How to sync your iTunes playlists to Android

1Before you start

Check these four things first. They prevent most problems.

• Your computer: Windows 10 or 11 with iTunes for Windows, or macOS 11 or newer with the Music app.
• Your phone: Android 11 or newer.
• The same Wi-Fi: your phone and computer must be on the same Wi-Fi network. Guest, hotel, office and co-working networks often block this. A phone hotspot works.
• On a Mac: open the Music app and turn on Music › Settings › Advanced › “Share Library XML with other applications”.

2Install the app on your computer

Download the app for Windows or Mac and install it. Version 2 is coming soon; the download links will appear on the home page and here.

3Install the app on your phone

Install the phone app from Google Play on your Android phone. Version 2 is coming soon; the Google Play link will appear on the home page and here.

4Pair your phone

You only do this once.

1. Open the app on your phone. It shows a 6-digit code.
2. On your computer, open the app and go to Settings › Pair phone › Search for phones.
3. Type in the code from your phone.

Can’t find your phone? See If something doesn’t work.

5Choose playlists and sync

Tick the playlists you want on your phone and press Sync.

• Your songs appear in every music player on your phone.
• Playlists keep the same order as in iTunes.
• Only new or changed songs are copied, so later syncs are faster.
• Songs you stop syncing can be removed from your phone. This is optional.

Next time

Open the phone app and press Sync. That’s it. While the phone app is ready to sync, it keeps Wi-Fi awake. It switches this off by itself after 15 minutes without syncing.

6Turn on play counts

The phone app can keep track of what you listen to and add it to your play counts in iTunes at the next sync. For this, Android asks you to allow “notification access”.

• A play counts after half the song or 4 minutes.
• It works in any music player, for songs from your iTunes library.
• The app only reads the title, artist and album of what’s playing. Your notifications are not read or stored.
• It costs practically no battery: it only reacts when a song changes.

Android shows a standard warning that the app can read your notifications. That’s the general text Android uses for this setting. Read what the app actually does.

7If something doesn’t work

My computer can’t find my phone

• Are both on the same Wi-Fi?
• Is the phone app open, with sync switched on?
• On guest or office Wi-Fi, try a phone hotspot instead.
• You can also type in the address shown in the phone app.

Play counts don’t show up in iTunes on Windows

Check that you use iTunes for Windows. The newer Apple Music app for Windows doesn’t support play counts from this app.

I’d rather use an FTP app

That’s possible: an FTP server app on your phone also works, but without play counts.