If you’ve accidentally deleted a playlist from Spotify that you wish you could get back, you may be wondering if it’s possible to recover or find that playlist. The short answer is yes, there are a few different methods you can try to recover a recently deleted Spotify playlist.
Looking in Your Spotify Account
When you delete a playlist in Spotify, it doesn’t get permanently erased from their systems right away. The playlist gets put in a sort of recycle bin for a short period of time before being permanently deleted.
So the first thing you should do if you’ve accidentally deleted a playlist is to log into your Spotify account on the desktop app and see if it’s still visible in your library. Spotify reserves the right to permanently delete playlists at any time without warning, but they often hang around for a few weeks or even months before being completely erased.
To check your available playlists, click on “Playlists” in the left sidebar. Scroll through your list of playlists to see if the deleted playlist is still there. If you have a lot of playlists, it can be easy to overlook the deleted one, so be sure to look carefully.
If it’s there, you can restore the playlist by right-clicking on it and selecting “Restore.” The playlist will then be added back to your library as if you never deleted it.
Checking on Mobile
You can also check for deleted playlists on mobile, although it’s a bit less intuitive. Open up the Spotify app and tap on “Library.” Then select “Playlists” to see a list of all your current playlists.
Scroll down on this list to see if there is a “Deleted playlists” or “Recently deleted playlists” section. Tap that category to view playlists that have been recently deleted. If your missing playlist appears here, tap the “Restore” button to get it back.
Browsing Your Play History
If the playlist no longer appears in your Spotify library at all, your next option is to browse your play history to try to reconstruct it. Spotify keeps track of the songs you listen to for up to 6 months.
To see your playback information, log into the Spotify desktop app and click on “Recently played” in the left sidebar. This will show your recent listening activity. You can also find your full listening history by clicking on “View All” under Recently Played.
Go back through your listening history day by day, looking for clusters of songs you recognize from the deleted playlist. Make note of the song titles and artists. The further back you go, the less likely the playlist contents will be fresh in your mind, so this method works best for playlists you’ve listened to somewhat recently.
Once you’ve compiled a list of songs that look familiar, you can reconstruct a version of the deleted playlist by making a new playlist and adding the songs to it. While not exactly the same, this can get you close to what you lost.
Using Third-Party Apps
If browsing your play history doesn’t yield the full playlist, another option is to use a third-party app to try to recover it. Some apps like Playtify, Stamp, or Playlist Backup can automatically back up your Spotify playlists online.
If you happened to use an app like this previously, check your account with the app and see if it still has a copy of your deleted playlist stored. If so, you may be able to restore it through the app directly back into Spotify.
This method obviously only works if you were already backing up your Spotify playlists externally, but it’s a good practice in general to have your playlists saved elsewhere in case of situations like accidental deletion.
Contacting Spotify Support
If you’ve exhausted all self-help options and still can’t recover your playlist, your last resort is to contact Spotify customer support. Describe the situation to them, specify which playlist you are trying to recover, and ask if they can restore it.
Keep in mind Spotify is not obligated to restore deleted content, but customer support agents will sometimes make an exception if you ask politely and explain how important the playlist was to you. The worst they can do is say no.
To contact support, you can submit a request form on Spotify’s official support site. Make sure to provide all relevant details like your username, playlist title, approximate number of songs, and general time frame of when you created it. The more info you can provide, the better chance they may be able to locate the playlist data on their end.
You can also try reaching out to Spotify support on social media like Twitter or Facebook. Sometimes public platforms elicit quicker responses from brands versus formal support channels. However this does come with less privacy of sharing your issue publicly.
Using Playlist Archive Sites
This last method is a long shot, but if your playlist was especially popular it may have been archived by a third-party site. Sites like PlaylistMiner and Playlist Archive crawl Spotify periodically and cache playlists shared online.
Search on these sites using your username or playlist title to see if an archival copy exists. If you get lucky, you can recreate it from the archived version. Again this only works for playlists that were publicly available and caught by the archival bots.
Preventing Deleted Playlists in the Future
To avoid having to go through this recovery headache again, be proactive about backing up your Spotify playlists going forward. Here are some ways to do that:
- Use a playlist backup app like Stamp or Playlisty to automatically save copies of your playlists to the cloud.
