If you can’t find your iTunes library or playlists, don’t panic! Your music library may just be hidden or misplaced. Here are some tips to help you locate your missing iTunes playlists on a Mac or PC.
Check iTunes Sidebar
Open iTunes and look in the sidebar on the left. Here you’ll see options like Music, Movies, TV Shows, Podcasts, etc. Click on the drop-down arrow next to Music to view your music library sections such as Playlists, Artists, Albums, Songs, Genres, etc.
Playlists that you’ve created will be under the Playlists section. If you don’t see your playlist there, it may be hidden. Go to iTunes > Preferences > Advanced and make sure “Share iTunes Library XML with other applications” is checked. This ensures your playlists are visible in the sidebar.
Search for Playlists
Use the search bar at the top right of iTunes to search for your missing playlist by name. Make sure you select “Playlists” from the dropdown menu before searching so it only searches your playlists.
You can also use the search feature in Finder if using a Mac. Select Finder > Go > Go to Folder… and enter the path ~/Music/iTunes/iTunes Media/Playlists to go directly to your iTunes playlists folder. Use the search bar to search for the name of your playlist file.
Check iTunes Folder Location
iTunes saves your library and playlists to a default location on your computer, but sometimes the location can change if files are moved or deleted.
Default iTunes Folder Locations
- Windows: \My Music\iTunes\iTunes Media\Playlists
- Mac: /Users/your_username/Music/iTunes/iTunes Media/Playlists
Navigate to these folders in Finder or File Explorer and see if your iTunes playlists are still there.
Find Current iTunes Folder Location
If your playlists aren’t in the default spot, you can find the new location iTunes is saving to:
- Windows: Go to Edit > Preferences > Advanced and look at the “iTunes Media folder location”
- Mac: Go to iTunes > Preferences > Advanced and look at the “iTunes Media folder location”
This path shows you where iTunes is currently storing your library files. Check this location on your computer to see if your playlists are there.
Playlists Stored on External Drive
If you transferred your iTunes library to an external drive at some point, your playlists will be stored there rather than your computer. Connect the external drive to your computer and open iTunes while the drive is connected.
Go to File > Library > Locate Library to tell iTunes to look for your library on the external drive. This should make the playlists stored there accessible again in the iTunes sidebar.
Playlists Backed Up to iCloud
If you have iCloud Music Library enabled in your iTunes account settings, your iTunes playlists may be stored in iCloud rather than locally on your computer.
To retrieve playlists from iCloud and see them back in iTunes on your computer:
- Make sure you’re signed into the same Apple ID in iTunes that you used to enable iCloud Music Library.
- Turn on iCloud Music Library in iTunes > Preferences > General.
- Restart iTunes – this will download your iCloud playlists back to the app.
Restore Playlists from Backup
If your iTunes playlists seem to be gone completely from your computer and iCloud, you may need to restore them from backup:
Restore from iTunes Backup
iTunes automatically backs up your library when you sync devices like an iPhone or iPad. You can restore from this backup to retrieve missing playlists:
- Go to iTunes > Preferences > Devices.
- Select your device and click “Restore from Backup” to retrieve your iTunes library files from the latest backup.
Restore from Manual Backup
If you manually backed up your iTunes folder before, you can restore playlists by copying your iTunes backup files back into the iTunes Media folder location on your computer.
Rebuilding Missing Playlists
If all else fails and your playlists seem to be gone for good, you may have to manually rebuild them in iTunes. Here are some tips for reconstructing playlists that are totally missing:
- Check your purchase history in iTunes to see all the songs you’ve bought – these will likely have been in playlists.
- Look at listen counts on songs to identify your most played tracks.
- Check Apple Music or Spotify for any paid playlists you followed.
- See if playlist names are still listed under Recently Deleted in iTunes sidebar.
- Think about songs you add to certain playlists like workout, driving, favorites, etc.
Use these cues to gradually reconstruct playlists you’ve lost. While tedious, this is the only option left if playlists cannot be found anywhere. Be sure to make backups regularly going forward to avoid needing to do this again.
Preventing Lost Playlists in the Future
Here are some tips to ensure you don’t lose your iTunes playlists again:
- Enable iCloud Music Library to store playlists in iCloud.
- Regularly backup your iTunes Media folder to an external drive.
- Sync devices like your iPhone to get automatic backups in iTunes.
- Use a playlist manager app to store copies of playlists offline.
- Create playlist documentation listing song names and playlists.
When to Seek Professional Help
If you’ve exhausted all options for recovering your iTunes playlists, it may be time to seek professional assistance. Data recovery experts may be able to retrieve your playlists using advanced recovery techniques when all else fails. This typically costs hundreds of dollars but can be worth it to rebuild substantial lost libraries.
Key Takeaways
- Check playlist sidebar, iTunes search, and folder location to find missing iTunes playlists.
- Restore from iTunes backup, iCloud, or manual backup if needed.
- Rebuild playlists manually by recalling songs and listening histories.
- Prevent future loss by backing up playlists regularly.
- Seek professional data recovery if you’ve exhausted self-help options.
| Method | How to Recover Playlists |
|---|---|
| iTunes Sidebar | Unhide playlists by ensuring XML sharing is enabled. |
| iTunes Search | Search for playlist titles using the iTunes search feature. |
| Folder Location | Check default and current iTunes folder for missing playlists. |
| External Drive | Reconnect external drive storing your iTunes library. |
| iCloud Library | Enable and redownload iCloud Music Library. |
| iTunes Backup | Restore playlists from automatic iTunes device backup. |
| Manual Backup | Copy backup iTunes Media folder back into current location. |
| Rebuild Playlists | Use purchase history, listens, etc. to recreate lost playlists. |
| Data Recovery | Use professional data recovery service to retrieve playlists. |
Conclusion
Losing your carefully crafted iTunes playlists can be frustrating, but in many cases they can be recovered with a few tricks. Follow the step-by-step guide in this article to track down missing iTunes playlists on your computer, external drives, iCloud, and backups. With some time and effort, you can likely rebuild even deleted playlists that are gone. Just be diligent about continuous backups so you never have to start from scratch again.