The benefit of transferring files via Google Music is that they will be available on any device on which you are signed into your Google account. They are also stored on the cloud (up to 50,000 songs), which means a large music collection won’t gobble up storage on your Android. However, this does mean you need an active internet connection. Alternatively, you can transfer files to a single Android device’s local storage. This is possible without an active internet connection, and may be preferrable if you don’t want to transfer your entire music library. Also see: How to transfer contacts from iPhone to Android.
How to transfer music from Mac to Android: Transfer iTunes library to Google Music
If you are wanting to transfer music from Mac to Android then we will assume you already have a Google account set up and in use.
Transfer iTunes library to Google Music in Safari
• Open Safari, browse to play.google.com/music and sign in • Tap the three vertical lines icon at the top right of the browser window and choose Upload music • You’ll be prompted to download and install Music Manager – do this now • Open Music Manager and sign into your Google account • By default Music Manager automatically uploaded anything in our iTunes Music folder to Google Music, but you can also open the Music Manager preferences to add alternative folders
Transfer iTunes library to Google Music in Chrome
• Open Chrome, browse to play.google.com/music and sign in • Tap the three vertical lines icon at the top right of the browser window and choose Upload music • You can drag and drop a folder (such as your iTunes Music folder) or individual file on to the browser window to add it to Google Music, or browse to a folder on your Mac • You’ll be prompted to install Google Play Music for Chrome – click Continue, then click Add app. Your music will begin to upload to Google Music
How to transfer music from Mac to Android: Drag and drop music from Mac to Android
There are two ways to drag and drop files from your Mac to make them available on Android. Using Chrome you can go to play.google.com/music, choose Upload music from the settings menu and then drag and drop songs on to the browser window, as we have explained above. Alternatively, if you don’t have an active internet connection or would rather transfer them to your local device, you can download the free Android File Transfer tool. Once installed, connect your Android phone or tablet to the Mac via USB and launch Android File Transfer. It will open a new window showing the file structure of your Android device. Open the Music folder, then drag and drop files from your Mac to here. (If you’re having issues, check that your phone’s screen is unlocked and that it isn’t waiting for you to allow access to the device storage). Follow Marie Brewis on Twitter. Marie is Editor in Chief of Tech Advisor and Macworld. A Journalism graduate from the London College of Printing, she’s worked in tech media for more than 17 years, managing our English language, French and Spanish consumer editorial teams and leading on content strategy through Foundry’s transition from print, to digital, to online - and beyond.
