iTunes gives you an easy way to create playlists with your Apple music library so that you can group songs you like in specific categories. You can have folders for work focus, studying, exercising, painting, and any others that your heart desires. If you’re a newcomer to the app, it may be challenging to work out how the playlist feature works.
In this short guide, we’ll show you how to create a playlist on iTunes on various platforms. Also, there are some tips at the end on how you can customize them, so stay tuned!
Is making a playlist on iTunes useful?
Listening to random music can be entertaining, but sometimes, you hit those tracks that you just don’t want to hear at the time. When you create a playlist in iTunes, you set the mood for the rest of the day, getting you exciting for the heavy workload ahead. You can also organize them per theme, depending on the inspiration you need for the day.
With the latest iTunes 12, you can also group your songs in a playlist folder to burn to a DVD, CD, or USB. There’s a Smart Playlist feature that quickly adds songs that matches the criteria you choose. Finally, the Genius Playlist adds similar tracks to the ones you’ve placed in the folder.
How to create a playlist on iTunes
There are different platforms you can use to create your playlist on iTunes, namely, iPhone, iPod, and a Mac computer. We’ve provided steps for each of these devices here below. Remember, you need to be signed in to your Apple account to perform these functions.
Make an iTunes playlist on your iPhone
Firstly, open iTunes or the Apple Music app on your iPhone. If you look at the bottom of the screen, you’ll see the Library icon. Tap on it and then head to Playlists and then select New Playlist. You’re now ready to create a playlist for your iTunes library.
Give your new playlist a name you’ll remember for a specific event, such as Work Music. When done, tap on the Add Music button. You’ll now need to work through your iTunes library to see which songs you want for that playlist. When you have all the tracks loaded, select the Done icon.
If you already have a playlist created, you can hold your finger on any song in your library for a new menu to appear. You’ll be able to add tracks to your playlist that way going forward.
Make an iTunes playlist on your iPod
The menu is slightly different for your iPod. When you open your Apple Music app, you’ll have a sidebar in the menu. Head down to the bottom until you find + New Playlist. As before, you’ll need to give it an appropriate name and then start selecting the songs you want.
You can also use the long-hold feature on songs once you have a playlist created. This time, your iPod will show albums and playlists in a sidebar. To move the song to a specific playlist, you only need to drag it over to the folder.
Make an iTunes playlist on your Mac computer
For your Mac computer, you’ll have a similar process for creating a playlist on iTunes with minor differences. Once inside your Apple Music app, head to the main menu bar. Select File, then click on New. One of the options that appear is Playlist, which you’ll need to choose.
After you give your playlist a name, the process of placing songs in the folder is different. You’ll see your tracks appear, and you’ll need to click, hold, and drag them over to the playlist. After that, you can just use the same drag-and-drop function to add music to it.
Customizing and removing a playlist
It doesn’t matter which device you’re using to create a playlist on iTunes. You have the power to customize and edit the contents at any time you want. Just access the playlist on your device to make the necessary changes.
Here are the top ways you can edit your playlist on iTunes:
- Rename: change the playlist name to something else
- Reorder: move songs around so you can listen to them in a different order
- Remove a song: delete the track only from your playlist and not your Apple Music library
Delete the playlist: remove the playlist completely if you’re no longer interested in it
And there you have it, the basics to adding a playlist to iTunes. If you want to take it a step further, you can check out our master guide to iTunes playlists. There’s also a way to add podcasts to your library if you enjoy listening to them.
