If you own an Android phone and a Mac computer, you might have become frustrated trying to transfer data from your phone to your Mac. It’s not as easy as transferring data from an iPhone to a Mac, but it can be done! File transfer software that lets you transfer files from Mac to Android, and vice versa, like MacDroid, is the easy way to transfer your data.
It’s not always possible to connect Android phone to Mac for file transfer without the help of specialist software, and if you do, the process can be more complicated if you decide to transfer files to your Mac manually. You don’t want to risk losing your data, which is why we’d always recommend using Android file transfer for Mac software that takes care of the entire transfer process, like MacDroid.
If you’re wondering how to transfer music to Android from Mac, or need advice on how to put music on Android phone for free, our handy guide will take you through the step-by-step instructions, and answer some of your most frequently asked questions about how to move music from Mac to Android.
1. How to download music from Mac to Android
So when might you need to add music to Android from Mac using a music transfer app? Music downloading for Macs is a simple process, but sometimes transferring your music to your Android device isn’t so easy.
What if you’re heading off on a business trip or a long flight and want to know how to transfer MP3 to Android to take your favorite tunes with you? Or perhaps you want to use your Android device as an MP3 player in your car and listen to your playlists on the road. Using an Android File Transfer Mac alternative like MacDroid makes transferring music from Mac to Android quick and easy.
We’ll walk you through the steps for how to connect Mac to Android in MTP (Media Transfer Protocol) and ADB (Android Debug Bridge) mode as well as step-by-step for how to download music to Android from Mac.
Here’s how to connect your Android device to Mac using MacDroid in MTP mode:
1. Download and install MacDroid and activate the Pro version.
2. Connect your device to your Mac via USB and launch MacDroid.
3. In the pop-up window on your device screen, select “File Transfer”.
4. You should now see your device in the MacDroid devices list.
5. Click “Mount” to mount your MTP device for transferring pictures from Android to Mac.
Connecting your Android device to Mac using MacDroid in ADB mode is a little more complicated, but here’s how to do it:
1. Download MacDroid and install it, then upgrade to the Pro version.
2. Launch MacDroid and connect your device to your Mac with a USB cable.
3. Ensure that USB debugging mode is activated on your device. If it is not, follow steps 4-7. If it is already activated, skip to step 7.
4. You’ll need to unblock your Android device to access developer options, so go to System Settings, find “About Phone” and scroll until you find the build number version.
5. Click seven times on the build number version until you see “You are now a developer” appear on screen.
6. Navigate back to System settings -> Advanced -> Developer options and slide the USB debugging toggle to on and click “OK” to confirm.
7. You should now see your device in the devices list on MacDroid.
8. Click “Mount” to mount your ADB device to transfer video from Android to Mac.
For how to transfer music files from Mac to Android, after mounting your device in ADB or MTP mode, here are the steps you need to follow:
- Click on the MacDroid icon on your Mac menu bar and hover over your device name.
- Click “Show in Finder” to see the files on your device.
- Now simply drag and drop the files you want to transfer songs from Mac to Android, or copy and paste files manually.
When you’re finished your Android music download, don’t forget to click the “Unmount” icon next to your device name in Finder before safely disconnecting your device.
2. What is MacDroid and how can it help to transfer songs from Mac to Android?
MacDroid is an Android data transfer program that lets you manage data between your Mac computer and Android devices. You can mount Android devices as a disc on Mac and access all your files, transferring files from Android to Mac and vice versa.
If you’re wondering how to get music from Mac to Android, MacDroid makes the whole process quick and easy. You can also transfer photos from Android to Mac, send files and folders. MacDroid offers a free 7-day trial that gives you access to all the app’s PRO features for 7 days – and there’s a free version too, although you can only transfer files from Android to Mac, not vice versa with the free version.
To transfer music and other files in both directions, you’ll need to upgrade to the PRO version, which is billed annually, with auto-renewal. The PRO version includes consistent app updates and the ability to download music to Android phone from Mac and download music to computer from Android phone, as well as transferring other files. You can use the software on up to 5 Macs and unlimited Android devices and choose from Single-Operation Mode or Multi-Operation Mode, depending on your requirements.
Listen to your music on your Android device on a long flight or while commuting to work, or transfer your music files to your Mac to listen to your favorite tracks while working from home – MacDroid makes all this and more possible, for a low monthly cost.
3. How to transfer music from iTunes to Android
Transferring all of your iTunes songs to Google Music is simple and intuitive. All you will need is a browser such as Safari and Chrome. Here’s how you should do it!
Sync Music between iTunes Library and Google Music from Safari:
- After opening Safari, navigate to play.google.com/music.
