How do I stop Apple Music from adding songs to a playlist?

Apple Music adds songs to your library by default when you put them in a playlist. This is useful sometimes, but not always. This is how you turn the feature off.

Create Apple Music playlist without cluttered library

Just because youre adding a song to a playlist in Apple Music doesnt necessarily mean youll want to listen to it more often. Still, the song is added to your library by default. Fortunately, you can turn this option off. This is how you add songs to a playlist in Apple Music without them entering your library.

On iPhone or iPad

1. In the Settings app, go to Music;
2. Slide the switch at Add playlist numbers under the heading Library;
3. You can now add songs without a cluttered library.

Cant see the switch in step 2? Then you probably dont use iCloud music library. Enable this option once you create a playlist in Apple Music.

On your Mac

It works much the same on your Mac. Heres how to add songs only to your Apple Music playlist on your computer:

1. Start your Mac and open iTunes;
2. Tap on Preferences and select General;
3. Remove the checkmark from Put songs in library when adding to playlists;
4. Click on Ok to confirm your choice.

Its a little trick that few people know about, but it might save you a lot of time. Especially when you add several unknown songs to a playlist, your Apple Music library quickly becomes a mess. After all, if youre picking out Christmas hits for the holidays, you dont want them to start playing when you shuffle your library in the summer. It also takes a long time to delete all numbers manually.

More Apple Music tips

Did you know to Apple Music on your Mac without installing iTunes, and even Google Maps? Check out what else you can do with the music service in the articles below:

• Apple Music Replay: Check out your 2020 musical overview (12/2/2020)
• You now receive up to five months of Apple Music with Shazam (29-11-2020)
• Apple Music TV launched: Apples own channel of music videos (20-10-2020)
• Also Code for Apple Music Android app confirms Apple One subscription bundle (13-9-2020)
• Apple announces two new radio stations and renames Beats 1 (18-8-2020)