How to Move Your Playlists Off Spotify Without Losing Curated Gems

Fed up with Spotify's price hikes? Here’s how to move your playlists without losing your curated gems

If Spotify's late-2025 and early-2026 price increases pushed you over the edge, you're not alone. The problem people face next is practical: how do you move hundreds of hours of curated playlists — with the exact order, likes, and useful metadata — to a new service without losing everything you carefully built?

Quick answer

You can migrate most playlist metadata and preserve track order by using migration services that connect to Spotify via its API and target destination services like Apple Music, YouTube Music, Tidal, Deezer, or local file formats. For the best preservation of metadata and order use Soundiiz or TuneMyMusic for one-off transfers, or a DIY export via the Spotify API to create a lasting backup.

Why migrate now: 2026 context

In late 2025 Spotify announced another round of price increases, accelerating a trend that began in 2023 and motivating many users to look for alternatives. At the same time, 2025–2026 saw:

• More competition from lossless and artist-friendly services like Tidal, Qobuz, and regional options that expanded catalogs.
• Improved third-party migration tools that now preserve richer metadata (ISRCs, track IDs, timestamps, and order).
• Growing interest in local metadata backups as users worry about account changes or service lock-in.

That means moving playlists today can be smoother than it was a few years ago — if you prepare and use the right tools.

What you can and cannot migrate

Understanding limits ahead of time saves time and frustration. Here is what commonly migrates and what usually does not.

What usually migrates

• Track list and order — most services preserve the playlist order.
• Track metadata — title, artist, album, and ISRC where available.
• Playlist title, description, and cover art — if the target supports it.
• Added timestamps and who added the track — some tools preserve these in extended exports (JSON/CSV)

What often gets lost

• Play counts and streaming history — rarely transferrable because of privacy and platform policies.
• Explicit local files — songs you uploaded locally to Spotify won't move unless you have the actual files.
• Some metadata fields like popularity scores, editorial notes and saved offline status.
• Collaborative playlist collaborator history — who added what may be partially preserved in exports but not always applied to the new platform.

Preparation checklist — before you transfer

1. Audit your playlists. Decide which playlists are worth moving. Big, curated lists, and rare finds should be prioritized.
2. Export a backup. Get a CSV or JSON export of every playlist you plan to move. This is your insurance policy.
3. Collect local files. If some tracks are local uploads, copy them to a folder and name files using 'Artist - Title' and embed metadata with a tag editor.
4. List destination services. Pick where you want your playlists: Apple Music, YouTube Music, Tidal, Deezer, or a local player like VLC/foobar2000.
5. Decide on partial vs total migration. You can migrate everything or just a curated selection if you want to start fresh.

Top tools that preserve order and metadata (2026)

These tools are battle-tested in 2025–2026 migrations and have improved support for metadata and order preservation.

• Soundiiz — retains playlist order, exports multiple formats, and provides batch transfers between many platforms.
• TuneMyMusic — easy web interface, preserves order, offers CSV/JSON exports and a free tier for smaller migrations.
• FreeYourMusic — useful for subscription-based bulk moves and mobile-to-desktop syncs.
• MusConv and other paid apps — sometimes better for very large catalogs and advanced mapping options.
• Spotipy or Spotify Web API — for power users who want a programmatic export (perfect for preserving every available bit of metadata).

Step-by-step: Using Soundiiz to migrate and preserve order

Soundiiz is one of the most reliable pick-and-move services with a clear UI and detailed matching options.

1. Go to Soundiiz and sign up for an account.
2. Connect your Spotify account. Grant read access to playlists.
3. Connect the destination account (Apple Music, YouTube Music, Tidal, Deezer, etc.).
4. Select the playlist(s) to transfer. Use the transfer wizard and choose 'Keep order' if prompted.
5. Review the mapping. Soundiiz shows matches and misses — export the unmatched list as CSV for later manual fixing.
6. Start the transfer. After completion, verify on the destination service that the order and cover art match.

Pro tip: use Soundiiz's export to CSV/JSON to keep a local backup of ISRCs and Spotify track IDs. That gives you a durable reference if tracks are rematched differently later.

Step-by-step: Using TuneMyMusic for quick transfers

TuneMyMusic is simpler and excellent for moving a few playlists fast.

1. Open TuneMyMusic and pick Spotify as the source.
2. Authorize TuneMyMusic with your Spotify credentials.
3. Select playlists to transfer, then pick the destination service.
4. Enable options to preserve track order and metadata where available.
5. Run the migration and export a CSV of the results if offered.

TuneMyMusic is great for one-off moves and has a friendlier free tier for smaller sets.

DIY: Exporting playlists with Spotify's API (best for full backups)

For full control — including preserving timestamps, added_by, Spotify track IDs, and ISRCs — use the Spotify Web API. Below is a condensed process for power users.

