Tonsil

Q: Playlists auto re-creating

How do you stop a playlist from auto repopulating/re-creating? For instance, I might have a playlist called new beats, then without creating it, I will see a new playlist called new beats1 all of a  sudden, without me creating it. The new playlist always has songs missing, but essentially they are very similar (one may have 63 songs, the other 67). I do not have, iTunes Match or an Apple Music subscription on. I stopped these as I thought they were causing the issue. Any help would be gratefully appreciated. I do have home sharing on, but I only update from one computer, and it never adds more songs, I have to do this manually.

Posted on Sep 4, 2016 1:24 PM

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Q: Playlists auto re-creating

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  • by Kenichi Watanabe,

    Kenichi Watanabe Kenichi Watanabe Sep 4, 2016 1:26 PM in response to Tonsil
    Level 8 (38,406 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 4, 2016 1:26 PM in response to Tonsil

    Do you sync an Apple device (like an iPod or iPhone) directly with your iTunes library, that has the same playlist?

  • by Tonsil,

    Tonsil Tonsil Sep 4, 2016 3:30 PM in response to Kenichi Watanabe
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Apple Music
    Sep 4, 2016 3:30 PM in response to Kenichi Watanabe

    Yes I do.

  • by Kenichi Watanabe,

    Kenichi Watanabe Kenichi Watanabe Sep 4, 2016 3:53 PM in response to Tonsil
    Level 8 (38,406 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 4, 2016 3:53 PM in response to Tonsil

    iTunes may be doing this because iTunes sees a change to that playlist, on the iPod (or iPhone), that is not in the iTunes library.  There may not be such a change, but iTunes see a change for some reason, so iTunes creates a new version of the playlist (with appended number) in iTunes library so that you can decide which one to keep.

     

    If this is happening in error (there is no change to playlist on synced device), I would try setting iTunes to not sync that playlist to the device, and Apply the change, so that the iPod (or iPhone) no longer has the playlist.  Then, set iTunes to sync that playlist again and Apply.  See if that stops iTunes from re-creating the playlist.

  • by Tonsil,

    Tonsil Tonsil Sep 4, 2016 4:04 PM in response to Kenichi Watanabe
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Apple Music
    Sep 4, 2016 4:04 PM in response to Kenichi Watanabe

    Many thanks for your considered response Kenichi, but it's not a great solution, in my instance. For example, my Macbook Pro holds my "master playlists'. After I start syncing this device to my iPhone or iPad, it creates a duplicate on my Macbook Pro (with a few items missing) that I have to erase. If I haven't created a playlist on my Macbook Pro why does the Macbook Pro create for me a near similar playlist? I should be the only one allowed to create a playlist not the computer.

  • by Kenichi Watanabe,

    Kenichi Watanabe Kenichi Watanabe Sep 4, 2016 8:31 PM in response to Tonsil
    Level 8 (38,406 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 4, 2016 8:31 PM in response to Tonsil

    Do you subscribe to Apple Music or iTunes Match (or both)?  If you do, are you actually syncing directly from your Mac's iTunes music library to the two iOS devices, or are they accessing music (including music playlists) from your iCloud Music Library (provided by your subscription)?

  • by Tonsil,

    Tonsil Tonsil Sep 4, 2016 11:53 PM in response to Kenichi Watanabe
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Apple Music
    Sep 4, 2016 11:53 PM in response to Kenichi Watanabe

    No. Switched off both a couple of months ago so I could get this bug fixed up as I thought that was the reason causing it.

  • by Tonsil,

    Tonsil Tonsil Sep 5, 2016 2:09 AM in response to Tonsil
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Apple Music
    Sep 5, 2016 2:09 AM in response to Tonsil

    I have also noticed that say Playlist1 has less songs than say Playlist. The Playlist1 auto creates itself when I sync my iPhone or iPad.

