Google announced a migration tool for taking your library from Google Play Music library of uploaded songs and getting them onto its new YouTube Music service back in May. Now, it's speedily condign more widely available across the globe. Information technology's not immediately intuitive what the tool volition and won't preserve, though, and the benefits and drawbacks of taking your cloud music library over to Google's new music streaming platform. In this guide, we'll show you lot the ins and outs of the tool and everything you lot need to know about using information technology.

Earlier we swoop into the procedure, be warned that information technology might take a while until library migration is available to you. Since all of your data needs to be copied over, Google is probably fighting with limited server capacities, so information technology's rolling out the tool in stages based on your location. Y'all should run across a popup or toast in Google Play Music when it arrives on your account, and the company will ship you an email.

Using the Android (or iOS) app

To get started with the migration, yous demand to install YouTube Music on your phone. Make sure it's at least version 3.65. If it's not available to y'all on the Play Shop simply notwithstanding, you can get the latest version from APK Mirror.

Left & Middle: Switch banners. Correct: Transfer workflow.

If the tool has rolled out to you, you should meet a bulletin on the app'southward homescreen, telling you lot that Play Music is going away and that you tin first the migration. Tap the "Let'southward become" push button and you lot're taken to a screen showing you in which order your items will be moved over. If you're a Play Music subscriber, your subscription will as well be rolled over, and the price will remain the same — even if you're grandfathered in on the $7.99 plan or the family subscription. When yous're ready to kickoff, tap "Transfer." A banner will pop up, telling you that the migration is in progress and that yous tin explore YouTube Music at present.

The tool volition first import your recommendations so you tin can start listening to personalized mixes on YouTube Music earlier the full transfer is finished. You can tap a imprint beneath the elevation bar to see how far your migration has progressed.

You tin can showtime exploring YTM while the migration is in progress.

You lot'll receive a notification and an email once the transfer is finished, which can take a few minutes or multiple days depending on how many songs you lot've uploaded. When I made the switch myself, I noticed that a few songs in some old Play Music playlists were still grayed out and unavailable after getting the notification, but that issue fixed itself after a few days.

Using the web app

If you lot'd rather use your computer to kick off the migration, head to music.youtube.com/transfer. Like the app, this website shows you which data it'll transfer in which order. Click the "Transfer" button to get going. You can and so explore the YouTube web app, and a imprint will let your return to the transfer overview so yous tin can see your progress — the process is basically the aforementioned as in the Android app.

What if I continue using Play Music afterwards the switch?

If you nonetheless continue using Play Music afterward making the initial switch, don't worry: You lot can sync your libraries every bit ofttimes every bit you want to by clicking or tapping your profile flick in the top right corner and heading to settings, where you'll find an option to kick off the migration tool again. That tin be done both on the spider web and in the Android app.

Where are my uploads and stations?

YouTube Music organizes some things differently from Play Music. Your uploads sit in a split up section of the app, sealed abroad from the platform's streaming service aspect. When you lot browse your library or search results, you'll notice that there are two tabs at the top, one for YT Music and one for uploads. Information technology's self-explanatory enough, but you need to be aware of information technology if you can't find some of the albums you thought yous'd uploaded. Nosotros've got a granular comparison of how YouTube Music handles uploads compared to Play Music.

Stations aren't a thing in YouTube Music, so it converts all of your stations to playlists. Their content is identical — the but departure is that you tin actually see all the private songs inside a playlist, which you couldn't with stations, at least without playing them. YouTube Music besides has curated and AI-generated playlists that replace things like Play Music'southward New Release Radio or the Feeling Lucky station.

I'grand missing some songs. What's upwards with that?

All of your uploads and purchases will exist transferred, but since YouTube Music has unlike licensing deals than Play Music, yous might not find the same selection of songs as bachelor on Play Music'south streaming service. Google says these cases should be few and far between, and some songs that have disappeared from your Play Music library due to rights or licensing might fifty-fifty reappear in YouTube Music somewhen.

Can I make the switch if I'chiliad a complimentary user?

Yes. YouTube Music lets you play your uploaded songs in the groundwork, and you can download them. Casting capability is limited, though — as far every bit I can tell, you can't ask an Assistant-equipped speaker to play uploaded songs, so yous need to cast your music via the Android app.

In contrast to Play Music, you lot tin also access the streaming service of the platform for free, just you'll have to endure ads, and you demand to leave your phone'south screen turned on and the YouTube Music app in the foreground while yous listen. The background limitation doesn't apply to the web app, though.

I already apply YouTube Music. Will my library exist overwritten?

That'southward the situation I plant myself in, and every bit far as I can tell, no data got lost when I fabricated the switch. Instead, your libraries volition exist combined intelligently. I uploaded a few albums to YouTube Music already in my Play Music library prior to the migration and in that location were no duplicates. A few identically titled playlists across the two services were retained as dissever lists, instead.

What about podcasts?

Some people apply Play Music to listen to podcasts, but YouTube Music doesn't support that format. Yous can instead export your episode progress and subscriptions to Google Podcasts. Once the migration tool has rolled out to you, you lot can head to podcasts.google.com/transfer to kick off the separate transfer.

The podcast histrion is available on your Android phone as part of the Google app (merely search for a podcast y'all're interested in), simply you tin can also get a defended launcher icon from the Play Store if you prefer. There'due south besides a spider web interface.

While some people might wish to take more granular command over which songs and playlists to transfer, the tool is equally straightforward and easy to use every bit it tin can get, which was Google's goal. The YouTube Music squad knows that there are nevertheless some pregnant differences between the two services, so it wanted to brand the transition as smooth and painless every bit possible.

If you're interested in how such a switch pans out for someone who has used Play Music ever since information technology became bachelor, check out my editorial on my experience with YouTube Music (written before the migration tool rolled out).

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About The Author

Manuel Vonau (1639 Manufactures Published)

Manuel is a tech enthusiast and Android fan based in Berlin. When he'due south non writing articles for Android Police, he's probably out and about as a videographer.

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