1. Create a Spotify developer application at developer.spotify.com and get client ID and secret.
2. Obtain an OAuth token with the playlist-read-private and user-library-read scopes.
3. Use the playlists endpoint to fetch playlist items. Each item includes track metadata and the added_at timestamp.
4. Export results to CSV or JSON, including fields: track id, name, artist, album, isrc, added_at, position.

Sample minimal Python approach using spotipy:

from spotipy import Spotify
from spotipy.oauth2 import SpotifyOAuth
import csv

sp = Spotify(auth_manager=SpotifyOAuth(scope='playlist-read-private'))
playlists = sp.current_user_playlists()

for pl in playlists['items']:
    pid = pl['id']
    name = pl['name']
    results = sp.playlist_items(pid)
    with open(f"{name}.csv", 'w', newline='') as f:
        writer = csv.writer(f)
        writer.writerow(['position', 'track_id', 'artist', 'title', 'album', 'isrc', 'added_at'])
        for idx, item in enumerate(results['items']):
            t = item['track']
            writer.writerow([idx + 1, t['id'], t['artists'][0]['name'], t['name'], t['album']['name'], t['external_ids'].get('isrc', ''), item['added_at']])
  

That CSV gives you a durable backup. Store it in cloud storage and keep a copy locally.

Handling unmatched tracks and local files

Unmatched tracks are the most common headache. Here are practical fixes:

• Export the unmatched list from your migration tool and search the destination service for alternate versions.
• If tracks were local uploads on Spotify, copy the actual MP3/FLAC files from your machine and import them into the new service's local files area (if supported).
• Use ISRC matching where possible — it increases the chance of finding the exact recording across services.
• For rare regional tracks, consider using a VPN during migration to temporarily access another region's catalog, but check terms of service before relying on this long term.

Preserving cover art and playlist descriptions

Not every tool pushes cover art. If it matters, use Soundiiz or an API export that includes the playlist image URL, then re-upload it to the target service. Save artwork files alongside your CSV/JSON exports.

Backing up your music metadata long term

Migration is also a good opportunity to make a long-term backup. A practical backup includes:

• CSV for each playlist with position, track id, artist, title, album, isrc, and added_at.
• JSON export that preserves nested fields and collaborator info.
• Folder with playlist cover art and local track files (when applicable).
• Store backups in two places, eg, an encrypted cloud folder and an external drive.

Advanced strategies

Keep a living sync vs one-time export

Decide if you want ongoing syncing between services (handy during transition) or a one-time export. Ongoing sync can cause duplicates if both services have automations.

Use metadata to rebuild rather than rematch

If a match fails, you can rebuild playlists on the destination using ISRC and artist/title exact matches. This is slower but produces cleaner results.

Leverage community export formats

Some apps now support richer exports that include ISRC and added timestamps. Favor tools that provide these fields — they give you more options for exact rematching or forensic recovery of your catalog later.

Legal and practical cautions

• Do not use tools that promise to download or rip songs from streaming services unless you own the files or have explicit permission. That crosses into piracy.
• Using a VPN might help access geo-restricted catalogs during manual fixes, but always review the target service's terms of service.
• Keep your credentials secure. Use OAuth-based tools where possible and revoke app access after migration if you do not plan to continue using the service.

Future predictions: playlists in 2026 and beyond

Expect three trends in the near future:

1. More migration tools will add full fidelity exports (ISRC, timestamps, editorial notes).
2. AI curators will generate cross-service smart playlists that can be recreated from metadata alone, making platform lock-in less painful.
3. There will be stronger pressure for an open playlist interchange standard. Even if a universal standard is not yet finalized in 2026, many vendors are already supporting richer JSON exports.

Actionable checklist to move a playlist right now

1. Export a CSV/JSON backup via Soundiiz, TuneMyMusic, or the Spotify API.
2. Use Soundiiz or TuneMyMusic to do the first transfer and keep the detailed transfer report.
3. Manually review the unmatched list and fix top-priority tracks.
4. Copy any local files to your new service or local player.
5. Keep backups in cloud and an external drive and revoke app access if you stop using the migration tool.

Final takeaways

You do not have to lose your curated music collection just because Spotify raised prices. With the right preparation and tools such as Soundiiz and TuneMyMusic, plus a programmatic backup via the Spotify API if you want full control, you can preserve playlist order, most metadata, and cover art. The migration is rarely flawless — expect to fix some unmatched tracks — but a reliable backup and a prioritized checklist will keep your musical life intact.

Pro tip: Always keep a CSV and a JSON export of your playlists. That duo is the best insurance policy against future platform changes.

Ready to move your playlists?

Start by exporting one small playlist as a test. Use TuneMyMusic or Soundiiz, verify the order and metadata on the destination, then scale up. If you want a DIY backup, the spotipy approach above will give you the most complete dataset to protect your collection.

Take action now: Export one playlist today, store the CSV/JSON in your cloud, and schedule the full migration this week. If you'd like step-by-step help tailored to your library size and destination choice, drop your details and I’ll give you a custom migration plan.

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