Manage playlists and metadata in iTunes (the Music app on macOS) It might seem like a simple task until your library grows, you start mixing sources (Apple Music, individual MP3s, purchased CDs, etc.), and suddenly you no longer know what you have, where it is, or why your hard drive files have become so disorganized. If that feeling of musical chaos sounds familiar, this article is for you and will help you... troubleshoot library problems.
Let's see, step by step and in considerable detail, how to control your music library on a Mac.From preventing the system from renaming files without your consent, to getting the most out of playlists (including smart playlists), editing metadata in depth, organizing your collection if you also use Rekordbox or services like Apple Music, and what options you have in Windows when iTunes becomes sluggish. All explained in clear language with some practical tips so you don't have to try out applications blindly.
Configure file and metadata organization in Music for Mac
The first thing you need to decide is whether you want the Music app to have control over your files or not.By default, whenever you change information about a song (for example, the artist or album name), the application can also modify the name of the physical file on the disk, which can be a problem if other apps depend on that specific path.
If you don't want the audio file name to change when you modify the metadata,You need to disable automatic content folder organization. This is useful when you manage your music as a folder structure (for example, /Music/Artist/Album) and don't want Music to rearrange everything as it pleases. Many users combine this setting with external tagging tools, for example, for manage your MP3 library outside the app.
To disable this option on macOS, Open the Music app on your Mac and go into settingsIn the menu bar, select "Music > Settings" and go to the "Files" tab. There you'll see the "Keep content folder organized" checkbox; uncheck it to prevent the program from renaming and rearranging your files on the disk. From then on, any changes you make to the metadata will only affect the app's database, not the physical file structure.
Many people who use other DJ apps or audio editors prefer this settingThis is precisely because it prevents broken links in Rekordbox, Traktor, or other programs that point to specific paths when editing a tag in Music.
Using iTunes/Music versus organizing by folders: advantages and disadvantages
Some users, based on experience, prefer to manage their music collection as files and folders without relying on a single iTunes/Music library.This usually happens when you have music from many sources: downloads, digital purchases, promos, CD rips, and DJ audio that you also use in Rekordbox or other programs.
The main problem with using only Finder to organize music is that it doesn't display much technical information.You can barely see the bitrate, full metadata, or easily filter by genre, BPM, or other more advanced fields. When you want to review a large collection, Finder falls far short for cataloging and bulk cleanup tasks.
In contrast, The Music app (formerly iTunes) offers columns, filters, and multi-editing of metadata.However, in return, it works with its own library which, in theory, centralizes everything. If you want to avoid importing music to a separate database, you need to fine-tune your preferences (as we saw earlier) or consider using alternative players that are more focused on browsing folders.
There are players and managers that allow you to point directly to a folder Features like /Music, displaying bitrate, genre, etc., applying filters, and editing metadata in bulk without complex imports, while also allowing easy playback, shuffling, and moving of files, are not the main focus of this article. However, it's worth knowing that alternatives exist if Apple's library philosophy doesn't fit your workflow.
In any case, if you're going to continue using Music for MacThe key is understanding how it behaves with metadata, how you can correct it in bulk, and how that affects your playlists and the rest of the devices connected via "Sync Library".
Editing metadata in Music for Mac: total control of your library
The key to a well-organized iTunes/Music library is metadata.Title, artist, album, track number, genre, composer, group, part of a set, year, cover art, lyrics, etc. The better you have these fields, the easier it will be to create lists, find songs, and avoid duplicates or clutter.
In the desktop version of Music for Mac, You can view and edit all this information from “Get information”Simply right-click on a song and select that option. A window will open with several tabs where you can modify practically everything: from the song title to the album art.
All the metadata you change here is saved in your library and, in most formats, also in the file tags.You can customize the artist name, correct typos, adjust the album title, update the cover art, or even enter the full lyrics if they're missing. You'll see these changes in your library, and if you have "Sync Library" enabled, they'll spread to your other Apple devices.
A curious case that often causes problems are the fields of “group” or “part of set”. These fields can cause an album to be split into several parts or not grouped as you expect.In some systems, an incorrectly filled-in group tag causes strange cuts to appear in album or compilation views.
