Change the Order of Playlists in Apple Music (And Why It Keeps Changing)

Part 1. How to Sort the Order of Songs in an Apple Music Playlist

Sometimes you just want your playlist neat and organized, and Apple Music makes that easy. You can sort songs by album, artist, title, or the date you added them. That means if you want to play an album from start to finish or see your newest tracks first, a few clicks will do the trick. Just remember that this kind of sorting is automatic. It is fast and keeps things consistent, but it can override any personal tweaks you have made. For most people, it is the easiest way to get a playlist in order.

For iPhone / iPad / Android:

Step 1 Open the Apple Music app on your iPhone, iPad, or Android device, and tap the Library tab at the bottom of the screen.

Step 2 Enter the Playlists section and select the playlist you want to sort.

Step 3 With the playlist open, tap the ↓↑ (Arrow up/down) icon at the top of the screen to open the Sort By menu.

Step 4 From the list of available options, choose how you want the songs to be displayed, such as Playlist Order, Title, Artist, Album, or Release Date.

Step 5 Once a sorting option is selected, the playlist refreshes immediately and displays the songs in the new order.

For Windows / Mac:

Step 1 Open iTunes on your Windows PC or the Music app on your Mac.

Step 2 Locate the playlist in the sidebar and click to open it.

Step 3 From the top menu bar, select View, then choose Sort By to view the available sorting options.

Step 4 Select a sorting method such as Playlist Order, Name, Artist, Album, or Year.

Step 5 The songs in the playlist are rearranged automatically based on the selected option.

Part 2. How to Customize the Order of an Apple Music Playlist

Automatic sorting works for some playlists, but what if you want songs in a very specific order for better flow, such as grouping genres, placing new additions at the top, or organizing by mood? To customize the playlist order, select Playlist Order instead of other sorting options, then drag the three-line icon next to a song up or down. It takes a little more time on smartphones or tablets, but you can speed things up by selecting multiple tracks and moving them together within the playlist.

For iPhone / iPad:

Step 1 Launch the Apple Music app and tap the Library tab.

Step 2 Go to Playlists and open the playlist you want to rearrange manually.

Step 3 Tap the ↓↑ (Arrow up/down) icon and make sure Playlist Order is selected.

Step 4 Tap Edit in the top-right corner of the playlist view.

Step 5 Press and hold the three-line handle next to any song, then drag it up or down to change its position.

Step 6 Repeat this process for other songs until the playlist order matches your preference.

Step 7 When finished, tap Done to save the changes.

For Windows / Mac:

Step 1 Open iTunes or the Music app and select the playlist from the sidebar.

Step 2 From the menu bar, go to View > Sort By and confirm that Playlist Order is enabled.

Step 3 Click and drag individual songs within the playlist to rearrange them.

Step 4 To move multiple songs at once, hold Ctrl on Windows or Cmd on Mac while selecting tracks, then drag them to the desired position.

Part 3. How to Sort Songs in Ascending or Descending Order on Apple Music

Sometimes all you need is to flip the order. Tap the up and down arrow icon to sort songs in ascending or descending order. You can combine this with other sorting options to change how the playlist appears.

For iPhone / iPad / Android:

Step 1 Open the Apple Music app and navigate to the playlist you want to adjust.

Step 2 Tap the ↓↑ (Arrow up/down) icon to open the Sort By menu.

Step 3 Select a sorting option such as Title, Artist, or Album.

Step 4 Tap the ↓↑ icon again to reveal the order direction controls.

Step 5 Choose either Ascending or Descending to reverse the current song order.

Step 6 The playlist updates immediately to reflect the new direction.

For Windows / Mac:

Step 1 Open iTunes or the Music app and select a playlist from the sidebar.

Step 2 From the top menu, choose View > Sort By and select a sorting category.

Step 3 Open the View > Sort By menu again and choose Ascending or Descending.

Step 4 The song list updates instantly based on the selected order.

Part 4. How to Reorder a Collaborative Playlist on Apple Music

Collaborative playlists are a fun way to create and manage a playlist with friends. Besides adding songs, there may be times when you want to move tracks around. The key thing to know is that anyone in the collaboration can change the order, and those changes affect everyone. When you move a song, it updates for all contributors. With some communication, you can still keep a playlist that makes sense, even when multiple people are working on it together.

For iPhone / iPad:

Step 1 Open the Apple Music app and go to the Library tab.

Step 2 Select Playlists and open the collaborative playlist you want to manage.

Step 3 Tap the ↓↑ (Arrow up/down) icon and choose Playlist Order.

Step 4 Tap Edit in the upper-right corner of the playlist.

Step 5 Drag songs using the three-line handle to change their position in the playlist.

Step 6 Once the desired order is set, tap Done to apply the changes.

Note: Only collaborators with editing permission can reorder songs.

For Mac:

Step 1 Open the Music app and select the collaborative playlist from the sidebar.

Step 2 Make sure Playlist Order is enabled by going to View > Sort By.

Step 3 Drag songs within the playlist to rearrange them.

Step 4 The updated order syncs automatically with all collaborators.

