Transfer Music from Sony Xperia to iPhone

Moving your music library from a Sony Xperia to a new iPhone doesn’t have to mean losing your playlists or re-downloading everything. This guide walks you through the most reliable methods—using a computer, cloud storage, or direct transfer—so you can keep your songs, albums, and playlists intact. You’ll need your Xperia, your iPhone, and depending on the method, a PC or Mac, a USB cable, and an internet connection.

What You’ll Need

• Sony Xperia phone (with music files stored on it)
• iPhone (with enough free storage for the music)
• A computer (Windows or Mac) with a USB port (for the computer method)
• USB cable for the Xperia (and for the iPhone if using a computer)
• Internet connection (for cloud methods)
• Apple ID and password (to use iCloud or iTunes/Finder)

Step-by-Step

There are three main approaches. Choose the one that fits your setup.

Method 1: Using a Computer (Most Reliable)

1. Connect your Xperia to the computer. Use a USB cable. On the Xperia, swipe down the notification bar and tap the USB connection notification. Choose “File Transfer” or “MTP” mode so the computer can see the phone’s storage.
2. Locate your music files. On the computer, open File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac). Your Xperia should appear as a drive. Navigate to the folder where your music is stored—typically Music or Internal Storage/Music. If you have an SD card, check SD Card/Music as well.
3. Copy the music to the computer. Select all the music files (or folders) and copy them to a folder on your computer, for example, C:\Music Transfer or ~/Music Transfer.
4. Disconnect the Xperia. Safely eject the device from the computer.
5. Connect your iPhone to the computer. Use the iPhone’s USB cable. If prompted on the iPhone, tap “Trust This Computer” and enter your passcode.
6. Open Apple’s sync software. On Windows, open iTunes. On macOS Catalina or later, open Finder (iTunes is no longer used).
7. Select your iPhone. In iTunes, click the phone icon in the top-left corner. In Finder, select your iPhone under “Locations” in the sidebar.
8. Enable music syncing. In the left sidebar, click “Music”. Check the box “Sync Music”. Choose “Selected playlists, artists, albums, and genres” if you want to pick specific items, or “Entire music library” to sync everything.
9. Add the music to your library. If you chose to sync selected items, you need to add the copied music to your iTunes/Finder library first. Go to File > Add to Library (iTunes) or File > Add to Library (Finder), then select the music folder you copied earlier.
10. Apply the sync. Click the “Apply” or “Sync” button in the bottom-right corner. Wait for the transfer to finish. Once done, your music will appear in the iPhone’s Music app.

Method 2: Using Google Drive (Wireless, No Computer Needed)

1. Upload music from Xperia. On your Xperia, open the Google Drive app (download it from the Play Store if you don’t have it). Sign in with your Google account. Tap the “+” icon, then “Upload”. Navigate to your music folder and select the files. Wait for the upload to complete. Make sure you have enough free space in Google Drive (free accounts get 15 GB).
2. Access Google Drive on iPhone. On your iPhone, install the Google Drive app from the App Store. Sign in with the same Google account.
3. Download the music. In the Drive app, find the uploaded music files. Tap the three-dot menu next to a file and select “Download”. The file will be saved to the iPhone’s Files app.
4. Add to the Music app. The downloaded files are now in the Files app, but the Music app won’t automatically show them. You need a third-party app like “Documents by Readdle” to import them. Open the Documents app, navigate to the downloaded files, and use the “Move” or “Share” option to save them to the Music app. Alternatively, you can use a dedicated transfer app like “HFS” or “iMusic” that can import directly.

Method 3: Using a Third-Party Transfer App (Simplest for Some)

1. Install a transfer app on both phones. Apps like “Shareit”, “Xender”, or “Send Anywhere” are available on both the Play Store and App Store. Install one on both your Xperia and your iPhone.
2. Connect the two phones. Open the app on both devices. On the Xperia, select the music files you want to send. On the iPhone, choose “Receive” or “Accept”.
3. Follow the app’s instructions. These apps typically create a local Wi-Fi hotspot or use QR codes to pair the devices. Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the transfer.
4. Save the received files. Once transferred, the files will be in the app’s storage. You’ll need to export them to the Music app using the same method as in Method 2 (via the Files app or a third-party importer).

