If you own a Mac, one of the best ways to take advantage of the built-in music app is through Smart Playlists. These are automated song libraries that will be updated periodically, based on the criteria you choose when creating this special playlist. It’s completely free to create a Smart Playlist, and there’s also no limit to how many you can have.
To help you out, we’ve put together this guide to teach you how to create and customize a Smart Playlist.
Contents
Create a Smart Playlist in Music on Mac
Open the Music app on your Mac to get started.
Step 1: Choose File > New from the menu bar and select Smart playlist in the pop-up menu.
Step 2: When the Smart Playlist setup window opens, check the box at the top for Merge the following rule. Here you choose the criteria for your playlist.
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Step 3: Use the first drop-down box on the left to select the first condition. You can choose from many options, such as artist, date added, genre, love, purchased, year and more.
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Step 4: Once you’ve made that selection, use the drop-down box on the right to select options such as Contains, Starts With, Is After, Is Not, or another option. These choices vary depending on what you select in the first drop-down box.
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Step 5: Next, you may need to add an item to the text box, drop-down list, or calendar that appears on the right. It also depends on the previous two selections.
For example, if you choose Artist > Contains, you would enter the name of the artist. Or, if you choose Date added > is before you would enter the date.
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Step 6: Once you have the criteria for your playlist, you can add another condition if you want. For example, you might want a list of your favorite artist and songs that are added after a certain date.
Choose Plus sign on the right side of the first rule to add the second. Then use the drop-down menu and the following boxes to set it up, just like the first one.
Next to the checkbox at the top, select Any or all meet any or all of the conditions.
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Step 7: Once you’ve added all your criteria, you can optionally check the boxes for other items for your playlist. You can limit the number of items in the playlist and how to select them, match only highlighted items and enable live updates.
When you’re done, choose Alright to save your Smart Playlist rules.
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Step 8: You will then see your playlist in the main section of the Music app. Enter the name in the Playlist field and press Return. You can then instantly play your new Smart Playlist.
As you continue to listen, buy, or add new items in the Music app, those that match the rules you set for your Smart Playlist will automatically be added to it.
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Access or edit your Smart Playlist
Listening to or changing the rules for your Smart Playlist is as easy as setting it up on your Mac.
Step 1: You can access and play your new smart playlist at any time by selecting it in the Playlists left menu section in the Music app.
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Step 2: If you sync the Music app with your iPhone or iPad, you’ll also see Smart Playlist in the Playlists section of Library and on those devices.
Step 3: If you want to change the playlist, you can do it in Music on Mac. Select a playlist and select Edit rules below the playlist name on the right.
You will then see the rules you set up at the beginning. Enter the changes you want and select Alright to save them.
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Why is my Smart Playlist empty?
You go to open your Smart Playlist, but all its songs and albums are missing. Don’t worry: you might have accidentally clicked a button you didn’t want to while creating your playlist. This is also a fairly simple solution.
Start by opening your smart playlist settings. If you are using any type of “match all” or “match any” filters, please try setting them again; even if they appear to be set up correctly. In many cases, this might be enough of a refresher to reassemble your Smart Playlist.
What is a Genius playlist?
Unlike a smart playlist, which uses user preferences to automatically add songs, artists, and albums to your music app, a Genius playlist is a list of songs that Apple’s Genius tool uses to group similar songs together.
To make a Genius playlist in the macOS Music app, simply start playing a song. Then click File > New > *Genius playlist*. Music will then automatically start creating a playlist of similar sounding material.
Genius Shuffle is another extension of the Genius tool. If you can’t even decide what genre of music you want to listen to, Genius will randomly select a song and then pair it with similar-sounding songs.
Now that you know how to create a Smart Playlist in Apple Music to automatically update your music, see how to share your Apple Music library.
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Source: newstars.edu.vn