You're finally doing it. You’ve spent years feeding the Google algorithm, letting it learn your weird obsession with 80s synth-wave and lo-fi beats, but the clutter is getting to be too much. YouTube Music is great for finding that one obscure live recording from a basement in 2004, but it feels messy. It feels like a video app wearing a music app’s clothes. So, you’re thinking about making the jump from YouTube Music to Apple Music.
It’s a big move.
Honestly, the biggest hurdle isn't even the interface; it's the data. You have thousands of liked songs. You have playlists curated over half a decade. The thought of manually searching for every single track in Apple’s library is enough to make anyone just stay put and deal with the YouTube ads. But 2026 is the year of seamless platform hopping. If you're tired of the lower bitrate and the "video-first" philosophy of your current setup, switching isn't just possible—it's actually pretty straightforward if you know which tools to trust.
Why people are ditching YouTube Music for Apple's ecosystem
Most people make this switch for one specific reason: Lossless Audio.
YouTube Music streams at a maximum of 256kbps AAC. For most people using cheap earbuds, that’s fine. It’s totally serviceable. But if you’ve recently invested in a pair of decent wired headphones or a high-end home audio system, you can hear the compression. Apple Music offers ALAC (Apple Lossless Audio Codec) at no extra cost, with resolutions ranging from 16-bit/44.1 kHz (CD quality) up to 24-bit/192 kHz. It’s a night and day difference for audiophiles.
Then there’s the "clutter" factor.
YouTube Music pulls in your YouTube history. Sometimes you just want to watch a parody video or a "How to fix a leaky faucet" tutorial without having the audio from that video show up in your "Your Likes" playlist. Apple Music is a walled garden, sure, but it’s a clean one. It treats music like art, not just more "content" to be consumed alongside MrBeast videos.
The technical reality of transferring your library
You can't just export a CSV from Google and upload it to Apple. Silicon Valley doesn't like making it that easy for you to leave.
To move from YouTube Music to Apple Music, you’re going to need a middleman. Services like Soundiiz, SongShift, and TuneMyMusic have become the industry standard for this. They basically use APIs to scan your YouTube playlists and find the matching ISRC (International Standard Recording Code) in Apple’s database.
It’s rarely a 100% perfect match.
Sometimes, a song on YouTube Music is a "video" version that doesn't exist as an official studio track on Apple. Or, you might have a remix that hasn't been cleared for streaming on Apple's platform. Expect about a 5% failure rate. You'll get a "Missing Tracks" report at the end, and you'll have to go find those manually. It’s annoying, but it’s better than doing 2,000 songs by hand.
Which tool should you actually use?
If you’re on an iPhone, SongShift is the gold standard. It’s an iOS-native app that feels like it belongs on the device. It’s fast. The UI is clean.
If you’re on a desktop, Soundiiz is probably the most powerful. It’s a web-based powerhouse that handles massive libraries better than almost anyone else. They have a "Sync" feature too, which is cool if you want to keep both services active for a while. Maybe you want to keep YouTube Music for the office but use Apple Music for your "serious" listening at home.
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TuneMyMusic is the budget-friendly favorite. It’s often the one integrated directly into the platforms themselves.
What happens to your "Uploaded" music?
This is where things get tricky.
A lot of old-school users moved to YouTube Music because it inherited the "Music Locker" feature from Google Play Music. You might have thousands of rare MP3s uploaded to Google's servers that don't exist on any streaming service.
Apple Music has a similar feature called iCloud Music Library.
However, you can't "transfer" your uploads directly from Google to Apple via an API. You have to download those files to a computer using Google Takeout and then manually drag them into the Music app on a Mac or PC. Apple will then "match" what it can and upload the rest. It’s a bit of a weekend project, but it’s the only way to ensure your rare B-sides don't disappear into the digital void.
The Algorithm Adjustment Period
Prepare yourself: Apple Music is going to be "dumb" for the first two weeks.
When you move from YouTube Music to Apple Music, you’re leaving behind years of algorithmic training. Apple doesn't know you like 90s shoegaze but hate 90s grunge. Even after you import your playlists, the "Discovery Station" and "For You" sections will take time to calibrate.
