For Apple Music users, you may know your main iTunes library will not have any Apple Music provided that you don't turn on the iCloud music library - your library will be matched or uploaded if turned on. But now you may want to transfer your iTunes library to Apple Music for reasons, for example you get a new computer that runs the Apple Music app but your favorites are saved to old iTunes app on another. If you wish to bring some of your iTunes playlists to your Apple Music library, you can find the answer in this post.
Transferring your iTunes playlists to the Apple Music library might seem like a simple task, especially you have the access to the local files of them on your computer. But whether you already have the local files of your iTunes playlists, or you're trying to transfer them to the Apple Music app for the first time, taking several minutes to go through the 4 ways here can mean the experience that you expect for.
In reverse if you wish to transfer your Apple Music library to the iTunes software, read the post below:
This passage will present you 2 solutions to sync Apple Music to iTunes. With or without subscription can refer to this.
Part 1. Understanding iTunes & Apple Music
Apple offers two key platforms for music lovers: iTunes and Apple Music. While they share some similarities, they serve different purposes and have distinct features. Understanding the differences is essential when transitioning from iTunes to Apple Music.
Differences between iTunes & Apple Music:
iTunes is a media management tool that’s been around for years. It’s not just for music - it’s where you can organize and manage podcasts, audiobooks, movies, and TV shows. Apple Music, on the other hand, is a dedicated music streaming service. It provides a more streamlined experience, focusing solely on music. The iTunes Store still exists within both iTunes and Apple Music. Through iTunes, you can buy individual tracks, albums, and even older formats like CDs and vinyl (converted to digital files). However, movies and TV shows have been moved to the Apple TV app, making iTunes a hub primarily for managing audio content.
While Apple Music doesn’t deal with podcasts, movies, or audiobooks, iTunes was the place to buy music, audiobooks from iTunes and Audible, and manage your video collections. If you're using Apple Music and expect to find non-music content, you’ll need separate apps like Podcasts, Apple TV, and Apple Books. Both iTunes and Apple Music allow you to upload and manage your personal music collection across devices, and you can sync your music using iCloud Music Library. If you have music stored in iTunes, you can transfer it to Apple Music, and your library will sync across all your devices, including your Mac, iPhone, iPad, or Windows PC.
When transitioning to Apple Music, it's important to note the matching system, which attempts to match your tracks with Apple Music's catalog. This can sometimes result in duplicates or different versions of songs. Managing your iCloud Music Library settings or using tools like ViWizard Apple Music Converter can help prevent such issues.
A full-featured audio converting tool that allows you to convert some special audio files, including Apple Music, iTunes songs and audiobooks, Audible audiobooks, as well as, more than 100 kinds of common audio files to MP3, M4A, AAC, FLAC, WAV, and M4B to listen anywhere.
Summary Comparison of iTunes and Apple Music:
| Feature | iTunes | Apple Music |
|---|---|---|
| What It’s For | Managing and purchasing music, podcasts, audiobooks, movies, and TV shows | Streaming and downloading music |
| Types of Content | Music, podcasts, audiobooks, movies, TV shows | Music only |
| Buying Music | Buy individual songs and albums through the iTunes Store | Can buy music via links to iTunes Store |
| Music Streaming | No, only plays purchased or downloaded music | Yes, stream over 100 million songs |
| Subscription | Not required; buy music outright | Monthly subscription required for streaming |
| Manage Personal Library | Upload and sync personal music across devices | Upload and sync personal music with iCloud Music Library |
| Sync Across Devices | Syncs music, podcasts, and more to iPhone, iPad, iPod | Syncs music across all devices via iCloud Music Library |
| Apps for Other Media | All media (music, podcasts, movies) in one app | Only music; need separate apps for podcasts, TV, and audiobooks |
| Compatible Devices | macOS, Windows, older iPhones and iPads | macOS, Windows, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Android |
Part 2. How to Transfer iTunes Library to Apple Music
There're several ways you can try to transfer your iTunes library to Apple Music, and one of the easiest ones is by using iCloud Music Library. It lets you sync and access your entire music collection across all your devices.
Way 1: Using iCloud Music Library
iCloud Music Library works by uploading your iTunes library to the cloud and syncing it with Apple Music. Once enabled, your music will be accessible on all devices linked to your Apple ID. Although it's a smooth process, sometimes there can be potential issues, like duplicate songs and mismatches due to Apple Music's matching systems.
- Ensure you’re using the latest version of iTunes (Windows) or Music (Mac). Check for updates in Help (Windows) or System Preferences (Mac).
- Open iTunes or Music and log in using the Apple ID tied to your Apple Music subscription. Go to Account > Sign In and then enable iCloud Music Library:
- On Mac: Go to Music > Preferences > General and check Sync Library.
- On Windows: In iTunes, go to Edit > Preferences > General and check iCloud Music Library.
- Your iTunes library will upload to iCloud. Depending on your library size and internet speed, this can take some time.
- Once uploaded, your iTunes library will be available in Apple Music on all your devices linked to your Apple ID.
If you see duplicates or mismatches, you can manually fix them in your library. To avoid these issues, you can also use third-party tools like ViWizard Apple Music Converter.
