Moving songs in Spotify takes three taps on mobile or three clicks on desktop
You can change the order of songs in any playlist you created yourself. On your phone, open the playlist, press and hold a song until a menu appears, then tap Move and select where you want it to go. On a computer, click and drag the song to its new position. Spotify does not let you rearrange songs in playlists made by other people or in its own curated playlists — you can only remove them entirely.
The process is the same whether you use an iPhone, Android phone, Mac, or Windows computer. The only difference is how you start: a long press on mobile, a click-and-drag on desktop. Once you move a song, the change saves automatically across all your devices.
Key Takeaways
- On mobile, press and hold a song in your playlist until a menu pops up, then tap Move and choose the new position.
- On desktop, click and drag a song up or down to reorder it without opening any menus.
- You can only rearrange playlists you created yourself, not playlists made by other users or Spotify.
- Changes sync across all your devices within seconds, so you do not need to save or refresh.
- If you cannot move a song, the playlist was created by someone else — you can remove it instead.
Rearranging songs on your phone
Open Spotify and go to the playlist you want to change. Press and hold the song you want to move — do not tap it, hold your finger on it for about a second. A menu will pop up with several options.
Look for the option that says Move (on iPhone) or Move song (on Android). Tap it. A list of positions will appear, numbered from 1 to however many songs are in your playlist. Tap the number where you want the song to go. If you want it to be the first song, tap 1. If you want it third, tap 3. The song moves there when ready.
If you do not see a Move option, you are looking at a playlist someone else made. In that case, you will only see options like Remove or Go to Song. You can remove the song from your copy of the playlist, but you cannot rearrange it.
Rearranging songs on your computer
Open Spotify on your Mac or Windows computer and click the playlist you want to change. Find the song you want to move. Click on it once to select it, then click and drag it to the position you want. You will see a line appear between songs showing where it will land — drag it to the right spot and release the mouse button.
The song moves when ready. You do not need to click Save or refresh the page. If you want to move multiple songs at once, click the first one, then hold Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac) and click the others to select them all. Then drag the whole group to the new position.
What happens if you cannot move a song
If the Move option does not appear when you press and hold a song, or if you cannot drag it on desktop, the playlist was created by someone else. Spotify does not let you rearrange other people's playlists or its own curated playlists like Release Radar or Discover Weekly.
You have two choices: remove the song from your copy of the playlist, or create your own version of the playlist with the songs in the order you want. To create your own version, make a new playlist, search for the songs you want, and add them in the order you prefer. You can then delete the original playlist from your library.
Moving songs between playlists
If you want to move a song from one playlist to another (not just rearrange it within the same playlist), the process is different. On mobile, press and hold the song and look for Add to Playlist. Select the playlist where you want it to go. The song now appears in both playlists. Go back to the original playlist and remove it if you want it in only one place.
On desktop, right-click the song and select Add to Playlist, then choose your destination. Again, the song will be in both playlists until you remove it from the original one. Spotify does not have a "move" function that removes from one playlist and adds to another in a single step — you have to add it first, then remove it from the old location.
Why your changes might not show up everywhere
Spotify syncs playlist changes across your devices, but it can take a few seconds. If you rearrange a song on your phone and then open Spotify on your computer right away, you might see the old order for a moment. Close and reopen the playlist on the other device, and the new order will appear.
If a change does not sync after a few minutes, make sure you are signed into the same Spotify account on both devices. If you are using a free account, you might be signed in on only one device at a time — signing in on a second device will sign you out of the first. Premium accounts can be active on multiple devices at once, so changes sync faster.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I rearrange a playlist that Spotify made, like Discover Weekly?
No. Spotify's own playlists and playlists made by other users cannot be rearranged. You can remove songs you do not want, but you cannot change the order. If you want a custom order, create a new playlist and add the songs yourself in the order you prefer.
What if I move a song by accident?
Undo is not available in Spotify, but you can move the song back to where it was. Press and hold it again (or click and drag on desktop) and put it in the correct position. If you cannot remember where it was, you can remove it and add it back, which puts it at the end of the playlist.
Can I move songs on the Spotify web player?
Yes. The web player works the same as the desktop app — click and drag a song to reorder it. You must be signed into your account and viewing a playlist you created yourself.
Does moving a song change when it was added to the playlist?
No. Rearranging only changes the play order. The date you added the song stays the same, and sorting by "Date Added" will still show the original order you added songs, not the order you moved them to.