How to Migrate Your Playlists When You Ditch Spotify (and Keep the Mood)

Dumping Spotify but keeping the vibe: a no-fluff migration playbook

Hook: If Spotify's price hikes left you frustrated and you want to move your music life without losing playlists, collaborators, or your discovery flow, this guide maps every step—from tools to metadata tricks to recreating shared listening—so your soundtrack survives the switch.

Why move now (and what's changed in 2026)

Since late 2023 and through notable increases in late 2025, many listeners have been reassessing value vs. cost for streaming subscriptions. In 2026 you’ll find stronger competition across streaming apps: broader adoption of lossless and spatial audio, tighter catalog deals with indie labels, and an explosion of niche platforms that cater to DJs, local scenes, or high-res audiophiles.

That’s great for choice — but it complicates migration. Services differ in catalog IDs, how they store metadata, and what multiplayer listening features they support. This guide gives pragmatic, tested steps to move playlists, preserve as much metadata as possible, keep collaborators, and rebuild discovery and shared listening habits.

Quick checklist (what to do first — inverted pyramid)

1. Audit your library: Which playlists, liked songs, and local files matter most?
2. Export data: Download playlists and account data (CSV/JSON) before you change anything.
3. Use migration tools: Try Soundiiz, TuneMyMusic, FreeYourMusic, SongShift or a script-based approach.
4. Handle unmatched tracks: Spot-check and create an "orphans" playlist for manual fixes.
5. Recreate collaboration: Inform contributors and rebuild collaborative playlists on the new service.
6. Rebuild discovery: Seed the new service’s algorithm with your favorites and follow matching curators.

Step 1 — Audit and prioritize

Start small. Your goal is to minimize friction and spot issues before they scale.

• List your critical playlists (commute, DJ sets, roadtrip, workout) and note sizes.
• Mark playlists with collaborators, smart rules (e.g., auto-updating), or heavy local-file content.
• Decide which metadata you absolutely want to keep: track order, added date, album vs single, play counts (rarely transferable).

Step 2 — Export everything you can

Don’t rely on a single migration attempt. Export data now so you have a master copy.

• Spotify account export: Use Spotify’s account data download (Privacy/GDPR tools) to get playlists and listening history in JSON/CSV. This preserves added dates and who added tracks in collaborative playlists.
• Playlist CSV: Tools like Exportify or Soundiiz export CSVs with track name, artist, album and sometimes ISRCs.
• Local files: Note which playlists contain local files (files that exist only on your device). You’ll need to upload those separately to the new service.

Step 3 — Choose migration tools (pros, cons, and when to use them)

Several services exist to move playlists. Pick one depending on your platforms and how much control you want.

Top options

• Soundiiz — web-based, broad coverage, CSV/JSON support, paid plans can preserve order and many metadata fields. Great for bulk moves and cross-platform syncing.
• TuneMyMusic — quick web tool for one-off transfers between major services. Good free tier for single playlists.
• FreeYourMusic — apps for macOS/Windows/iOS/Android. Fast and friendly for mobile-first users.
• SongShift — iOS-focused, great for Apple Music migrations and iterative transfers (watch for API changes).
• MusConv — heavier-duty, supports many services and advanced matching options.

Important: APIs and third-party access have tightened since 2024. Always run a test with one small playlist before committing large batches.

Step 4 — Match strategy and metadata preservation

Services match tracks in different ways. Understanding this avoids surprises.

• ISRC-based matching: The International Standard Recording Code is the best way to guarantee the same recording is matched across services. When the migration tool includes ISRCs, matching accuracy increases.
• Title/artist matching: Most tools fall back to metadata string matching. This works for mainstream studio releases but trips on remixes, live cuts, or artist name variations.
• Local files and exclusives: If a track is absent on the target service, consider uploading the local file (YouTube Music and Apple Music allow personal uploads) or replacing with a close alternative (live version, official video).
• Play counts and listening history: Rarely migratable. If you need records, export the Spotify JSON before you leave.

Step 5 — Handle unmatched tracks and edge cases

Expect 0–10% mismatch for mainstream lists and more for niche or local-artist-heavy playlists. Here’s how to handle them:

1. Create an "Orphans" playlist on the new service with links back to the original track (Spotify/YouTube links) so you can replace or re-add later.
2. For rare & local tracks, upload your local files to the new service where supported. Keep filenames and metadata clean—use consistent artist names and album tags.
3. When you find remixes or alternate versions, decide if the vibe matters (e.g., original studio vs extended club mix) and replace accordingly.

Step 6 — Preserve collaborators and social context

You can’t directly transfer followers or followers lists between services. Collaborative playlists rarely migrate with contributors intact. Here’s a practical workaround to keep the community:

• Export contributor list: From your Spotify JSON, extract who added tracks or who follows a playlist. Save emails or usernames where possible.
• Communicate the move: Post the new playlist link and a clear ask: "Join me on Apple Music / Tidal / YouTube Music — add your favorites!" Use social posts, DMs, or email.
• Recreate collaboration: Re-create the playlist as a collaborative list on the new platform and invite contributors. If the new platform lacks collaborative playlists, use a shared document (Google Sheet or Notion) where contributors paste song links, and a playlist manager adds them.
• Keep a legacy link: Leave the Spotify playlist public and pinned with a note: "We're migrating — add yourself on [new service link]." This catches anyone who visits later.

Step 7 — Recreate discovery and algorithmic taste

Switching services can disrupt the algorithmic playlists you rely on (Personalized Discover Weekly, Daily Mixes, Release Radar equivalents). Rebuilding your discovery engine is part data and part ritual.

