How do I get my playlists back on iTunes?

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How do I get my playlists back on iTunes

iTunes playlists allow you to organize and listen to your music library. But sometimes playlists can disappear from iTunes, leaving you without your carefully curated song collections. Don’t panic! There are several ways to recover and restore your missing iTunes playlists.

What Causes Playlists to Disappear from iTunes?

There are a few common reasons iTunes playlists can go missing:

  • Corrupt iTunes library – If your iTunes library file becomes corrupted, you may lose playlists, play counts, ratings, and other data.
  • Syncing issues – Problems syncing iTunes between devices can cause playlists to disappear.
  • Accidental deletion – Playlists can be accidentally deleted from the iTunes library.
  • Hard drive errors – Issues with the hard drive storing your iTunes library can result in lost playlists.
  • User error – Unintentionally deleting playlists or music files can remove playlists.

Figuring out what caused your missing playlists is the first step to getting them back. If you recently synced devices or updated your iTunes version, sync errors could be the culprit. But if you haven’t made any changes, file corruption is a more likely cause.

How to Recover Deleted iTunes Playlists on Mac

If you use iTunes on a Mac, there are several options for playlist recovery:

Restore from a Backup

If you have a backup of your iTunes library, you may be able to restore missing playlists from it. Backups are especially helpful if file corruption caused the playlists to disappear. To restore your iTunes library and playlists on a Mac:

  1. Quit iTunes if open.
  2. Locate your latest iTunes backup. It may be in a default location like ~/Music/iTunes or a custom backup location you’ve set.
  3. Copy your iTunes backup folder to your desktop.
  4. Hold the Option key while opening iTunes.
  5. In the window that appears, click Choose Library and select the backup iTunes folder you copied.
  6. iTunes will open using the backup library, restoring your missing playlists.

Retrieve from Recently Deleted Playlist

If you accidentally delete an iTunes playlist on Mac, it gets stored in a Recently Deleted playlist. To recover deleted playlists:

  1. Open iTunes and go to the Playlists section.
  2. Look for the Recently Deleted playlist.
  3. Select the playlists you want to recover.
  4. Right click and choose Restore to Library.

Playlists stored in Recently Deleted are permanently removed after 30 days, so recover them as soon as possible.

Use Data Recovery Software

Data recovery tools like Disk Drill can scan your Mac’s hard drive and retrieve deleted playlists. Follow these steps:

  1. Download and install Disk Drill.
  2. Run Disk Drill and select your system disk to scan.
  3. Preview recoverable files when the scan finishes.
  4. Filter by playlist file types like .itlp and .m3u.
  5. Preview and restore deleted playlists.

Advanced recovery software lets you dig deep to rescue deleted playlists. But act fast before files are overwritten.

How to Recover iTunes Playlists on Windows

For Windows users, here are some options to bring back missing iTunes playlists:

Restore from Backup

As with Mac, restoring from an iTunes backup is the best way to get playlists back on Windows. The default iTunes backup location on Windows is:

C:\Users\YourUserName\My Music\iTunes

To restore your library and playlists:

  1. Close iTunes if it’s running.
  2. Copy your latest iTunes backup folder to the desktop.
  3. Hold Shift while opening iTunes.
  4. Click Choose Library when prompted.
  5. Select the backup iTunes folder copy on the desktop.
  6. iTunes will load that backup library and restore missing playlists.

Recover with Piriform Recuva

Recuva by Piriform is a free data recovery tool for Windows. You can use it to look for deleted iTunes playlist files. Just avoid saving recovered files back to the disk they were deleted from. Follow these steps:

  1. Download and install Recuva.
  2. Run Recuva and select your system disk to scan.
  3. When the scan finishes, check through results for playlist files.
  4. Select playlists to recover and restore to a safe location.
  5. Add the restored playlists back to your iTunes library.

Use iMyFone TunesMate

iMyFone TunesMate is a third party program for recovering iTunes data on Windows. To get back deleted playlists:

  1. Download and install iMyFone TunesMate.
  2. Open the program and connect your device to the computer.
  3. Click the Toolbox tab and select Data Recovery.
  4. Choose iTunes Library Data Recovery.
  5. Select playlists to restore and recover.

