Creating a playlist takes three steps: open Apple Music, tap the Library tab, and start a new playlist
A playlist in Apple Music is a collection of songs you arrange yourself. You can add any song from Apple Music's catalog, songs you own, or both. Once you create a playlist, you can play it in any order you want, share it with other people, or keep it private.
The fastest way to start is to open the Apple Music app on your phone or computer, go to the Library tab (the bottom-right corner on iPhone, or the sidebar on Mac), and look for a button that says "Create Playlist" or shows a plus sign. Tap or click it, give your playlist a name, and you're done — the playlist exists and is ready for songs.
From there, you add songs one at a time or in batches. The whole process takes seconds per song once you know where to look.
Key Takeaways
- You create a playlist in the Library tab by tapping the plus sign or "Create Playlist" button, then naming it.
- To add songs, search for them in Apple Music, tap the three dots next to the song title, and select "Add to Playlist."
- You can rearrange songs within a playlist by holding and dragging them into a new order on iPhone or Mac.
- Playlists stay on your device and in your Apple Music account unless you delete them, and you can share them with others through a link.
How to add songs to your playlist
Once your playlist exists, adding songs is straightforward. Search for a song in Apple Music using the search tab, or browse through an album or artist page. When you find a song you want, tap the three vertical dots (or right-click on Mac) next to the song title.
A menu will appear with several options. Look for "Add to Playlist" and tap it. Apple Music will show you a list of all your playlists — select the one you just created, and the song is added. You can add the same song to multiple playlists, and you can add as many songs as you want to a single playlist.
On iPhone, you can also swipe left on a song and tap the plus sign to add it to your most recently used playlist, which is faster if you're adding many songs in a row.
Rearranging songs and removing them
The order of songs in your playlist matters only if you care about it — Apple Music will play them in whatever order you set. To change the order on iPhone, open your playlist, tap "Edit" in the top right, then hold and drag songs up or down. On Mac, click and drag songs directly without entering edit mode.
To remove a song, swipe left on it (iPhone) or right-click it (Mac) and select "Remove from Playlist." The song stays in Apple Music — it only leaves your playlist. You can add it back anytime.
If you want to delete the entire playlist, go to your Library, find the playlist, swipe left (iPhone) or right-click (Mac), and select "Delete." This removes the playlist but not the songs themselves.
Sharing your playlist with others
Apple Music lets you share a playlist as a link that other people can open and listen to. Open your playlist, tap the three dots in the top right (iPhone) or click the menu icon (Mac), and select "Share Playlist." Apple Music will create a link you can copy and send via text, email, or any messaging app.
When someone opens your shared link, they can listen to your playlist without needing to own the songs themselves — as long as they have an Apple Music subscription or a free trial. They can also add your playlist to their own library, which means it will appear in their Library tab and they can listen to it anytime.
Your playlist remains yours to edit. If you add or remove songs later, the changes show up for anyone who has added your playlist to their library. If you want to stop sharing, you can delete the link, but people who already have the playlist in their library can still listen to it.
The difference between your library and a playlist
Your Apple Music Library is everything you've saved — all your playlists, all your liked songs, all your albums. A playlist is one organized collection within that library. Think of your library as a filing cabinet and playlists as folders inside it.
When you like a song (by tapping the heart icon), it goes into a playlist called "Liked Songs" automatically. You can also create your own playlists to organize songs by mood, workout, road trip, or any other reason. You can have as many playlists as you want, and songs can appear in multiple playlists at the same time.
What happens to playlists if you cancel Apple Music
If you stop paying for Apple Music, your playlists stay in the app, but you lose the ability to play most of the songs in them. Songs you own (that you bought or uploaded yourself) will still play, but songs from Apple Music's catalog will be locked.
If you rejoin Apple Music later, your playlists come back with all the songs intact. Apple Music saves your playlists to your account, so they follow you across devices — create a playlist on your iPhone and it appears on your Mac automatically.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I add songs I own to an Apple Music playlist?
Yes. If you've bought songs from iTunes or uploaded your own music to Apple Music, you can add them to playlists alongside songs from Apple Music's catalog. They all play in the same playlist in whatever order you set.
How many songs can I put in one playlist?
Apple Music does not publish a hard limit, but playlists with thousands of songs may slow down on older devices. For most people, this is not a practical concern — you can safely create playlists with hundreds of songs.
Can I edit a playlist someone shared with me?
No. When you add someone else's playlist to your library, you can listen to it and see what songs are in it, but you cannot change the order or remove songs. You can create your own version by making a new playlist and adding the songs you want.
Do playlists sync across my devices?
Yes, as long as you are signed into the same Apple ID on all your devices. Create a playlist on your iPhone and it appears on your iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch automatically. Changes you make on one device show up on the others within seconds.
What if I want to keep a playlist private?
Playlists are private by default — only you can see them unless you share the link. You do not need to do anything to keep a playlist private. If you have shared it and want to stop, delete the link and it will no longer be accessible to others.