How to Fix Apple Music Playlist Disappeared

Grace

July 22, 2024

If you cancel your Apple Music subscription, your music library will be removed including playlists, and they can be recovered if you resubscribe within a certain timeframe (usually 30 days or more, depending on your region). But if you have an active subscription and your playlist is missing, here are some solutions you can try to get it back.

1. Check Apple Music Subscription
2. Show Apple Music Playlists in the Library
3. Turn On “Show Apple Music”
4. Sync Apple Music Library
5. Update Cloud Library
6. Log Out and Sign Back Into Apple Music
7. Save a Copy of Apple Music Playlists
8. Backup Apple Music Playlists to MP3

1. Check Apple Music Subscription

Once your Apple Music subscription ends, your playlists will be deleted. If you’re unsure whether the disappearance of your playlists is due to an expired membership, here’s how you can check on your phone and desktop.

On Android

1. Open the Apple Music app on your Android.
2. Tap the three dots in the top right corner and select Account.
3. Select Manage Subscription and you’ll see the status of your Apple Music membership.

On iPhone

1. Go to Settings on your iPhone and tap your Apple ID (your name).
2. Tap Subscriptions to see whether your Apple Music subscription is active.

For Mac/Windows

1. Launch the Music app (Mac) or iTunes (Windows). Click Account and select Account Settings from the top menu bar.

2. Enter the password to verify your Apple Music account.
3. Click Manage next to Subscriptions. You’ll see your subscription status.

2. Show Apple Music Playlists in the Library

If the Playlists option is unselected, or the playlists are accidentally hidden, you’ll not see them in the Library. Here is how you can enable playlists in Apple Music Library.

On Your Phone

1. Launch the Apple Music app on your Android and iOS. Tap the Library from the bottom.
2. Tap Edit at the top right corner.
3. Select Playlists and tap Done.

On Computer

1. Open the Music app on your Mac or iTunes on Windows.
2. Hover your cursor over Playlists on the left-side menu.
3. To show the playlists:
   • On Mac: click the arrow icon (the > icon).
   • On Windows: click the Show button.

3. Turn On “Show Apple Music”

Some iPhone users have experienced Apple Music playlists disappearing after a system update. The update might have automatically disabled the “Show Apple Music” setting. Here’s how to turn it back on:

1. Go to the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Scroll down and tap on Music.
3. Locate Show Apple Music and toggle it on.

4. Sync Apple Music Library

Make sure that Sync Library is still turned on if your Apple Music playlists disappear. This feature ensures your music library stays synced across all your devices. Sometimes, it might need a refresh.

If Sync Library is off, simply turn it on. If already on, try turning it off, restarting the device, and re-enabling it.

On iPhone

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Scroll down and select Music.
3. Find Sync Library. From here, you can turn it on and off.

On Mac and Windows

1. Launch the Music app on Mac or iTunes on Windows:
2. From the top menu bar:
   • For Mac: Select Music > Settings
   • For Windows: Select Edit > Preferences
3. Go to the General tab and:
   • For Mac: Check/uncheck the box next to Sync Library and click OK.
   • For Windows: Check/uncheck the box next to iCloud Music Library and click OK.

5. Update Cloud Library

In addition to enabling Sync Libray, you can use “Update Cloud Library” on your Mac or Windows for more manual control. This function synchronizes your iCloud music library to your devices. This ensures that your music collection, including playlists you’ve created, remains consistent across your devices.

1. Open Music on Mac or iTunes on Windows.
2. From the top menu bar:
   • For Mac: Select File > Library > Update Cloud Library
   • For Windows: Select File > Library > Update iCloud Music Library

6. Log Out and Sign Back Into Apple Music

Sometimes, logging out and signing back into Apple Music can also fix a disappeared playlist, because it refreshes the connection between your device and Apple Music servers, and forces the sync of the iCloud library. Here is how you can sign out of your Apple Music account on different devices:

On iPhone

1. Go to Settings on your phone and tap your Apple ID on the top.
2. Tap on Media & Purchases.
3. Select Sign Out.

On Android

1. From the Apple Music app on your Android device, tap the three dots in the top right corner and select Account.
2. Tap Sign Out at the bottom.

On Mac and Windows

1. Go to the Music app on your Mac or iTunes on Windows.
2. On the top bar menu, click Account and select Sign Out.

7. Save a Copy of Apple Music Playlists

While Apple Music offers a convenient way to access your music library across devices, it’s always a good practice to have backups in case of unexpected issues. Apple Music allows you to export individual playlists and your entire music library. This can be helpful in case your playlists disappear due to technical issues or if you decide to cancel your subscription.

How to Export Your Playlist and Library on Apple Music

1. Launch the Music app on Mac or iTunes on Windows.
   • To export a playlist: Select a playlist in the sidebar, and click File > Library > Export Playlist.
   • To export your Library: select File > Library > Export Library.

2. Choose a location on your computer and click Save to export the playlist or Library. You can select the file format for exported playlists such as txt and XML, but only XML for your Library.

How to Import Playlists on Apple Music

If you have exported playlists on your computer, use the following steps to import them to Apple Music.

1. In the Music app on Mac or iTunes on Windows, choose File > Library > Import Playlist.
2. Choose the exported txt or XML file to import.

8. Backup Apple Music Playlists to MP3

To back up your Apple Music playlists, there is another method and also the ultimate way – download Apple Music playlists to MP3. One professional tool to achieve this is the Pazu Apple Music Converter. It can download Apple Music playlists, albums, and songs to MP3, AAC, FLAC, and other popular formats on both Mac and Windows. Additionally, you can keep the downloaded songs even if your Apple Music subscription ends.

When downloading Apple Music songs and playlists, Pazu Apple Music Converter preserves the original audio quality, ID3 tags, and metadata, ensuring you won’t lose any important information. The converter has a remarkably fast download speed—almost 10 times faster than comparable software. Follow the tutorial below to download Apple Music to MP3 with Pazu.

Step 1. Choose the output format

Click the gear icon to customize the output format or output folder. The default format is M4A in 256kbps. Apple Music Converter also supports MP3, AAC, FLAC, WAV, and AIFF.

Step 2. Choose a playlist, artist, or album to download

Search for a playlist, artist, or album you want to download. Click the “Add to List” button to load all songs in the album or playlist.

Step 3. Download Apple Music songs

Uncheck the songs you don’t want to download if there are any. Click the “Convert” button to download Apple Music songs, albums, and playlists to MP3.

After downloading, click the clock icon in the upper right to view the converted Apple Music songs. You can play them anywhere you want, even after canceling your Apple Music subscription.

In Conclusion

If your missing playlists are not due to an expired Apple Music subscription, these troubleshooting steps can help you get them back, allowing you to continue enjoying your music uninterrupted. You can also create backups of your Apple Music playlists and library, ensuring you have control over your music collection. Furthermore, to best prevent playlist disappearance issues, consider downloading Apple Music to MP3 with Pazu Apple Music Converter. This allows you to keep your music collection even if your Apple Music subscription ends.

To get started, download Pazu Apple Music Converter on your Mac or Windows.