Reddit users have reported that Apple Music on Android is currently beta testing integration with SongShift, although the feature is still in A/B beta testing at this point.
SongShift is a third-party feature that allows users to easily move their music libraries and playlists between different music streaming services. This saves the user time as they don’t have to constantly recreate each playlist and allows for more integration between apps. For instance, it would be possible to transfer a created playlist from Spotify to Apple Music without having to search for all the artists and tracks again.
According to Reddit users, Apple is testing a native integration with SongShift. It seems that there is now a new prompt in Apple Music that asks if they want to “add saved music and playlists you made in other music services to your Apple Music library.” There also appears to be an option to do this through Apple Music's settings on Android.
This feature is still locked to the Apple Music for Android Beta, and there are no indications that Apple is planning to move SongShift integration to the iPhone. If users are using the iPhone they will still need to download a third-party app to transfer playlists easily. However, it would not be unusual for Apple to have different features on its Android app versions.
A/B testing, also known as split testing or bucket testing, is a method of testing that compares versions of a webpage or app against the other to determine which is better. While the term often refers to using two versions, it can be increased to use multiple versions to achieve the results. It is considered to be very useful at gauging audience interest as it allows the developer to add feature variations with ease and measure how the different users react.
The idea of easily shifting playlists is an interesting one and arguably would be a great step for better Apple software integration. There is currently no indication when Apple will plan to release the updated version of Apple Music on Android, but we will bring that news to you as soon as it becomes available for every user.