To fix it, Go into the song properties (or several at once) and check the "Group description" and "Part of group" fields.If there's information you don't need, delete it completely. This often solves the problem of split albums, poorly ordered compilations, or tracks that disappear from where they should be.
Mass production is another strong point of MusicYou can select multiple songs (for example, an entire album or a set of tracks by the same artist), right-click, and choose "Get Info" to instantly change the genre, album name, record label, or cover art, among other details. It's the quickest way to standardize a library that's grown a bit out of control.
Regular playlists and smart playlists in iTunes/Music
In Music for Mac you have three main types of playback structures: regular playlists, smart playlists, and Apple Music's automatic radio stations. Each has its own logic and advantages depending on how you like to listen to and organize your music.
Classic playlists are the ones we've always known: a hand-drawn collection of songs that you add manuallyYou can drag and drop tracks from your library, rearrange their order, delete individual tracks without removing them from the main library, and essentially treat them like "virtual folders" for different contexts: training, working, DJing, traveling, etc. If you want to go further and make the most of the service's features, there are guides available. Squeeze Apple Music.
Smart lists, on the other hand, They are generated automatically based on rules that you define.For example, a list with all the songs of a certain genre, or with songs that have more than 4 stars, or released after a certain year, or a combination of several conditions. You don't drag songs to these lists: they populate automatically based on whether they meet the criteria.
An important detail: In smart playlists you cannot manually add or remove songsIf you want to change what gets in and what gets out, you need to modify the rules that define them. To do this, select the smart list in the sidebar, click the options button (the three dots), and select "Edit rules." There you can add, modify, or remove conditions, as well as set limits (for example, a maximum of 100 songs) or specific orderings.
Once you have adjusted the rules, The app itself will automatically recalculate the contents of the smart list This is especially useful if you keep fields like genre, rating, or number of plays up to date. You'll also be notified when metadata changes or you add new music that matches those filters.
Create, rename, and customize your playlists on Mac
Creating playlists in Music is very flexible and allows you to give them a very personal touchYou can organize your playlists by moods, styles, eras, DJ sets, or even by specific tasks (work, study, running, etc.).
On the Mac, You can create a new list by right-clicking in the sidebar. or from the “File > New Playlist” menu. You can also create a playlist directly when you add a song: selecting “Add to Playlist” will give you the option to create a new playlist and add it there.
To change the name of a list, Select it in the sidebar and click on the title or the edit button.Enter the new name, and it will be updated on all devices where you sync your library. Try to use clear names that will allow you to find them quickly.
Furthermore, You can change the playlist illustrationClick on its cover, go to the edit option, and choose one of the album covers suggested by the system or upload your own image from your computer. It's an aesthetic detail, but if you have many playlists, it greatly helps to visually identify them.
Another key adjustment is deciding whether a list It may or may not be shown on your public Apple Music profile and in search resultsOn the same editing screen, enable or disable the "Show on my profile and in Search" option depending on whether you want it to be public or private. Public listings can be found using the search function and will appear on your profile, while private listings will remain private.
The app also suggests songs to complete a playlist.At the bottom of many playlists, you'll see a "Suggested Songs" section. You can listen to a quick preview and add them with a click, or tap refresh to receive new suggestions based on the playlist's content and your listening habits.
To order the songs, Go to the “View > Sort by” menu and choose the criteriaIf you select "Playlist Order," you can manually drag the songs to put them in the exact order you want them to play. And if you want to remove a track from the list, select it and press the Delete key: the track will disappear from the playlist, but it will remain in your main library unless you specify otherwise.
Playlists, radio stations and broadcasters: what are the differences
In the Apple ecosystem there is some confusion between playlists, radio stations and broadcastersBecause in all cases they seem to be "things that sound one after the other," but the internal workings are different and it's important to differentiate them if you want to control what you hear.
Playlists, as we have seen, They are explicit collections of songsThese tracks are created by you, other users, or Apple. You can see all the tracks, jump between them, rearrange them (if they're yours), and add or remove themes as you like.
