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Create, edit, and delete Smart Playlists in Music on Mac

You can create a Smart Playlist that automatically organizes songs into playlists based on criteria you specify. Whenever you add items to your music library that meet the criteria of a Smart Playlist, the Smart Playlist is automatically updated to include them.

For example, you could create a Smart Playlist that includes your most highly rated rock songs that were released before 1990 or after 2000. When you import songs from a CD, they’re automatically added to the Smart Playlist if they meet the criteria.

Smart Playlists you create have this icon  next to them.

Tip: Click All Playlists in the sidebar on the left (below Playlists) to show all your playlists with cover art and organized by playlist type.

Create a Smart Playlist

1. In the Music app  on your Mac, choose File > New > Smart Playlist.
2. Specify the criteria.

• Set the first rule: Click the first pop-up menu, choose an option (such as Genre, Love, or Year), then complete the rule using the other available menus or fields (they vary depending on your choice in the first pop-up menu).
  • For example, to include rock songs, choose “Genre” from the first pop-up menu and “contains” from the second one, then type “Rock” in the text field. Any rock song is automatically included.
  • Add or remove rules: To set additional rules, click the Add button . To remove a rule, click the Remove button . 
• Nest rules: To specify another set of criteria within a rule, press the Option key, then click the Nest button . (The Add button changes to the Nest button when you press the Option key.) 
• For example, to include your most highly rated rock songs released before 1990 or after 2000, you can add two nested rules. 
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  • Set the scope of multiple rules: If you have at least two rules, a pop-up menu appears at the top of the Smart Playlist dialog that lets you choose whether an item must meet any or all of the criteria to be included in the Smart Playlist.

1. For additional control over the Smart Playlist, set any of the following options:

• • Limits: To limit the size and contents of the Smart Playlist, select the Limit checkbox and choose options. For example, limit the Smart Playlist to 2 hours, with songs that were most recently added.
  • Match only checked items: Select the “Match only checked items” checkbox to include only items that have a checkmark next to them in the library. See Prevent a song from playing.
  • Live updating: Select the “Live updating” checkbox to have Music update this Smart Playlist as items in your library are added, removed, or changed.

1. Click OK.
2. Your new Smart Playlist appears with your other playlists in the sidebar on the left. Whenever you select your Smart Playlist in the sidebar, items that match its criteria are listed.
3. At the top of the main window, enter a name for the Smart Playlist.

Edit Smart Playlists

You can’t add or remove items directly from a Smart Playlist. To change which items are included in the playlist, you must change its criteria.

1. In the Music app  on your Mac, select a Smart Playlist in the sidebar on the left.
2. Note: If you want to change the order of the items in a Smart Playlist, choose View > Sort By. When you choose View > Sort By > Playlist Order, you can drag items into the order you want.
3. Click Edit Rules, then change, add, or remove rules or controls.
4. Click OK.

Rename Smart Playlists

1. In the Music app  on your Mac, select a Smart Playlist in the sidebar on the left.
2. Select the Smart Playlist name at the top of the window, then enter the new name.

Delete Smart Playlists

• In the Music app  on your Mac, select a Smart Playlist in the sidebar on the left, then press the Delete key.
• Only the Smart Playlist is deleted; items that were included in the Smart Playlist remain in your music library and on your computer.

See also

Intro to playlists in Music on Mac

See which Music playlists a song is in on Mac

Organize playlists in folders in Music on Mac

Save a copy of a playlist in Music on Mac

Delete songs and other content in iTunes on PC

1. In the iTunes app  on your PC, choose an option (Music or Movies, for example) from the pop-up menu at the top left, then click Library.
2. 
3. Click the item to select it, then press the Delete key.
4. Click Delete [item].
5. Do one of the following:

• • Remove the item only from your iTunes library: Click Keep File.
  • Delete the item from your computer: Click Move to Recycle Bin. The item is removed the next time you empty the Recycle Bin.

Deleting an item from a playlist doesn’t remove it from your iTunes library or your computer. Deleting a playlist or folder doesn’t remove the songs in it from your library or computer. Deleting a folder removes all the playlists and folders inside that folder. 

If you subscribe to Apple Music or iTunes Match, songs you delete from your iTunes library can still be available from iCloud, so you can play or download them any time.

If you can’t remove a song, make sure you didn’t select a song in a Smart Playlist with “Live updating” turned on.

See also

Create a Smart Playlist in iTunes on PC

See the 'Delete a playlist' section in:

Create playlists on iPhone - Apple Support

If you delete a playlist, the songs in the playlist remain in your library and on your computer.

1. In the Music app  on your Mac, do any of the following:

• • Select a playlist in the sidebar on the left, then press the Delete key.
  • Control-click a playlist in the sidebar on the left, then choose Delete from Library.

1. Click Delete to confirm.