Apple Music adds option to import Spotify playlists

Apple Music has rolled out a new function that lets subscribers bring across playlists from other streaming services, including Spotify.

Delivered through the latest iOS 18.6.2 update, the tool is now accessible to users in the UK, US, Canada, France, Germany, Mexico and Brazil, enabling the transfer of “songs, albums and playlists” into Apple Music via a third-party service.

The capability, which was first tested in beta in New Zealand and Australia, is found under a setting labelled “Transfer Music from Other Music Services” within the Apple Music app.

Apple notes on its website that Sync Library must be switched on across devices for the transfer to work, with support extended to iPhone, iPad, Android and the web version of the platform.

The company cautions that not all material may be available in its catalogue, but users will be given a 30-day window to “find a match” for missing tracks once the playlists are imported.

At present, the update only covers playlists created by the user, and not those originally generated by another streaming service.

The move lands at a time when Apple Music’s main rival, Spotify, is facing mounting backlash. In recent weeks, artists and labels have pulled catalogues from Spotify in protest against CEO Daniel Ek’s major investment in a military technology firm.

On the other hand, Spotify has recently introduced a direct messaging feature within its app, giving users aged 16 and above the ability to send songs, podcasts and audiobooks directly to friends through a private chat inbox. While the company promotes it as a way to deepen music discovery and social sharing, reactions have been mixed: some welcomed the convenience, “Many won’t agree, but it’s a great addition instead of jumping to another app to share a link,” while others voiced frustration on social platforms, with comments like “Who even asked for this???” and “Add Hi-Fi, Atmos, UHD, and decent HD!”.

For full details on Apple Music’s new feature, click here.