I find myself swapping streaming services often these days. Perhaps it's due to the fact that I've been exposed to higher-calibre services that already deliver on the promises of the still absent Spotify HiFi tier, or maybe it's down to having access to more prestigious audio kit that deserves a platform capable of delivering better quality audio; either way, I am once again branching out after yet another year-long courtship with Spotify.
I'm bound to return to the platform at some point – I've already made it clear that its playlists and social features always draw me back in – but for now, I've found myself using Apple Music. I wasn't necessarily in the market for a new streaming service, however, a pop-up offering me two months of free Apple Music when I opened the app was all the persuasion I needed. It's been a while since I last used Apple Music, roughly three years if I had to make an educated guess, but the user interface was as slick and inviting as I remember it being.
There was just one issue; my music library was empty, as Apple rather cheekily clears your library when you stop paying. The thought of starting all over again was excruciating, and truthfully I almost threw in the towel here. However, I decided to look into ways to transfer my music library before giving up on the first hurdle. This is when I found Playlisty for Apple Music on the iOS App Store, and it appeared as though my prayers had been answered.
The appeal of this app is being able to seamlessly transfer playlists from Spotify to Apple Music; you just need to connect your accounts to the app and it will match the songs in your Spotify library to the equivalent versions on Apple Music. It's as simple as clicking your playlist, and then clicking the "save to your library".
Before committing to the playlist the app has created, you can click on individual songs to find different versions of it; for example remastered tracks or deluxe versions of albums. Its song-matching capabilities are genuinely impressive and, while it's not perfect, it's much easier than adding each song individually; it will even filter songs that it can't find into a separate list so you can add them manually.
There's also no pressure to save a playlist created on Playlisty, as the "listen without saving" button will create a queue of the tracks you've transferred on the Apple Music app. There's even a Shazam button baked directly into the app, which is handy for adding spur-of-the-moment tracks to your playlist before transferring it.
It's worth noting that it's not just Spotify playlists that this app works for, as Deezer, YouTube and Soundcloud playlists can also be imported – fingers crossed for Tidal and Amazon Music support in the future. Playlisty also seemingly allows you to upload local files to your Apple Music library too, and the app boasts a wide variety of file types. Admittedly, this isn't a feature I've used yet, but it's a noteworthy edition nonetheless.
So, what happens when I inevitably end up back on Spotify? Thankfully, there is a Playlisty for Spotify app which does the reverse of the "for Apple Music" version. That's already eased the pressure for me, as I know I can keep my music library updated when jumping between the services.
And at £2.99 for each, I have no issue paying for the convenience, as this is a one-off in-app purchase and not some sneaky subscription that slowly saps away at my bank account. If you're thinking of jumping ship from Spotify (something we strongly recommend more than ever) then this app is nothing short of a lifesaver.
MORE:
Check out our picks for the best music streaming services
As well as the best wireless earbuds
And our full Apple Music review