Radio stations are created based on a song or an artist: when you use the “Create station” option in the context menu of a themeApple generates a sequence of similar songs, but without showing you a fixed list. It simply plays one song after another based on its algorithm, adjusting the style to what you've chosen as a starting point.
Then there are the radio stations you see in the Explore section, that function as more traditional “channels”Often live, with a more or less fixed schedule and accessible to everyone. These aren't playlists you control, but streams that Apple and its partners put on.
If your goal is to have absolute control over what plays at any given momentStick with playlists. If you want to discover music similar to what you already listen to without any hassle, radio stations based on songs or artists are a great tool.
Apple Music, recommendations and advanced library usage
If you use Apple Music in addition to your local music, the Music app becomes the central hub. Everything: your own library, streaming songs, and recommendations based on your listening habits. This is where the "Listen" section and its different sections come into play.
The “Listen” section is designed as a personal space: The recommendations that appear there are based on the artists and genres you listen to most.Both in your library and on Apple Music, you'll see personalized playlists, stations related to your tastes, new releases from artists you've saved, and, in general, suggestions highly tailored to your profile.
Within that screen there is a "News" section that It shows you the latest releases from the artists you're interested in.Instead of receiving individual notifications, you can find all the new albums that might match your listening preferences in one place. It's a convenient way to stay up-to-date with recent releases without having to manually follow each artist.
If you want to get out of your comfort zone, The "Explore" tab groups recommendations that are not as heavily influenced by your browsing history.From country-specific charts to themed playlists, radio stations, and genre-based selections. While "Listen" looks inward, "Explore" looks outward.
Furthermore, Apple Music generates several personalized playlists for you In the "For You" section within "Listen": mixes of your favorite songs, relaxed playlists, more energetic ones, or those focused on recent discoveries and releases. They are usually updated weekly, with a carefully curated selection that balances familiar and new music.
To further improve these recommendations, You can mark the songs you like with the heart icon.The algorithm takes into account not only what you play, but also what you explicitly mark as favorites. Similarly, if something doesn't suit you, you can select "Dislike" or "Suggest less of this style" from the context menu, thus reducing the presence of that type of music in your suggestions.
Library management across devices and synchronization
When you make changes to your Mac's Music library, you can have them reflected on the rest of your Apple devices.provided you have the "Sync Library" option enabled in the app's general settings (and are an Apple Music or iTunes Match subscriber).
With this synchronization enabled, Your playlists, the metadata you edit, the album art you change, and the songs you add or delete are updated across all your devices. that use the same account. It's a way to keep everything in order without having to connect the iPhone or iPad by cable and manually sync as before.
If you don't have an Apple Music subscription, The changes made to your Mac's library will be reflected the next time you sync your device with your computer via cable or Wi-Fi.In other words, you still have centralized control, but the process isn't automatic in the cloud; it's done through classic iTunes synchronization.
In any case, the recommendation is clear: Before making major changes to metadata or lists, back up your library.That way you can experiment with peace of mind knowing that if something goes wrong, you can go back without any drama.
Using iTunes/Music in conjunction with Rekordbox and other DJ programs
If you also do DJ sets in addition to listening to music, it's very common to combine Music (iTunes) with Rekordbox.You organize convenient playlists to listen to daily on your Mac and then review them in Rekordbox to prepare a session, analyze BPM, adjust grids, and finally export to a USB drive.
The problem is that Not all information is transferred well between applicationsFor example, the star ratings you put in iTunes don't always transfer to Rekordbox as you'd like, or you can't move songs between playlists in the same way, forcing you to reorganize some of the work within the DJ software.
Reasonable doubts arise here: Is it better to organize everything directly in Rekordbox or continue using iTunes/Music as a base? If you already have thousands of songs categorized in iTunes, migrating the entire organization to Rekordbox can be a long and rather cumbersome process, but it can also give you more control over BPM, specific DJ tags, and program-specific fields.
On the other hand, keeping iTunes as the central hub allows you to Take advantage of smart lists, bulk metadata editing, and synchronization with Apple devicesUsing Rekordbox only as a final layer to prepare the sets you're actually going to DJ. The decision depends on how much you use each tool and whether it's worth duplicating some of the work.
