Music” in the top menu and click “Settings”.

• 3. Make sure that “Sync Library” is checked.

• 4. Log out from your old account.
• 5. Log into your new account and see that “Sync Library” is enabled there as well.
• 6. Wait for your library to update.

Note that this method will not directly transfer playlists but will allow access to the same music library, where you can then manually recreate playlists.

Option 6 (Bonus for Family Subscriptions): If Both Accounts are Under the Same Family Sharing Plan

Finally, there’s also a bonus option that’s only available to Apple Music Family users if both accounts are on the same plan. It requires you to set up Family Sharing, and this is how it works.

• 1. Open System Settings, go to your profile and set up Family Sharing with both accounts.
• 2. Designate one account as the organizer and add the other as a family member.
• 3. From the new account, access “Shared Libraries” in Apple Music settings.
• 4. Find the playlist from your old account’s shared content.
• 5. Save or recreate the playlist in your new account’s library.

How to Transfer Playlist to New Apple Music Account From Another Streaming Service

A common question we get is, “Can you transfer Spotify playlist to Apple Music?”. The answer is yes, you can, by using a Spotify to Apple Music playlist converter like Tune My Music.

But we’ll broaden the topic because you can transfer your Apple Music playlist to any other streaming service, including Spotify. Here’s how it’s done.

• 1. Go to TuneMyMusic: Visit the TuneMyMusic site and click “Let’s start”.
• 2. Set the Source: Select the streaming service from which you will move the playlists.

• 3. Log in to the Source Service: Sign in to your account on the streaming service from which you will move the playlists.
• 4. Select the Playlist: Set the playlist you wish to move to Apple Music.
• 5. Set the Destination: Select Apple Music as the destination for your playlists.

• 6. Log in to Apple Music: Sign in to your Apple Music account.
• 7. Get the Transfer Going: Start the transfer, and that’s a wrap!

Common Issues When Transfering Apple Music Playlist to New Account + How to Fix Them

Transferring an Apple Music playlist from one account to another can be a challenge due to Apple’s restrictions. Here are some common issues and potential fixes:

• Playlists created on a Mac may not appear on an iPhone: To fix this one, make sure your devices are signed into the same Apple ID and have Apple Music enabled. Restart both devices and go to your Apple Music settings to turn off Sync Library, wait 30 seconds, and then turn it back on.
• Syncing issues can cause delays or failures in transferring music: On your Mac, ensure the Music app is properly synced by quitting all applications and restarting the device. Avoid opening the Music app on other devices simultaneously.
• Authorization Issues: Check that your device is authorized for Apple ID purchases to avoid issues with the Apple Cloud Music Library. Open the Apple Music app, click “Account” in the top menu, go to “Authorizations,” and then click “Authorize This Computer”.

Also, don’t hesitate to contact Apple Music support if any other issues pop up along the way.

How to Transfer Apple Music Playlist to Another Account: Summary

That’s all for today, guys. We hope you learned how to transfer Apple Music playlists, and maybe something extra on top.

Again, the fastest way to transfer Apple Music playlists to a new account is to export the playlist and import to your new account. Another valid choice is to share your playlist and then just add it to your new Apple Music account.

And if you want the premium experience where you can sync and backup your playlists, you might want to consider a dedicated service like Tune My Music.

If you want more content like this, check out our How To articles. Stay safe and enjoy the music!