How to Export a Playlist from iTunes or Apple Music

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Easily transfer your iTunes/Music playlists to another device

Written by Megaera Lorenz, PhD

Last Updated: August 13, 2025 Fact Checked

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Exporting Playlists

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Importing Playlists

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Exporting your iTunes or Apple Music playlists can be useful when you want to transfer your music to another computer or transfer song and playlist information to another application. You can also use the playlist export and import functions to move a playlist from your iOS device to your computer's iTunes library. Whether you’re using iTunes on Windows or Music on a Mac, the process is basically identical. It's very important to note that playlist files do not contain any actual music files; they simply point to songs in the library.

Quick Guide to Exporting an iTunes Playlist

Select the playlist you want to export.
Go to File > Library > Export Playlist…
Choose where to save the playlist.
Select .m3u as the format to use in other apps or .xml for iTunes/Music.
Name the playlist and click Save.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Exporting Playlists

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Select the playlist in iTunes (Windows) or Music (Mac) that you want to export. When you export a playlist, you are exporting the list of songs and their order. You can export playlists to transfer them from your computer to your iPhone and vice versa, from one computer to another, or from iTunes to another media player. To get started, select your playlist in the sidebar of iTunes or Music.^{[1]
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- This method will teach you how to export your playlist as an XML or text file so you can move it to another device or app. If you have Music synced in iCloud, your playlists will automatically be shared in the Music app across all your connected Apple devices.
- You can export any playlist in iTunes or Apple Music, including playlists on your iPhone, iPod, or iPad. Plug your device into your computer, select it in iTunes or Music, and then click the playlist name in the "On My Device" section of the sidebar.
- To quickly share a playlist from your iPhone or iPad without connecting it to your computer, open the playlist in Music and tap ••• in the top right corner, then tap Share Playlist. You can choose from sharing options like AirDrop (to instantly share the playlist to another Apple device), Messages, or Mail.
A menu will open.

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Select Library → Export Playlist. This will open the file browser so that you can choose where you want to save the playlist file.
- If you want to export all your playlists instead of just the selected one, select Library > Export Library instead.
By default, iTunes for Windows will try to save the playlist to the "system32" folder, which is not a convenient place to find it later. Navigate to an easy-to-access location, such as your desktop or your Documents folder. In Music for Mac, the default location is your Desktop.
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Choose the format you want to export the playlist as. Click the "Save as type" (iTunes for Windows) or “Format” (Music for Mac) menu to see the format options. You have several options to choose from, and the format you pick will depend on how you intend to use the playlist:
- Select "XML" if you're planning on importing the playlist back into iTunes or Music, such as when you're moving a playlist from your iPhone to your computer or sharing it with a friend.^{[2]
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- Select "M3U" if you are importing the playlist into a program like Winamp or MediaMonkey.
- Select "Text files" or “Plain Text” if you want to save all of the data for each song into a tab-separated plain text file. This can be useful for importing the playlist into a database or spreadsheet program such as Excel.^{[3]
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  - In Music for Mac, you also have the option to save as a Unicode text file.
By default, the playlist file will have the same name that it did in iTunes or Music. You can change it to whatever you'd like before saving it to your computer.

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Importing Playlists

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If you don't see the menu bar in Windows, press Alt.
The file browser will open.
iTunes and Music can import XML playlists. Select the file that you want to import into iTunes or Music.
You'll receive an error when you import a playlist that contains songs that aren't in your library. You'll need to transfer these songs to your library if you want the playlist to be complete, then you'll need to re-import the playlist.^{[4]
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Question

How do I export an iTunes music playlist on a Windows machine when there is no File menu to pull down?

Community Answer

As the article states, push the alt button and it will appear.

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Should I use export playlist to be able to email music files in a certain order?

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Yes.

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Can you transfer items from an iPod to another iPod?

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Yes. If you have an iCloud account, then you should be able to go on iTunes, plug your iPod into your computer via the USB slot, and transfer your music onto the other iPod.

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