Fortunately, just like my previous switch, there is a way to get my playlists over to the new platform. To copy playlists from Apple Music to Google Play Music, I'm using STAMP.io. Although it seems to have the same issue I encountered in the last move--not choosing the same recording of the songs--it's certainly better than redoing all that time intensive work of creating the lists. The premium version costs a few dollars, but it's worth it.
So why go through the hassle of switching streaming services again? Here are the "why not" reasons:
- The cost is the same for the family plan, so price isn't an issue.
- I can copy over my playlists (with a bit of clean up required)
- I thought Apple Music would work seamlessly with iTunes. For example, I expected to be able to freely mix my content from iTunes and the streaming service. That's not the case. There appears to be no synergy there.
The deal breaker was the flexibility of Apple Music--or rather, the lack of flexibility. I simply cannot use Apply Music on enough devices in my house. Here are the devices/options I tested:
- Windows PC: works via iTunes
- MacBook: works via iTunes
- iPhone 6: works via Apple Music App
- iPhone 3 (my daughter plays with it): no app, does not work at all
- Android Tablet (Kindle Fire): no app, does not work at all
- Nexus 5x: works via Apple Music App
- Chromebook: does not work at all
Obviously, some of these are more important than others, but the fact remains that Google Play Music works fine on every one of these devices. Furthermore, it does not require any install to run on a PC/Mac/Linux/ChromeOS browser; I really miss the web listening experience that I had with Rdio and I want that back. In the end, it was an easy decision to make the switch and go Google.
