If you’re on Spotify, why haven’t you ditched it yet? Is it the belief that it might be too difficult? Or do you just not think other options will be significantly better? Apple isn’t a perfect company, their issues with planned obsolescence are infamous, but perfect is the enemy of good, and any service is better than Spotify, especially if you want to support artists.
This guide will help you move to Apple Music, but you could use the same steps to make a move to Qobuz. Qobuz pays artists more than even Apple Music, but has a more limited catalog and some issues with labeling. However, I was able to find a number of local and small artists on the platform, so it’s not a small catalog, just has some quirks. It may be a little underdeveloped right now, but if you’re okay with being an early adopter, you can just replace Apple Music with Qobuz when reading this guide. It’s basically the same process.
For now, I’m going to show you how easy it is to leave Spotify behind for a service that pays artists more, doesn’t boost AI-made “music,” and has everything you’re leaving behind with a more human touch. Did you know Apple Music is human curated, for example? No algorithms pushing “perfect fit content” or AI here! So, here’s how you can switch to Apple Music in just a few minutes. Seriously, you can do it all in under 10 minutes.
If you haven’t done it yet because you don’t know how, this guide’s for you.
In This Article:
Move to Apple Music
screenshot via Apple
Your first task is actually not to delete Spotify. You never start a jailbreak by just running for the door. You plan it first! You at least need a poster to hide the hole you’re digging in your cell wall!
In this case, the jailbreak will start with moving your Spotify playlists to Apple Music. Those are likely the items you’re least looking forward to losing. Fortunately, it’s also very easy to import your favorites. To start, you’re going to want to get an Apple Music account, as the music will need someplace to go.
Get Apple Music
There are so many ways to do this. The easiest would likely be to use one of Apple’s Music apps. On Apple’s operating systems, it’s preinstalled. On Android, you can download it from Google Play. You can even find it in your browser at music.apple.com. From there, it’s super easy to subscribe. In fact, if it’s the first time you’re using the app, it may actually invite you to sign up. You may have to create an Apple account if you don’t already have one, but if you do, just sign in. If you don’t see a popup, you may see a “Do you already subscribe to Apple Music?” banner on the bottom of the Home screen. You can also go into your profile to sign up. Apple wants you to sign up, so just use the app and it’ll surely suggest ways to sign up.
It couldn’t be easier. And if you’re on Android and still confused, Apple actually has a detailed guide on how to sign up.
This couldn’t be easier.
Use SongShift to Transfer Playlists
Next, download an app called SongShift. There, log in with your Spotify account and allow access to Apple Music and sign in to that as well.
Next, press the Plus button, select the service you want to transfer from, the playlist, and where you want to transfer it to. SongShift will do the rest for you, transferring your favorite playlists, albums, and other content from Spotify to Apple Music, Qobuz, or wherever you’re heading.
Close Your Spotify Account
You don’t even have to do this immediately. Apple Music is free for the first 30 days to try it out. So move your playlists over and give it a try. You’ll probably love it. Once you’ve realized you don’t need Spotify, it’s time to delete your account!
You’re not just going to want to cancel your subscription. You’ll want to completely close and delete your account. Fortunately, I can help. In fact, so can Spotify. They have instructions available on their support page for both cancellation and deleting your account. It’s rather simple though. Go here, log in if you have to, and confirm you want to close and delete your account. Spotify will give you 7 days to change your mind before wiping the data. Speaking as someone who did it herself years ago, it really is that easy.
That’s It. Seriously.
Depending on how many playlists you had to transfer over, that entire process likely took less than 10 minutes. And yet, it felt like it would be an insurmountable task, right? That’s kind of the goal of subscription services. They trap you in, make you think their features are unique, and make it seem like it would be difficult to leave. But now you know: it’s easy to give Spotify the boot. Now you can rest easy knowing you’re not funding war or boosting fake AI-generated content.
Of course, no streaming service really pays artists what they deserve. They also don’t make it easy to follow them on other social media, buy their merch, or find their show dates. These services are still half-assed and not helping artists the ways they could. So regardless of what you switch to, fill in the gaps. Find your favorite artists on Instagram, Bluesky, and definitely on Bandcamp. Look up local artists, Bandcamp is great for that, and start going to shows. These days, most of the music I listen to is by local artists, and I’ve met a ton of great people in this scene just by getting more involved in something I love. Music doesn’t have to be a passive hobby. So while streaming helps you listen to music on demand, definitely consider checking out physical media, buying merch, and attending shows, you won’t regret it.