Deep dive into combining multiple Apple Music playlists into one

Managing multiple playlists for different moods or activities can be cumbersome. The new Copy Multiple Playlists To One Shortcut automates the process of merging songs from several Apple Music playlists into a single, consolidated list. This is perfect for creating master playlists for offline listening on your Apple Watch, preparing for a long trip, or simply combining your favorite smaller playlists into one definitive collection.

What's new

This feature introduces a powerful automation that programmatically gathers all tracks from a list of specified source playlists and appends them to a single destination playlist of your choice. Instead of manually adding songs from various playlists one by one, you can now configure the Shortcut once with your desired playlist names and let it handle the entire consolidation process automatically.

Getting started

1. Open the Shortcuts app and locate the Copy Multiple Playlists To One Shortcut to begin.
2. In the initial Text block, replace the placeholder text with the exact names of the playlists you wish to combine. Each playlist name must be on its own line.
3. Scroll down to the Add Repeat Item 2 to Playlist action.
4. Tap the blue Playlist variable and select the destination playlist where you want to add the songs. You can create a new, empty playlist in Apple Music beforehand for a clean merge.
5. Run the Shortcut by tapping the play button. The shortcut will process each source playlist and copy its songs to your selected destination playlist.

Key capabilities

• Automated Consolidation: Combine an unlimited number of playlists without manually dragging songs. Just list their names and run the shortcut.
• Prepare for Offline Use: Quickly create a single, comprehensive playlist to download for offline listening on your Apple Watch or iPhone during travel or workouts.
• Create Master Mixes: Merge genre-specific, decade-specific, or artist-specific playlists into a single, ultimate collection.
• One-Time Setup: Once you've defined your source and destination playlists, you can run the shortcut anytime to re-sync or update your master list.

Tips for getting the most out of this feature

For best results, ensure the playlist names you enter in the Text block match the names in your Apple Music library exactly, including capitalization and symbols. It is also recommended to create a new, empty playlist as the destination to avoid duplicating songs or mixing them with existing tracks. If you are combining large playlists, allow the shortcut a few moments to complete the process before checking the results.

Summary

The Copy Multiple Playlists To One shortcut is a powerful tool for efficiently organizing your Apple Music library. By automating the tedious process of merging playlists, it saves you time and effort, allowing you to easily create large, customized collections for any occasion. This is an essential automation for anyone looking to better manage their music for offline listening or create definitive master playlists.