- Export your playlists frequently as CSV files and store them on your computer or cloud drive.
- Make your playlists collaborative and share them with a trusted friend who can re-share if needed.
- Use Soundiiz to back up your Spotify playlists to another streaming service like Apple Music or YouTube.
Setting up an automated backup through one of the above methods can give you peace of mind. Then if a playlist gets deleted again, you’ll have multiple ways to recover it.
Accidents happen, so don’t beat yourself up too much if you lost a beloved playlist. With Spotify’s playlist recovery options and these backup methods, you have a good chance of being able to find deleted playlists and get them back.
Conclusion
In summary:
- Check your Spotify library and playlists to see if the deleted playlist still appears.
- Browse your desktop playback history for songs you recognize.
- Use a third-party app if you previously set up playlist backups.
- Contact Spotify customer support and ask if they can restore it.
- Search playlist archive sites to see if it was cached.
- Start backing up your Spotify playlists regularly going forward.
Recovering lost playlists takes some effort, but is usually possible if acted upon quickly. Be proactive about backing up your Spotify library and you’ll never have to worry about losing playlists and listening history again.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do deleted Spotify playlists stick around?
There is no exact time frame for how long deleted Spotify playlists hang around before being permanently erased. It seems to be a few weeks to a few months based on user reports. Playlists deleted very recently have the highest chance of still being recoverable.
Can you recover playlists without Premium?
Yes, you can recover deleted playlists without a Spotify Premium account. The playlist recovery and backup options mentioned above work for both free and paid Spotify members.
What if I deleted a playlist a long time ago?
If it’s been more than 6 months since you deleted a playlist, your chances of fully recovering it decrease significantly. You may be able to find some of the songs using your playback history, but likely not the full contents. Contacting Spotify support is always worth a shot even for older playlists.
How do I request a playlist restore from Spotify?
To request a playlist restore from Spotify, you can submit a support request form on their Help page, or reach out to them on social media like Twitter or Facebook. Provide as many details as possible about the playlist like title, contents, creation date, etc. to help them locate it.
Can you recover playlists deleted by someone else?
If someone else deleted your collaborative playlist, the same recovery options apply. As long as it was deleted recently, you should still be able to find it in your Spotify account or playback history. For older deletions, contacting Spotify support is your best option.
Instructions for Reading this Article:
Here are some tips for getting the most out of this article:
- Feel free to skim headers and bullet points for a quick overview of how to recover deleted Spotify playlists.
- Read the detailed paragraphs for more context and explanation on each method.
- Use the table of contents to jump to sections most relevant to your situation.
- Try the playlist recovery steps outlined in sequence for best results.
- Refer back to the FAQ for answers to common questions.
Recovering lost playlists takes some persistence, but this guide should give you all the tools and tips you need. Let us know if you have any other questions!
Spotify Playlist Backup Methods
| Method | How it Works | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Playlist Apps | Apps like Stamp automatically back up your playlists online | – Automated backups – Cloud access anywhere |
– Monthly fees for premium features |
| CSV Export | Manually export playlists as CSV files | – Simple to do yourself – Access files anywhere |
– Time consuming – Easy to forget |
| Collaborative Playlists | Make playlists collaborative to share with friends | – Built into Spotify – Social listening |
– Need active collaborators |
| Streaming Transfers | Use Soundiiz to transfer playlists to Apple Music/YouTube | – Backups on other platforms – Easily transfer back |
– Only works with paid Soundiiz |
As you can see, each Spotify playlist backup method has pros and cons. Using a combination of different techniques is your best bet to ensure you have multiple ways to recover deleted playlists.
Key Takeaways
Here are some key tips to remember about recovering deleted Spotify playlists:
- Act quickly if possible – recently deleted playlists are easier to restore
- Check your Spotify library first before trying other methods
- Browse your play history to compile songs you remember
- Use third-party apps if you previously backed up playlists
- Contact Spotify support for help recovering older deletions
- Search playlist archive sites to find cached copies
- Start routinely backing up your Spotify library
With persistence and the right tools, you can likely recover lost Spotify playlists. Be diligent about backing up your library going forward to avoid repeats of this frustrating scenario.