- Log in to your Google Account.
- On the top right corner, click the three vertical dots and select ‘Upload Music’.
- Get Apple Music on Android.
- Open Music Manager.
- Log in with your Google credentials.
- All of the files from iTunes should copy songs automatically to Google Music.
How to transfer iTunes library to Google Music using Chrome:
- Open Chrome and navigate to https://play.google.com/music.
- Download Google Play Music for Chrome and install it.
- All of your music content is going to transfer to your Google Music account.
Stream with Apple Music on Android
While there is no iTunes for Android or option to send music directly, you can use the Apple Music app to stream all of your favorite music directly from your Android phone:
- Make sure that iTunes is downloaded on your computer.
- Open iTunes and go to the ‘Preferences’ settings.
- Go to the General tab and make sure that the iCloud Music Library is turned on.
- Download and Install Apple Music on your Android phone.
- Use your Apple ID to sign in and enjoy all of your playlist music from iTunes.
Before you back up music, ensure that you are logged in with both Apple IDs and that you are running the latest versions of iTunes and Apple Music.
4. How to transfer music from Android to Mac
What happens if you need to transfer music from your Android device back to your Mac – for example, if you want to backup your music library or save your favorite tracks to your Mac so you can listen to music while you’re working from home? The steps to follow are very similar to before. First of all connect your Android device to your Mac as described above.
Here’s how to transfer music from Android to Mac computer after mounting your device in either MTP or ADB mode:
1. First, you’ll need to find the files to transfer.
2. Click on the MacDroid icon on your Mac menu bar and hover over your device name.
3. Click “Show in Finder” and the files on your device should be displayed.
4. You can now either drag and drop or copy files from Android to Mac manually – you may want to create new folders to keep your files organized.
When you’re finished transferring, click the “Unmount” icon next to your device name in Finder before safely disconnecting your device.
Choose the best music transfer app
Top features | MacDroid | dr.fone – Phone Manager | TunesGo | Vibosoft Android Mobile Manager | MobiKin Assistant for Android | OpenMTP | Phone Mechanic |
Support for MTP-compatible devices | |||||||
Files’ preview thumbnails when working with MTP devices | |||||||
File/Folder transfer | partially | partially | partially | ||||
Connect via Wi-Fi | |||||||
Finder integration | |||||||
On-the-phone file edit | |||||||
Requires a module installed on Android | |||||||
Support for the latest Android versions | |||||||
Price | $1.67/mo | $39.95/year | $39.95/year | $39.95 | $29.95/year | free | $14.99/year |
5. Final Thoughts on transferring music from computer to Android
MacDroid is one of the easiest ways to add music to Android from your Mac and vice versa.
When it comes to how to put music on Android from Mac or vice versa, the quickest way is to mount your device in MTP mode, but if you’re a more advanced Mac user then you can use ADB mode. It’s as simple as downloading and installing the MacDroid software, mounting your device, and dragging and dropping your music files to transfer them from Mac to Android or vice versa.
Frequently Asked Questions
It couldn’t be easier to connect Android to Mac with a USB cable. Just connect the USB cable to your Android, and the other end to your Mac (ensuring both devices are switched on first). You’ll usually need to ensure you have file transfer software (such as MacDroid) installed to ensure your Mac recognizes your device.
If you want to transfer files from Mac to Android, you will need to use an app, a cloud service, or patch together native apps on the computer and phone. Mac and Android run on different, incompatible operating systems, but the files you use on both are the same format and can be transferred. For example, if you want to transfer music to Android from Mac these are typically MP3 files that you can use on both Android and Mac—you just need an app like MacDroid that can create a bridge for the files to cross between operating systems!
The easiest, fastest, and most secure way to transfer music from your Mac to your phone is with a Mac file transfer software. Music libraries can be large, and hard as we try, are not always as organized as we’d like. Trying to manually connect your Mac to your Android and transfer MP3 files can become a frustrating and tedious process. Using a dedicated software like MacDroid is the best way to music from Mac to Android.
You can transfer you iTunes library from Mac to Android. Because Android doesn’t have Apple’s iTunes installed, you need an app to help transfer songs from Mac to Android that lets your phone and Mac communicate to sync the music library. With MacDroid, you can easily transfer from your entire iTunes library to your Android with just a few clicks to ensure that you have all your music on your phone when you want it.
For a quick, easy way to transfer mp3 to Android or music files from Android to Mac, a professional tool like MacDroid is the best option. The software does all the hard work for you after you have mounted your device in MTP or ADB mode (according to your preferences), so all you need to do is choose which tracks to transfer then drag and drop them from your Android to your Mac!