Quick Answer
No, deleting a playlist on Apple Music does not delete the songs from your library. The songs will still be available in your Apple Music library even after you delete the playlist. Playlists in Apple Music are simply lists that help organize your music, they do not contain the actual audio files.
Detailed Answer
When you add a song to a playlist in Apple Music, you are not actually adding another copy of that song. The playlist simply contains pointers to where the audio files exist in your Apple Music library. So if you delete the playlist, it only removes those pointers, not the actual songs.
Here is a more detailed look at how playlists work in Apple Music and what happens when you delete one:
How Playlists Work in Apple Music
Playlists in Apple Music are essentially just lists that help you organize and curate selections of songs from your library. They do not store duplicates of the actual audio files.
Instead, a playlist contains index markers that point to the location of each song in your Apple Music catalog. So when you add a song to a playlist, it is not copying the audio file into the playlist itself. It is just adding a pointer to where that file exists in your library.
This means you can add the same song to multiple different playlists without using up additional storage space. It exists only once in your Apple Music catalog. The playlists simply reference where that one copy is stored.
What Happens When You Delete a Playlist
Because playlists do not actually contain the audio file data, deleting a playlist does not delete the songs themselves.
When you delete a playlist from your Apple Music account, it simply removes the index markers that made up that playlist. The actual songs remain safely stored in your Apple Music library.
You will still be able to access them from other playlists or by browsing your entire catalog of available songs. The only thing that is removed when you delete a playlist are the pointers used to direct that specific playlist.
The Songs Will Still Be Available in Your Library
To summarize, the songs themselves exist independently of any playlists. Playlists just provide a way to list and organize songs from your catalog.
So when you delete a playlist, such as one you created or added songs to, the actual audio files are not touched. Those songs will still be present in your Apple Music library for you to access through other playlists or the general “Songs” area where your full catalog is stored.
Deleting a playlist does not actually delete songs, it simply removes that particular ordered reference list you created. The underlying music files remain intact in your Apple Music account after you delete a playlist.
Why Playlists Work This Way
You may be wondering why Apple designed playlists in Apple Music to work this pointer-based way instead of actually duplicating song files into each playlist. There are a few key reasons:
Saves Storage Space
By having playlists reference song locations rather than copying songs, it saves a lot of storage space. Some users create dozens or even hundreds of different playlists for different genres, moods, activities, etc. If all of those playlists had to store duplicate copies of songs, it would take up a massive amount of storage capacity.
Instead, there’s just one copy of each song in your library that all playlists can point to when needed. This is a more efficient use of storage.
Makes Editing Playlists Easier
If you had to actually delete and re-add songs when editing a playlist, it would be a big hassle. By using pointers, you can freely rearrange, delete, and add to playlists without having to move the actual song files around. It’s fast and easy.
Keeps All Songs Centralized
Storing each song file only once in a central library makes sense because it’s the definitive master copy. Playlists are useful for organizing, but not actually storing songs. Keeping the audio files in one place ensures you always have access to the full quality version.
Matches How Other Media Works
This pointer-based playlist system is similar to how other media libraries work. For example, photo managers let you create albums or collections that reference a master image without duplicating it. Playlists work the same way for digital music.
Other Apple Music Features
Playlists are a key feature in Apple Music, but there are a number of other capabilities worth knowing about:
iCloud Music Library
This synchronizes your Apple Music collection across devices logged into your account. This includes playlists and music you’ve added yourself.
For You
This section provides personalized recommendations of music you may enjoy based on your listening history and preferences.
Browse
Browse allows exploration of Apple Music’s vast catalog by genre, mood, activity, and more. You can find playlists created by other users this way.
Radio
Apple Music has hundreds of live radio stations from around the world available to stream. There are also personalized stations based on particular artists, songs, or genres you select.
Downloads
You can download songs, albums, or playlists to your device for offline listening when an internet connection is not available. Downloads are stored locally but the pointers remain in place.
Sharing
You can follow friends on Apple Music and view their public playlists or see what they are listening to. You can also share your own playlists.
Lyrics
Apple Music has a lyrics feature that displays song lyrics in real-time as the music plays. You can read along as you listen.
Summary
To recap, deleting a playlist in Apple Music will not actually delete the songs it contains. Due to Apple’s use of pointer-based playlists, only the playlist index itself is removed when you delete it. Your music library and songs remain intact. Playlists are simply organizational tools.
So feel free to create and delete playlists as much as you want – your music is always safe! The only thing lost when deleting a playlist are the pointers used for that specific ordered list. The underlying audio files themselves remain available in your Apple Music library.