Part 5. How to Automatically Arrange a Smart Playlist in Apple Music

Smart playlists are useful if you want them to update automatically. To change the order of a Smart Playlist, you need to use the desktop Apple Music app and adjust the sorting rules, since you cannot drag songs manually. This cannot be done directly on an iPhone or Android device, but the changes will sync across all your devices.

For Windows / Mac:

Step 1 Open iTunes on Windows or the Music app on Mac.

Step 2 From the menu bar, select File > New > Smart Playlist to open the rule editor.

Step 3 Define the rules you want to use, such as Genre, Artist, Year, or Play Count.

Step 4 Enable Live updating if you want the playlist to refresh automatically as your library changes.

Step 5 Click OK to create the Smart Playlist.

Step 6 Select the Smart Playlist from the sidebar to view its contents.

Step 7 Use View > Sort By to choose how the songs should be displayed.

Step 8 The playlist updates automatically based on the rules and sorting method you selected.

Part 6. How to Sort the Order of Playlists in Apple Music Library

Just like you can sort the order of songs inside a playlist, you can also sort playlists in your library by name, recently added, or recently played, depending on how you prefer to browse. If you use the Pin feature, you can pin your favorite playlists to the top of the library. This also triggers Automatic Downloads, allowing those playlists to be saved for offline listening.

Note: You cannot customize or manually sort playlists in iTunes. In the iTunes Playlists section, all playlists are shown in alphabetical order by default, and this order cannot be changed.

For iPhone / iPad / Android:

Step 1 Open the Apple Music app and tap the Library tab.

Step 2 Enter the Playlists section to view all your playlists.

Step 3 Tap the ↓↑ (Arrow up/down) icon in the upper corner of the screen.

Step 4 Choose a sorting option such as Recently Added, Recently Played, Recently Updated, Playlist Type, or Title.

Step 5 The playlist list refreshes immediately using the selected order.

For Windows / Mac

Step 1 Open the Music app and locate the Playlists section in the sidebar.

Step 2 From the menu bar, select View > Sort By to open the sorting options.

Step 3 Choose the order you want to apply to your playlists.

Step 4 Select additional playlists in the sidebar if you want the same sorting applied to them.

Step 5 The playlist order updates across your library.

Part 7. How to Fix Apple Music Playlists That Keep Reordering

Sometimes playlists do not behave as expected. Even after spending time carefully arranging your Apple Music playlists, the order may still change later. This is usually caused by syncing issues or conflicts between devices. If your playlist syncs across multiple devices, Apple Music may occasionally reorganize it. The good news is that there are ways to fix this and keep your playlist order from changing unexpectedly.

Bonus: How to Back Up Your Apple Music Playlists and Library

Even with careful sorting, problems can happen. Your playlists and library are tied to the Apple ecosystem, and access depends on an active Apple Music subscription. Without a backup, playlists may become unavailable or even be removed from your devices after a subscription ends. You can export playlists, save them to a computer, or use ViWizard Apple Music Converter to make sure everything can be recovered. You can also organize the files the way you want, sorting them by playlists, albums, or artists, so your backup matches your library. This way, no matter what happens, your carefully arranged playlists and custom order stay safe.

ViWizard Apple Music Converter lets you convert playlists into MP3, M4A, WAV, and other formats. This allows you to store your music offline and transfer it to any device without needing an active Apple Music subscription. Simply connect ViWizard Apple Music Converter to your Apple Music library and start saving songs, albums, playlists, or even your entire library as downloadable files that you can keep permanently.

Key Features of ViWizard Apple Music Converter

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• Convert Apple Music songs, albums, playlists, and artists into MP3 for easy access
• Preserve lossless audio, high-resolution lossless, and Dolby Atmos quality
• Strip DRM from Apple Music for unrestricted offline listening
• Save converted audio files while retaining full ID3 tag details

Step 1Set Up the Converter and Connect Your Library

Start by installing ViWizard Apple Music Converter on your Windows or Mac computer. Once launched, sign in to connect it to your Apple Music library. This lets the software access your saved playlists, albums, and tracks directly, making it easy to back up your existing library without rebuilding anything manually.

Step 2Choose MP3 as the Backup Format

Before converting, go to Preferences > Conversion > Output Format and select MP3 for your backups. MP3 is ideal for long-term storage because it works on almost any device or media player. You can also adjust audio quality settings if needed and keep important song information, such as titles, artists, album artwork, and playlist structure, so your backups stay organized.

Step 3Select Apple Music Playlists to Back Up

Browse your library within the converter and select the playlists you want to back up. Choosing full playlists instead of individual tracks is especially useful if you have carefully sorted or customized playlist orders. Once selected, the playlists are ready for conversion.

Step 4Download and Save Your Playlists

Start the conversion process and wait for it to finish. When complete, your playlists are saved as standard MP3 files on your computer. You can store them on an external drive, transfer them to other devices, or add them to different media players. Most importantly, these backups remain accessible even without an Apple Music subscription, giving you a reliable copy of your playlists and library.

Conclusion

Whether it's optimizing playlist flow, creating a customized sequence for a special event, or simply satisfying one's sense of organization, the ability to sort and customize playlists on Apple Music empowers you to create a music library that reflects your individual taste and style. Feel free to come back to check any updated news.