How-ToStreamingTamilMusic

How to Move Your Tamil Playlists Off Spotify — A Step-by-Step Guide

UUnknown

2026-02-28

9 min read

Step-by-step guide for Tamil listeners to export Spotify playlists, use Soundiiz and TuneMyMusic, preserve metadata, and keep offline files where possible.

Moving your Tamil playlists off Spotify — fast, safe, and metadata-first

Hook: If rising Spotify prices and fragmented Tamil music discovery are nudging you to a new streaming home, you don’t have to rebuild playlists by hand. This guide shows Tamil listeners how to export Spotify playlists, migrate them to other services using Soundiiz and TuneMyMusic, preserve metadata, and keep offline files where possible — step by step for 2026.

Why this matters in 2026

Late 2024 through 2025 saw multiple Spotify price increases and changing regional licensing that affected some Tamil catalog availability. In 2026, listeners are selecting alternatives (Apple Music, YouTube Music, JioSaavn, Gaana, and independent/local platforms) not just for price but for regional curation and local artist support. Migration tools and improved APIs now make playlist migration easier, but preserving metadata and offline access still needs careful steps. This article gives a practical, Tamil-centric walkthrough so you don’t lose add-dates, covers, or rare indie tracks.

Overview: What you can and can’t move

Can move: playlist tracklists (title, artist, album), many cover art files, and basic metadata via tools like Soundiiz and TuneMyMusic.
Partially possible: add dates, playlist descriptions, and ratings — they may transfer if the tool or service supports them.
Can’t move: encrypted offline files downloaded inside Spotify’s app (DRM), podcast episodes locked to the original platform, and region-blocked tracks that don’t exist in the destination catalog.

Pro tip: Treat migration as two stages — (A) export and backup a complete manifest (CSV/JSON), (B) import and reconcile on the new service. Always keep the manifest until you verify the new library.

Essential tools and when to use them

Soundiiz — best for full-featured transfers, playlist backups (CSV/JSON), and batch operations. Good balance of accuracy and control.
TuneMyMusic — quick, browser-based transfers and one-time exports; simple UI for single-playlist moves or bulk transfers.
Optional: local file managers (iTunes/Apple Music, YouTube Music web uploader, Plex) if you want to keep and stream your own MP3/FLAC files across devices.

Step-by-step: Move playlists with Soundiiz (recommended for power users)

1) Prepare your accounts

Make sure you can log in to Spotify and your destination service (Apple Music, YouTube Music, JioSaavn, Gaana, etc.).
If you plan to move large timelines (100+ playlists), consider upgrading Soundiiz to Premium for faster batch transfers and better matching options.

2) Backup from Spotify

Go to soundiiz.com and sign in with an email (or use Google).
Connect Spotify when prompted. Soundiiz uses OAuth, so you’re authorizing read access only.
From the dashboard, select the playlists you want to back up and click Export to CSV/JSON. Keep a copy locally. This manifest will include track titles, artists, album names and — where available — ISRC codes and durations.

3) Run the transfer

In Soundiiz, choose the playlist(s) and click Convert.
Select the destination service (e.g., YouTube Music or JioSaavn). Authorize Soundiiz to write to that service.
Soundiiz will attempt to automatically match tracks. Review the matching report — you can manually correct mismatches, switch alternate versions (live vs studio), or skip unavailable tracks.
Start the transfer and wait. For very large playlists this can take minutes to hours. You’ll get a completion report listing matched, unmatched, and duplicated items.

4) Verify and tidy up

Open the destination service and confirm tracks, order, and playlist cover image. If a cover didn’t transfer, upload one manually using the exported manifest or your phone.
Check for region-blocked Tamil songs. Soundiiz will mark unmatched tracks — you can search and add these manually if the song exists under a slightly different metadata string.

Step-by-step: Move playlists with TuneMyMusic (quick and user-friendly)

1) Start the migration

Open tunemymusic.com and click Let’s Start.
Select Spotify as the source and log in. Choose the playlist(s) you want to move.

2) Choose destination and run

Select your destination (e.g., Apple Music, YouTube Music, JioSaavn). If the destination requires a subscription for writing libraries, be prepared to sign in with a paid account.
Start the transfer. TuneMyMusic will attempt to preserve order and basic metadata.

3) Post-transfer checks

Download the TuneMyMusic report (it lists matched and unmatched tracks). For unmatched Tamil indie tracks, search by artist + track title manually in the destination service — sometimes spelling or transliteration differences (Tamil transliteration vs. English spelling) cause mismatches.

How to preserve metadata — the technical but practical bits

Metadata makes playlists meaningful: ISRC (unique recording codes), add date, album art, and track order. Migration tools vary in what they support. Here’s how to maximize preservation:

Export a manifest first (CSV/JSON) using Soundiiz, TuneMyMusic, or a community tool. Keep columns: Track Name, Artist, Album, Duration, ISRC (if present), and Added Date.
Use ISRC when possible. ISRC is the most reliable match across services. If the exporter includes ISRCs, Soundiiz/TuneMyMusic will use them to find exact recordings, reducing false matches for Tamil songs with multiple versions.
Check transliteration. Many Tamil songs have multiple English spellings (e.g., “Kaathalae” vs “Kaathalai”). If a lot of tracks fail to match, open the manifest and manually edit artist or title spellings to increase match rates before re-importing.
Save cover art separately. If preserving playlist covers matters, download the image from Spotify (right-click in the desktop app or use the manifest export) and re-upload on the destination.

