After 12 Years, One Music Listener Swaps Spotify for Apple Music
A seamless library transfer, facilitated by a third-party service, proved the deciding factor for a long-time Spotify user who ultimately switched to Apple Music after more than a decade with the streaming giant. The move highlights the growing frustration with Spotify and the increasing appeal of alternatives offering easier transitions for dedicated listeners.
For many, the thought of rebuilding years of curated playlists and saved albums on a new platform is a significant deterrent. One listener explained the inertia that kept them tied to Spotify for so long: “If it’s worked fine for more than a decade, why change?” This commitment, built up “year on year” through a substantial music library, was a powerful counterweight to criticisms leveled against Spotify.
Those criticisms are numerous and increasingly vocal. Concerns range from Spotify’s “miserly payments to artists” and its perceived encouragement of “bland sonic conformity” to its handling of AI-generated music. More recently, opposition has taken on a political dimension, with prominent acts like Massive Attack and Godspeed You! Black Emperor removing their catalogs in protest of Spotify founder Daniel Ek’s investment in Helsing, a military tech company. A series of discussions, dubbed “Death to Spotify,” were held in California this month, focusing on strategies for independent musicians to thrive outside the platform.
However, the listener admitted that even these “moral considerations” were ultimately overshadowed by a practical development. Apple Music recently introduced a feature allowing users to import libraries from other streaming services. This presented a compelling opportunity for Spotify users seeking a less disruptive change.
The switch, executed a few weeks ago, involved transferring 9,480 songs, 760 albums, and 41 playlists using the Songshift service. The process was remarkably smooth, with only a small number of tracks presenting issues – primarily “niche, dance-orientated stuff” by artists like Blessed Madonna or Vegyn.
Interestingly, the transition didn’t result in a dramatic shift in the listening experience. The listener noted that major streaming platforms are fundamentally similar, all competing to offer the same core service. “There was no moment of revelation, no ‘Where have you been all my life’ feeling,” they said. Instead, the experience was characterized by a series of “good details and bad details,” suggesting that the platforms offer comparable functionality.
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