  • by Kenichi Watanabe,

    Kenichi Watanabe Kenichi Watanabe Sep 5, 2016 12:04 PM in response to Tonsil
    Level 8 (38,406 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 5, 2016 12:04 PM in response to Tonsil

    Because the 1-appended playlist has fewer songs, I'll go back to my theory that when syncing, iTunes thinks the playlist has changed on the device (even if it did not).  Therefore, it gives you the changed version (with "1" in name and fewer songs) so that you can decide which to keep.

     

    I'm assuming you use automatic syncing.  Go to the device's Music settings screen (with the Sync Music checkbox) in iTunes.  Do you have this screen set up to Sync Music (checkbox) with Selected playlists, artists, albums, and genres?  Or is it set to sync Entire music library?

  • by Tonsil,

    Tonsil Tonsil Sep 5, 2016 1:49 PM in response to Kenichi Watanabe
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Apple Music
    Sep 5, 2016 1:49 PM in response to Kenichi Watanabe

    Thanks for your concern Kenichi. I'm pretty sure I do not use sure automatic syncing, the iPhone has to be connected befote syncing to the Macbook.  Sync Music is ticked and Selected playlists, artists, albums and genres is also ticked.

  • by Kenichi Watanabe,

    Kenichi Watanabe Kenichi Watanabe Sep 5, 2016 2:03 PM in response to Tonsil
    Level 8 (38,406 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 5, 2016 2:03 PM in response to Tonsil

    I used confusing terminology...  Automatic syncing is what happens when you have Sync Music checked.  iTunes automatically syncs the device when you connect it.

    Sync Music is ticked and Selected playlists, artists, albums and genres is also ticked.

    So, that means you have that problem playlist selected (checked) on that screen, under Playlists, correct?  Try unchecking that playlist there, so that it no longer syncs to the device.  Click Apply.

     

    After syncing this way, using the device, confirm the playlist is no longer on the device.  Then, go back to the device's Music settings screen in iTunes, and select (checkmark) that same playlist again.  And click Apply.

     

    See if removing the playlist completely from device, and then adding it back resolves your problem.

  • by Tonsil,

    Tonsil Tonsil Sep 5, 2016 2:53 PM in response to Kenichi Watanabe
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Apple Music
    Sep 5, 2016 2:53 PM in response to Kenichi Watanabe

    It will remove the playlist, but how do I stop it in the future auto-creating without my say so?

  • by Kenichi Watanabe,

    Kenichi Watanabe Kenichi Watanabe Sep 5, 2016 3:05 PM in response to Tonsil
    Level 8 (38,406 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 5, 2016 3:05 PM in response to Tonsil

    When you add it back, iTunes should see it as the same playlist when syncing. 

     

    I don't know the cause.  Is it possible that you updated the playlist on the device at some point in the past?  That may be when iTunes started seeing the playlist (on the device) as a different playlist.

     

    Or it may be a "glitch" caused by minor data corruption on the device, that makes iTunes see it as a playlist you updated on the device (even if you did not).

     

    If iCloud Music Library was turned ON, and you turned it OFF, perhaps that is somehow related.

     

    Did removing that playlist in sync setting for Music, confirming it's gone on device, and then adding it back, resolve the issue?

  • by Tonsil,

    Tonsil Tonsil Sep 7, 2016 3:24 PM in response to Kenichi Watanabe
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Apple Music
    Sep 7, 2016 3:24 PM in response to Kenichi Watanabe

    I have also noticed that when I create a genius playlist based on a song, for say a song similar to Led Zep's Going to Cali, that genius playlist gets backed up on my Mac.

  • by Johnny Nashville,

    Johnny Nashville Johnny Nashville Sep 9, 2016 3:09 PM in response to Tonsil
    Level 1 (9 points)
    iTunes
    Sep 9, 2016 3:09 PM in response to Tonsil

    This has been happening to me for a while, but it was usually only a handful at a time. I'd delete them, and everything would return to normal. BUT, after the iOS 9.3.5 update, I am getting exponential duplicates for EACH playlist. It's out of control, now.

     

    I have tried turning off music syncing, but it keeps turning itself back on. It's driving me nuts.

    too many duplicates.png