Keeping offline files — what’s realistic

Downloaded files in Spotify are encrypted and tied to the Spotify app — you cannot move those files to another streaming service. But you have legal, practical options to keep offline access:

Option A: Use your own DRM-free files

If you bought MP3s/FLACs (Bandcamp, older iTunes purchases, or direct downloads from artists), upload them to the destination service if it supports uploads (YouTube Music and Apple Music allow uploads/sync). Then match those uploaded files to playlists.
For private streaming across devices, set up a personal library server like Plex or an open-source alternative (Jellyfin). This keeps your Tamil music accessible offline via syncing to mobile clients.

Option B: Re-download on the new service

After migration, subscribe to the new service and download tracks for offline listening there. Note: licensing may differ — some Tamil tracks available on Spotify may not be on the destination, so you may need to buy or source them through Bandcamp or the artist’s store.

Option C: Purchase or rip

Buy DRM-free versions of rare tracks (some Tamil indie releases are sold directly by artists). Ripping CDs is another legal option if you own the physical media.

Troubleshooting common problems

Many tracks are unmatched

Check transliteration differences and edit the exported CSV to fix spellings. Re-run matching using ISRC if available.
Search manually in the destination; sometimes the catalog uses alternate metadata (record label vs artist as primary name).

Cover art didn’t move

Download the original cover from your exported manifest or Spotify desktop and upload it manually to the destination playlist.

Playlists are out of order

Ensure the transfer tool was set to preserve order. If not, use the exported CSV to re-order tracks in the new service or rebuild the order manually.

Regional or licensing gaps

Use Bandcamp, YouTube, or the artist’s own channels to add missing tracks. Consider creating a parallel playlist of “sources” — links to where missing Tamil tracks can be bought or streamed.

Advanced strategies for Tamil-curated libraries (2026 trends)

Hybrid approach: Keep streaming playlists on your new service but maintain a local library (Plex/Jellyfin) for rare Tamil files. In 2025–26 we saw more listeners adopt hybrid streaming+local setups to support indie artists not fully available on global platforms.
ISRC-first workflow: When building playlists, encourage Tamil creators to supply ISRCs and consistent metadata on distribution platforms — this makes future migration painless.
Backup regularly: Use Soundiiz or other tools to schedule periodic exports of your entire library (2026 update: several migration services added scheduled backups after user demand following 2025 platform changes).

Checklist before you pull the plug on Spotify

Export full playlist manifests (CSV/JSON) from Soundiiz or TuneMyMusic.
Decide which service(s) you’ll use for streaming and which for local files.
Gather DRM-free copies of tracks you own and plan upload paths (YouTube Music, Apple Music, Plex).
Run a test transfer with 1–3 playlists to confirm matching and order preservation.
Keep the original Spotify account for 7–14 days after migration until you’ve confirmed everything.

Quick comparison: Soundiiz vs TuneMyMusic (practical view)

Soundiiz — better for batch jobs, metadata-rich exports, scheduled backups, and manual reconciling. Higher learning curve but more control.
TuneMyMusic — faster for one-off transfers, straightforward UI, good for casual users or a small number of playlists.

Actionable takeaways

Always export a CSV/JSON backup before attempting migration.
Use ISRCs where possible and correct transliteration issues for Tamil titles to improve matching.
If you care about offline files, plan a local-file strategy (upload to a service that supports user files or run a personal server like Plex).
Test with a small playlist first, then migrate the rest in batches.

Final notes: protecting Tamil music heritage while changing platforms

Migration is not just technical — it’s cultural. For Tamil listeners and diaspora communities, playlists are archives of language, memories, and artist discovery. When you move platforms, document credits, add notes in playlist descriptions, and support artists by buying DRM-free copies when possible. In 2026, community-backed distribution and direct-to-fan platforms are growing — consider supporting creators directly when a track isn’t available on mainstream services.

Ready to move your playlists?

If you want a quick start: export one playlist now with Soundiiz, run a test to YouTube Music or JioSaavn, and keep the CSV. If you hit a snag with Tamil spellings or unmatched indie songs, share the CSV with us and we’ll suggest fixes. Save time, preserve your metadata, and keep your offline collection intact where possible — and bring your Tamil playlists with you, wherever you listen next.

Call to action: Try a one-playlist transfer today and tag us with your results — we’ll spotlight the best Tamil-curated lists and show how to fix unmatched tracks. Need step-by-step help with a specific playlist? Reply with the playlist name and target service and we’ll guide you.

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Senior editor and content strategist. Writing about technology, design, and the future of digital media. Follow along for deep dives into the industry's moving parts.