Common Mistakes

• Not enabling file transfer mode on the Xperia. If the computer doesn’t show the phone’s storage, check the USB notification and select “File Transfer” or “MTP”.
• Forgetting to sync after adding music. In iTunes/Finder, you must click “Sync” or “Apply” after adding files, otherwise the music won’t transfer.
• Using DRM-protected files. Songs purchased from Google Play Music (before it shut down) or other DRM-protected sources may not play on iPhone. You’ll need to convert them to DRM-free formats like MP3 or AAC.
• Overlooking storage space. iPhone models have limited storage. Check that you have enough free space before syncing. If not, the transfer will fail.
• Assuming cloud uploads are automatically in the Music app. Uploading to Google Drive or iCloud Drive does not automatically add songs to the Music app. You must manually import them.

Tips

• Use MP3 or AAC formats. These are universally supported by iPhone. If your music is in FLAC or WAV, consider converting to MP3 (320 kbps) for better compatibility and smaller file size.
• Organize your music before transferring. Create folders by artist or album on your Xperia. This will make it easier to manage in iTunes/Finder.
• Use iCloud Music Library (Apple Music). If you subscribe to Apple Music, you can enable “Sync Library” in Settings > Music on your iPhone. Then, on your computer, you can add the transferred music to iTunes/Finder and it will sync to your iPhone over Wi-Fi, without a cable.
• Back up your music first. Before deleting anything from your Xperia, make sure the files are safely on your computer or in the cloud.
• Transfer playlists separately. Playlists are not transferred with the music files. You’ll need to recreate them manually on the iPhone or use a service like SongShift (if your playlists are on a streaming service).

Troubleshooting

• Computer doesn’t recognize the Xperia. Try a different USB port or cable. Install the latest USB drivers for your Xperia (available from Sony’s support site). Also, ensure the phone is unlocked and the screen is on.
• iPhone not showing in iTunes/Finder. Update iTunes to the latest version (Windows) or update macOS. Restart both the computer and the iPhone. Try a different USB port or cable.
• Sync fails or freezes. Restart both the computer and the iPhone. Disable any antivirus software temporarily. Make sure the iPhone has enough storage. Sometimes, turning off iCloud Music Library (Settings > Music) helps.
• Music files are greyed out or won’t play. This usually indicates DRM protection or an unsupported format. Convert the files to MP3 or AAC using a free converter like Audacity or VLC.
• Google Drive upload is slow. Check your internet connection. For large libraries, it might be faster to transfer via USB.
• Transfer app keeps disconnecting. Make sure both phones have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled. Some apps require location permission to create a hotspot. Try closing and reopening the app.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I transfer music from Xperia to iPhone without a computer?

Yes, using cloud storage (like Google Drive) or third-party transfer apps (like Shareit) works without a computer. However, you’ll still need a way to import the files into the Music app, which often requires a third-party app like Documents by Readdle.

Will my playlists transfer automatically?

No. Playlists are not part of the music files. You’ll need to recreate them manually on the iPhone, or use a streaming service like Spotify or Apple Music that syncs playlists across devices.

What if my music is in FLAC format?

FLAC is not natively supported by the iPhone Music app. You can convert FLAC to ALAC (Apple Lossless) or MP3 using a converter on your computer. Alternatively, you can play FLAC files using third-party apps like VLC, but they won’t appear in the Music app.

Can I use iCloud to transfer music?

Yes, but only if you subscribe to Apple Music and enable iCloud Music Library. Then, you can upload your music to iTunes/Finder on a computer, and it will sync to your iPhone via iCloud. This requires a computer for the initial upload.

Will the transfer work if I have an SD card in my Xperia?

Yes, but you need to ensure the music on the SD card is also copied. When connecting to a computer, check both internal storage and SD card folders. Some apps might not see the SD card, so using a computer is the most reliable method.

Do I need to jailbreak my iPhone to transfer music?

No. All the methods described here work with a standard, non-jailbroken iPhone. Jailbreaking is not required and is not recommended.

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