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Is it possible to import a playlist text file into Apple Music if I don't already have the songs in my library.

A friend has shared a playlist text file with me from an old Mac running iTunes (i.e. there is no share playlist option that he can find, only the option to export the playlist as a text file). The playlist contains a number of songs that we listened to together at his place.


I subscribe to Apple Music and would like to add the tracks from the playlist to my library so that Music will go out and find the songs and I can listen to them. I do not want to manually add the contents of the playlist track by track - that would be tedious.


When I import the playlist I get an error message;


Some of the songs in the file “playlist.txt” were not imported because they could not be found.


Only songs that I already had in my library were 'imported'. Only they must not have been because they were already in the library.


Does anyone know of a workaround?

MacBook Pro 16″, macOS 12.6

Posted on Nov 2, 2022 1:18 AM

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Nov 3, 2022 5:34 AM in response to Bradford Sherman

I don't think so. I'm pretty sure scripting is limited to interacting with the library, not the store. But you should be able to share playlists from Apple Music. E.g. Share music from Apple Music on the web - Apple Support. I realise that doesn't help your friend share to you if they don't have Apple Music.


tt2


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Nov 2, 2022 9:24 AM in response to Bradford Sherman

Playlist export and import is really intended for backup and restore of your own playlists, or copying playlists from one library to another on the same computer. When a playlist is imported each of the tracks referenced in it needs to be at the designated path in the file, or that entry is ignored.


tt2

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Nov 3, 2022 5:16 AM in response to turingtest2

I see. Thank you for the clarification.


Do you think it would be possible to use Applescript to parse the text playlist and then instruct Music to go out and look for all the songs? It's been years since I did any Applescripting and I've never scripted iTunes/Music, but it seems plausible.

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Is it possible to import a playlist text file into Apple Music if I don't already have the songs in my library.

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