Creating a new playlist on your device

To create a playlist in Apple Music, open the app and tap the Library tab at the bottom of your screen. Then tap Playlists at the top, and you'll see a button labeled New Playlist or a plus icon. Tap it, give your playlist a name, and choose whether to make it public or private. Public playlists can be shared with other Apple Music users; private ones stay on your device only.

After you name the playlist, the app will ask if you want to add songs right away. You can skip this step and add songs later, or search for tracks and tap the plus icon next to each one to add them immediately. The order matters — songs appear in the order you add them, though you can rearrange them anytime by dragging them up or down the list.

Key Takeaways

  • Create a new playlist by opening Library, tapping Playlists, and selecting New Playlist from the menu.
  • You can add songs to a playlist while creating it or search for and add them one at a time afterward.
  • Drag songs up and down within a playlist to change their order whenever you want.
  • Public playlists can be shared with other Apple Music users through a link, while private playlists remain on your device only.
  • On a Mac or iPad, the steps are nearly identical — use the sidebar to find Playlists and follow the same process.

Adding songs to an existing playlist

Once your playlist exists, you can add songs to it from anywhere in Apple Music. When you're listening to a song, browsing an album, or looking at search results, tap the three dots (or right-click on Mac) next to the song title. A menu will appear with the option Add to Playlist. Tap it, select the playlist you want, and the song is added to the end of the list.

You can also add entire albums or other people's playlists to your own. Tap the three dots next to an album or playlist name, choose Add to Playlist, and select which of your playlists to add the songs to. This is faster than adding songs one by one if you want most of an album but not necessarily all of it in the same order.

Organizing and editing your playlist

To change the order of songs in your playlist, open it and tap Edit in the top right corner (on iPhone or iPad). Grab handles will appear on the left side of each song — they look like three horizontal lines. Press and hold one, then drag the song up or down to its new position. When you're done rearranging, tap Done.

To remove a song from your playlist, swipe left on it (iPhone) or right-click and choose Remove from Playlist (Mac). Removing a song from a playlist does not delete it from Apple Music or your library — it only takes it out of that specific playlist. You can also delete an entire playlist by tapping Edit at the top of your Playlists list, then tapping the red minus icon next to the playlist name.

Making your playlist collaborative

Apple Music lets you invite other people to add songs to a playlist you create. To turn on collaboration, open your playlist and tap the three dots in the top right. Select Playlist Settings or Edit Playlist, then toggle on Collaborative Playlist. A link will appear that you can share with friends through text, email, or any messaging app.

When someone opens that link, they can add songs to your playlist without needing to edit it themselves. Everyone who has the link can see what songs are in the playlist and add new ones. The original creator can still remove songs or turn off collaboration at any time. This is useful for road trips, parties, or group projects where multiple people want to contribute music.

Playlists on different Apple devices

The process for creating and editing playlists is nearly the same across iPhone, iPad, and Mac, though the buttons look slightly different. On a Mac, open Apple Music and click Library in the top left. In the sidebar, click Playlists, then click the plus icon to create a new one. The steps after that are identical — name it, choose public or private, and add songs by clicking the three dots next to any track.

Playlists you create on one device show up automatically on all your other devices as long as you're signed in with the same Apple ID. If you create a playlist on your iPhone, it will appear in Apple Music on your Mac and iPad within a few seconds. Changes you make — like adding or removing songs — sync across devices automatically, so you don't have to recreate playlists on each device.

Understanding public versus private playlists

When you create a playlist, you choose whether it's public or private. A private playlist is visible only to you and anyone you specifically share it with through a direct link. A public playlist can be found by other Apple Music users if they search for it by name, and it may appear in Apple Music's browse sections or recommendations.

You can change a playlist from private to public (or vice versa) anytime. Open the playlist, tap the three dots, and select Playlist Settings. Toggle the public setting on or off. Keep in mind that making a playlist public means strangers might find it and follow it, but they still can't edit it unless you turn on collaboration. If you want to share a specific playlist with specific people, keeping it private and sending them the link is usually the better choice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add songs from other music services to an Apple Music playlist?

No. Apple Music playlists can only contain songs that are available in the Apple Music catalog. If you use Spotify or another service alongside Apple Music, you would need to create separate playlists in each app. Some third-party tools claim to transfer playlists between services, but they require you to sign in with your account credentials and are not officially supported by Apple.

What happens to a collaborative playlist if I delete my Apple Music account?

If you delete your account, any playlists you created will be removed, including collaborative ones. Other people who were contributing to the playlist will no longer be able to add songs to it. If you want to preserve a collaborative playlist, have someone else in the group recreate it under their account before you delete yours.

Can I download a playlist to listen offline?

Yes. Open the playlist, tap the three dots, and select Download. Apple Music will download all the songs in that playlist to your device so you can listen without an internet connection. Downloaded playlists take up storage space on your phone or tablet, so you may need to delete older downloads to make room for new ones.

How many songs can I add to a single playlist?

Apple Music does not publish a hard limit on playlist size, but playlists with thousands of songs may slow down the app slightly. Most people find that playlists with a few hundred songs work smoothly. If you hit performance issues, splitting a large playlist into two smaller ones usually solves the problem.