In any case, if you decide to continue using both, It's crucial that you block automatic file reorganization from Music To avoid breaking the paths that Rekordbox has stored. Additionally, it's advisable to define a stable folder structure (for example, a "DJ Music" directory that you don't change) and keep everything that will be processed by Rekordbox there.
Apple Music on Windows: Limitations and Alternatives
Apple's ecosystem is clearly designed to work best on Mac and iOSIf you try to get the most out of Apple Music on Windows, you'll quickly realize that the experience is much fairer than on macOS.
Windows does not have a modern native Apple Music app: The official option involves using iTunes or the web version of the service.In both cases, the experience isn't very smooth. iTunes, in particular, feels slow and clunky, taking a long time to load sections and respond when you have large libraries.
The web version is lighter, but It depends on the browser and forces you to always have a tab openThis isn't the most convenient option if you're working with multiple windows simultaneously. For managing playlists and metadata in your local library, iTunes remains the go-to solution, even if it's not the most user-friendly tool. If you need more detailed information on using the web version, see how. use the web player.
Alternatively, There are third-party clients like Cider that allow access to Apple Music from WindowsThey usually offer a more agile and modern interface, but they have significant limitations, such as audio quality, which in many cases remains at 256 kbps, below what Apple offers in its official apps or even other services like Spotify in certain configurations.
If you're demanding when it comes to sound quality and fine-tuning metadata, You might find it worthwhile to continue using iTunes for organization and a third-party client just for playback.or even consider keeping the main management on a Mac and using Windows only for specific tasks.
Sound quality, lyrics, videos, and advanced statistics
Beyond charts and metadata, Music for Mac and Apple Music let you fine-tune your listening experience considerably.From choosing audio quality to exploring Dolby Atmos content, synchronized lyrics, and playback statistics.
In the app settings you can go to “Audio Quality” to Activate or deactivate lossless audio and configure the quality using mobile data, WiFi, and downloadsThis is how you can reduce data usage when you're away from home and maintain the highest quality for your listening sessions with a good connection. If you're looking for recommended settings and devices for the best quality, see how. Get the best sound on Apple Music.
You also have the option of Activate Dolby Atmos and spatial audioYou can force it to always activate, disable it, or leave it in automatic mode so it only activates when the app detects compatible headphones or sound systems. If you want to search for music specifically with spatial audio, in the search section, under "Explore categories," you'll see a "Spatial Audio" section with dedicated albums and playlists.
When you're playing a song, You can open the lyrics from within the app itself.In many cases, you'll see the lyrics synchronized with the music, scrolling as the song progresses; in others, you'll simply see the entire text as a single block. There's no built-in automatic translation, so you'll see the lyrics in the original language provided by the artist or record label.
The app also includes an internal system for video clips and live performancesFrom an artist's profile, you can access their videos and play them directly in Music. Additionally, your library has a dedicated "Music Videos" section with videos from your favorite artists, and in the settings, you can choose the resolution to balance quality and data usage. If you need to integrate or add videos to iTunes, there are guides that explain how. Add videos to iTunes.
If you want to better understand your listening habits, There's a little trick on macOS to see how many times you've played each songIn the Library section, go to "Songs" and add the "Plays" column if it isn't already there. By sorting by this field, you'll see at a glance which songs you've listened to most, and you can use that data to create smart playlists based on the number of plays.
Lastly, If you're interested in centralizing statistics on services like Last.fmApple Music doesn't offer direct integration, but there are third-party apps that fill that gap. On iOS, you can use advanced clients like Marvis Pro, which also provide a powerful alternative interface, and on Mac, there are tools like NepTunes that allow you to scrobble what you're listening to into Last.fm, with both free and paid options.
With all of the above, iTunes/Music for Mac can go from being a simple player to a very powerful management and discovery tool.As long as you dedicate some time to configuring how your files are organized, carefully cleaning metadata, experimenting with playlists (both regular and smart), and taking advantage of the integration with Apple Music and other applications like Rekordbox, a well-maintained library will be noticeable every time you search for a track, create a playlist, or simply want to listen to music without struggling with your computer.