You have to be aggressive.
Hit the "Love" (heart) or "Suggest Less" buttons constantly. Use the "Add to Library" function. Apple’s algorithm weighs library saves much more heavily than just a casual listen. If you don't interact with the app, it’ll just keep suggesting the Top 40 hits, and you'll end up regretting the switch.
Real-world costs and family sharing quirks
Let's talk money because, honestly, that's why most people hesitate.
YouTube Music is usually bundled with YouTube Premium. If you cancel that to move to Apple, you’re going to start seeing ads on YouTube again. That is a massive "quality of life" downgrade for a lot of people. You have to decide if the spatial audio and better UI on Apple are worth the $15.99+ you’re already paying for ad-free video.
Apple Music’s pricing is standard, but their Apple One bundle is where the value actually sits. If you’re already paying for iCloud storage and maybe Apple TV+, the incremental cost of adding Music is negligible.
- Individual Plan: Usually around $10.99/month.
- Family Plan: Roughly $16.99/month for up to six people.
- Student Plan: Still the best deal if you have a .edu email, often including Apple TV+.
Dealing with the "Video Problem"
One thing you’ll miss is the ability to switch between the official track and the music video with a single toggle. Apple Music has music videos, but they are treated as separate entities. You can't just flip a switch mid-song to see the choreography.
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If you watch a lot of music videos, you might find Apple’s approach a bit fragmented.
On the flip side, Apple’s Sing feature (their version of karaoke) is leagues ahead of anything Google has put out. It uses on-device machine learning to strip the vocals out of almost any song in real-time. It’s not just a lyric scroller; it’s a full-on interactive experience.
The step-by-step transition plan
Don't just delete your YouTube account and hope for the best. Follow this sequence to make sure you don't lose your data.
First, clean up your YouTube Music library. Delete those "empty" playlists and the "Liked Videos" that aren't actually songs. This makes the API matching much more accurate.
Second, choose your transfer service. If you have under 500 songs, most services have a free tier. If you have a massive library, just pay the $5 for one month of a premium transfer service. It’s worth the price of a coffee to avoid the headache of a partial transfer.
Third, run the transfer during a time when you aren't using your phone. These apps have to make thousands of requests to Apple’s servers, and sometimes the process can hang if you're jumping between apps. Let it run overnight.
Fourth, check the "failed" list. This is the most important step. Save that list to a Note. You'll likely find that the missing songs are just named slightly differently (e.g., "Song Name - Remastered 2010" vs "Song Name [2010 Remaster]").
Final check on hardware compatibility
Before you commit, check your gear.
If you use Google Home speakers or Nest Hubs throughout your house, Apple Music can work on them via the Google Home app, but it’s a bit janky. Voice commands aren't as responsive. Conversely, if you have HomePods or an Apple TV, the integration is flawless.
Android users: Apple Music on Android is actually surprisingly good. In some ways, it's more stable than YouTube Music. It supports Chromecast and even has a tablet-optimized layout. Don't let the brand name scare you off if you aren't using an iPhone.
Actionable steps for your move
- Audit your "Uploads" in YouTube Music. Use Google Takeout to download any files that aren't available on standard streaming services before you cancel your subscription.
- Sign up for a one-month trial of Apple Music before committing. Most retailers or Best Buy offers give away 3-4 months for free.
- Use SongShift (iOS) or Soundiiz (Web) to move your primary "Liked" playlist first. This acts as the foundation for your new algorithm.
- Disable "Add Playlist Songs to Library" in Apple Music settings initially. This prevents your library from becoming an unorganized mess of 5,000 songs you only liked once.
- Re-download your music in "Lossless" or "High-Res Lossless" once you're on Wi-Fi. The files are much larger, so check your phone’s storage capacity first.
Moving your digital life is a chore. But if you value high-fidelity audio and a focused, music-centric interface, the transition from YouTube Music to Apple Music is the most rewarding "tech upgrade" you can do this year. Just be patient with the algorithm for the first week—it’s learning who you are all over again.