1. Seed with core artists and playlists: Import your top 50 liked tracks and followed artists. Create a few curated seed playlists by era, mood, or subgenre to give the algorithm clean signals.
2. Follow human curators: Find platform-native tastemakers — editorial playlists, local radio shows, and DJ profiles. The human curation layer accelerates discovery faster than waiting for algorithm learning.
3. Use cross-service discovery tools: Use web services and newsletters (and your favorite radio station at hitradio.live) to surface emerging tracks and indie artists not yet favored by the new platform’s algorithm.
4. Recreate Smart Playlists: If you used auto-updating rules, recreate them using the new service’s filters or via third-party services that can rebuild dynamic sets.

Step 8 — Rebuild the social listening experience (listen together)

Part of migrating is replacing the synchronous and social experiences you liked on Spotify. Here are cross-platform options that reliably work in 2026.

• SharePlay (Apple ecosystems): Best for FaceTime co-listening across Apple Music users—keeps playback in sync and supports synced scrubbing and volume control.
• Discord and stage channels: Use a bot or stream your playback to a voice channel. This works cross-platform and is great for large groups.
• Social listening apps: Several third-party apps provide synchronized listening rooms and support multiple services. Check compatibility before relying on them; test with friends.
• Live streaming or watch parties: Host a live DJ session on Twitch or YouTube, or run a private stream where you play song snippets that are safe for platform rules. Great for curated moments with fans.

Advanced: DIY migration and API strategies

If you’re technically comfortable, you can build a custom migration that preserves more metadata.

• Use the Spotify Web API to pull playlist items, added_by, timestamps and track ISRCs.
• Map ISRCs to the target platform via its API or by using MusicBrainz as a fallback authority for metadata normalization.
• If you need to preserve added dates and contributor metadata, you can recreate playlists on the new platform and add tracks in the original order with the original added timestamps saved in a notes field or playlist description.

Warning: Some services throttle API writes or restrict bulk adds. Always follow terms of service and rate limits.

Case study: "Late Night Drive" — a migration example

We migrated a 420-track collaborative playlist called "Late Night Drive" after Spotify’s late-2025 price change. Here's what worked:

• Exported the Spotify JSON and CSV (saved added_by and added_at).
• Ran Soundiiz for bulk transfer; 28 tracks were unmatched and moved into an "orphans" playlist on the new service for manual review.
• Uploaded 7 local files to the new library (properly tagged) and re-added them.
• Sent an email and a pinned social post to collaborators asking them to join the new playlist link; recreated collaborative settings on the target service.
• Re-seeded discovery by following the top 20 artists and subscribing to three editorial playlists on the new service. Within two weeks the personalized mixes had re-learned the vibe.

Result: The transition took two evenings and some follow-up, but listeners reported near-identical playback experience and faster discovery for recent indie releases.

Common migration pitfalls and how to avoid them

• No single-click follower transfer: Promote your new profile with a SmartLink (Songwhip, Linkfire) and pin a “We moved” message on Spotify.
• Missing local files: Back them up and upload to the new service or use a cloud-hosted share for collaborators.
• API restrictions: Third-party tools sometimes lose features when services change API policies. Test before a bulk move.
• Algorithm gap: Expect a learning period. Help it by seeding and following human curators.

Subscription decisions: which alternative to pick in 2026 (short guide)

Pick based on what matters most: audio quality, discovery, social features, or price.

• High-res audio & audiophile catalogs: Qobuz and Tidal remain strong if lossless/hi-res matters.
• Apple ecosystem & spatial audio: Apple Music gives deep integration and spatial audio across devices.
• Value and big catalog: YouTube Music and Amazon Music often compete on price and integration with broader media ecosystems.
• Niche indie & local scenes: Smaller regional services and DJ-focused platforms can deliver better local discovery and curator networks.

Tip: Use trial periods sequentially. Move one set of playlists to a service, run it for 2–4 weeks, then decide.

Security, privacy, and billing housekeeping

• Cancel Spotify after you confirm the migration and have backups. Keep an archive of your Spotify export for six months.
• Revoke third-party access to old apps you no longer use (account -> apps in Spotify).
• Keep receipts and check subscription renewals — overlapping subscriptions are an easy budget leak.

Actionable takeaways — your 10-step migration checklist

1. Audit: choose 3 must-have playlists to migrate first.
2. Export Spotify JSON/CSV and save copies in cloud storage.
3. Run a one-playlist test migration with Soundiiz or TuneMyMusic.
4. Upload local files to the new service or host them privately.
5. Create an "orphans" playlist for unmatched tracks.
6. Export contributor list and message collaborators with the new link.
7. Seed the new service with top artists and 2–3 curated seed playlists.
8. Follow platform curators and join community radios/DJs for faster discovery.
9. Cancel Spotify after verification and revoke third-party tokens.
10. Keep a monthly check for 6 weeks to confirm algorithms and social features have stabilized.

"A migration is part technical work and part social project. Treat collaborators and discovery like assets you move deliberately." — Practical migration rule

Final notes: balance speed and fidelity

Moving off Spotify after the 2025–2026 pricing shifts is understandable. But plan the migration like you’d move apartments: inventory, pack the valuables (metadata, local files), test the new space, then invite people over. A careful migration preserves the mood even if a few rare tracks don’t make the jump instantly.

Call to action

Ready to move your playlists without losing the vibe? Download our free migration checklist and playlist CSV template at hitradio.live/move — or join our live podcast this Friday where we walk through a real-time migration and answer questions from listeners. Follow your favorite DJs and never miss the new discovery beats: tune in, migrate smart, and keep the party rolling.

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