TunesMate offers a free trial so you can see if it finds your missing iTunes playlists before purchasing.

Prevent Future iTunes Playlist Disappearances

Losing your iTunes playlist even once is frustrating. Follow these tips to avoid repeat occurrences:

  • Regularly backup your iTunes library – Manually back up iTunes to an external drive so you have backups to restore from if needed.
  • Enable automatic backups – Turn on automatic iTunes backups within the app preferences.
  • Consolidate your library – Use the File > Library > Consolidate Files option to clean up your library.
  • Delete old backups – Don’t let backup files pile up, delete old ones to avoid confusion.
  • Avoid syncing problems – Only sync iTunes between devices when needed to prevent issues.
  • Use a stable operating system – Keep your OS and iTunes version updated to fix bugs and problems.

Building good iTunes habits goes a long way in protecting playlists. But even if they disappear again, you now have several ways to get playlists back.

Restore iTunes Playlists from iCloud

If you use iCloud Music Library, your iTunes playlists may be available online. To retrieve playlists from iCloud:

  1. Open iTunes on your computer and ensure you’re signed into your Apple ID.
  2. Click Account > View My Account.
  3. Select options to show iCloud status and iCloud Music Library.
  4. Turn on iCloud Music Library if disabled.
  5. Click Done, then go to the Playlists section.
  6. Right click on an iCloud playlist and choose Download.

This will download the playlist from iCloud to your iTunes library. Repeat for any other missing playlists saved in iCloud.

How to Recover iTunes Playlists on iPhone or iPad

If playlists have disappeared from the Music app on your iPhone or iPad, you have a few options to get them back.

Restore from iTunes or Finder

Connecting your device to your computer lets you restore from an iTunes or Finder backup containing your playlists. For iOS 10 or earlier, use iTunes. For later versions, use Finder on Mac or iTunes on Windows.

  1. Connect your iPhone/iPad to your computer.
  2. Open iTunes or Finder and select your device.
  3. Go to the General tab and find Backups.
  4. Select a backup containing your playlists.
  5. Click Restore to recover your device from this backup.

Sync Playlists from Computer

If you still have the playlists in iTunes on your computer, sync to transfer them back to your device. Just beware this will overwrite your existing iOS playlists.

  1. Connect your iPhone/iPad to your computer.
  2. Open iTunes or Finder and select your device.
  3. Go to the Music tab.
  4. Check Sync Music and select playlists under Playlists.
  5. Click Sync to transfer playlists to your device.

Download from iCloud

For playlists saved in iCloud, log into iCloud on your device to download them from the cloud. Go to Settings > Your Name > iCloud > Music and turn on Sync Library.

How to Recover iTunes Playlists on Android

If you use iTunes playlists on an Android device, via the Music Manager app, there are a couple ways to restore lost playlists.

Sync Playlists from Computer

Connect your Android to the computer and use Music Manager to sync playlists back to your device.

  1. Download Music Manager for Android and install on computer.
  2. Connect Android device to computer via USB.
  3. Open Music Manager and select your device.
  4. Check the playlists to sync and click Start Syncing.

Restore Playlists with dr.fone

dr.fone from Wondershare offers an Android Data Recovery module that can find lost iTunes playlists. Follow these steps:

  1. Download and install dr.fone on computer.
  2. Open the app and connect your Android device.
  3. Select Data Recovery from the sidebar.
  4. Scan your device for recoverable data and playlists.
  5. Preview and restore playlists from the scan results.

This provides an advanced data recovery option for Android users who are missing playlists.

Conclusion

Recovering disappeared iTunes playlists takes some effort, but in most cases it’s doable. Restore from an iTunes or device backup when available. Use data recovery software to dig for deleted playlist files. Or re-download missing playlists from iCloud. With the right approach, you can get your playlists back and avoid having to rebuild them from scratch.

Protecting your iTunes playlists starts with consistent backups. Enable auto backups within iTunes and to external drives. Avoid syncing problems between devices. And consolidate your library periodically. Your playlists contain years of music enjoyment. So take steps to keep them safe and recoverable if anything ever happens.