Way 2: Using ViWizard Apple Music Converter
Another effective way to transfer your iTunes library to Apple Music is by using ViWizard Apple Music Converter. This tool allows you to download the actual music files from your iTunes playlists, converting them into formats compatible with Apple Music. The converter supports six output formats: MP3, M4A, M4B, WAV, AAC, and FLAC. For transferring to Apple Music, you can select MP3, AAC, or WAV. This flexibility ensures that your iTunes music is fully accessible and playable within Apple Music, opening up more possibilities for enjoying your favorite songs.
One of the key benefits of using ViWizard is that it maintains the original audio quality and ID3 tags (song details like artist and album info) from your iTunes files. ViWizard is not just limited to music either – if you have iTunes or Audible audiobooks, you can convert and transfer those as well. Whether you're using a Mac or Windows computer, ViWizard makes it easy to transfer your iTunes playlists and other media to Apple Music without losing quality or metadata.
Key Features of ViWizard Audio Converter
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- Convert songs, albums, and playlists from Apple Music to MP3
- Remove DRM protection from Apple Music, iTunes, and Audible
- Save the converted audios with the original quality and ID3 tags
- Support the conversion of up to 100 audio formats to others
- Download and install ViWizard Audio Converter on your computer.
- Launch ViWizard, and if iTunes is open, it will automatically relaunch for you.
- Navigate to the playlist you want to transfer under the Playlists section in iTunes.
- Drag and drop the playlist from iTunes to the ViWizard interface.
- Click on the Format tab in ViWizard to see the current format of the added music.
- Choose a compatible format for Apple Music, such as MP3, AAC, or WAV.
- After selecting the desired format, click OK.
- Start the conversion process by clicking the Convert button in ViWizard.
- ViWizard will quickly convert and download your music files at a 30x speed.
- Once the conversion is complete, the output folder containing your files will automatically open.
- Connect an external storage device (USB or hard drive) to transfer your converted iTunes files to another computer with the Apple Music app.
- Plug the storage device into the new computer and open the Music app.
- In the Music app, go to File > Add to Library or File > Import. If you've set the app to copy files to the music folder, you’ll see File > Import.
- Browse for your converted files or folder, then click Open to add them to your Apple Music library.
- You can also create a playlist in Apple Music to organize your transferred music.
Way 3: Using Soundiiz
Soundiiz is a useful online tool for transferring playlists between music services like iTunes and Apple Music. Here’s a simplified guide to using Soundiiz for this transition:
- Go to the Soundiiz website and log in with your preferred method (email, Google, or Facebook).
- On Soundiiz, select iTunes and choose Export my playlists.
- In iTunes, find your playlist:
- For Apple Music playlists: Click the More button next to the playlist, then Share Playlist, and select Copy Link.
- For iTunes files playlists: Go to File > Library > Export Playlist and save as a .txt file.
- Return to Soundiiz and paste the playlist link or upload the .txt file.
- Review the imported playlist on Soundiiz. Adjust any details if needed and click Save configuration.
- Select Apple Music as your destination and sign in with your Apple ID.
- Open the Apple Music app and verify that the playlists have been added correctly.
Note: Soundiiz may not always transfer playlists perfectly, especially for local iTunes files. Some manual adjustments might be needed, and tools like ViWizard Apple Music Converter could be helpful for a more complete transfer.
Way 4: Using Apple Music Web Player
If you prefer a manual approach, you can use the Apple Music Web Player to recreate and organize your playlists.
- On your computer, launch the iTunes software to access your existing playlists.
- Open a compatible web browser and go to the Apple Music Web Player. Log in with the Apple ID and password associated with your Apple Music subscription.
- In the Apple Music web app, click the Search field at the top of the sidebar. Enter the names of songs or albums from your iTunes playlists.
- Once you find the songs or albums, add them to a playlist in the Apple Music web app by selecting the Playlists section in the sidebar.
Part 3. How to Fix Your Apple Music Library
Sometimes this transition can lead to a few hiccups, like duplicates or mismatches in your playlists. It's not uncommon to encounter these issues, but don't worry; they're usually easy to fix.
Fixing Duplicates
If you find multiple copies of the same song or album in your Apple Music library, it's often because of the matching system. When you upload music to Apple Music, it tries to match your tracks with its catalog, which can sometimes result in duplicates if the same song appears more than once. To resolve this, you can manually delete the extra copies from your library:
- Open the Apple Music app on your computer or mobile device.
- Go to your library and find the duplicates.
- Right-click (or Control-click) on the duplicate song or album.
- Select Delete from Library or Remove Download (depending on where the duplicate is located).
- Confirm the deletion when prompted.
Read More: Detailed Gudie to Delete Duplicates from Apple Music
Fixing Mismatched Music
Mismatched music can occur if the versions of songs in your iTunes library don't exactly match those in Apple Music's catalog. You might end up with different versions of songs or tracks that don't quite fit with what's available in Apple Music. To resolve mismatched tracks, you can manually adjust the track details or replace the mismatched songs with the correct versions:
- Open the Apple Music app on your computer or mobile device.
- Locate the mismatched songs or albums in your library.
- Check the details of each track to see if it matches the correct version.
- If a track is incorrect or has issues, you can either:
- Update the track details manually by right-clicking (or Control-clicking) on the song and selecting Edit Info.
- Replace the mismatched song by searching for the correct version in the Apple Music catalog and adding it to your library.
Read More: Detailed Gudie to Start or Stop Appple Music Matching Songs & Fix Mismatches
These fixes are fairly straightforward, but if you need more detailed guidance, check out our other posts for in-depth solutions.
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