iTunes playlists disappeared may be caused by iTunes upgrades, music library displacement, or careless deletion. If this happens, don't worry, you can easily find and recover the disappeared iTunes playlists with the aid of this tutorial article. Usually, you can recover disappeared iTunes playlists in two ways: one is using the iTunes music library XML file, and the other is directly recovering from the iTunes backup.

Workable Solutions Step-by-step Troubleshooting
Tip 1. Use the Old XML File Quit iTunes and open the iTunes music folder...Full steps
Tip 2. Use iTunes Backup Run iTunes and go to the "File" option...Full steps
Bonus Tip: Back Up iPhone Music Connect the iPhone to the computer...Full steps

2 easy ways to recover iTunes playlists disappeared

Tip 1. Using an old iTunes music library XML file

One simple way to restore missing iTunes playlists is to use the previous iTunes music library to replace the broken one.

Step 1. Quit iTunes completely.

Step 2. Open the iTunes music folder.

For Mac users: /music/

For Windows users: /My documents/ My music/ iTunes/ or Username the My music folder.

Step 3. Find a file named iTunes Music Library.xml and drag it to your desktop or somewhere else that's convenient for you.

Step 4. Drag the iTunes Library file to the desktop, too.  

find iTunes library file 

Step 5. Re-open iTunes.

Step 6. Go to the "File" > "Library" > "Import Playlists".

import playlists 

Step 7. Select the iTunes Music Library.xml that you placed on the desktop before.

Step 8. iTunes will recreate your playlists, and any iOS devices you have synced with iTunes will re-sync their playlists as well.

Tip 2: Using iTunes backup to recover iTunes playlists disappeared

If you have the good habit of regular data backup on your computer, then, you will have little trouble restoring the disappeared iTunes playlists. Please follow the steps below:

Step 1. Run iTunes on your computer.

Step 2. Find and click the "File" option > "Library" > "Import playlists".

Step 3. Navigate to the playlists file on your computer and then move them to your iTunes.

iTunes playlists backup 

How to transfer iPhone music to computer at no cost

Not only are iTunes playlists so significant that we will try every method to recover them, but also the music on the iPhone is equally important and deserve good protection to avoid the inconvenience caused by data loss. Then, how to easily and quickly transfer iPhone music to your computer? Use the easiest and free iPhone data transfer tool – EaseUS MobiMover - to transfer all the iPhone music to the computer in a few seconds with a single click. Let's get started. (Check the blog on how to transfer photos from iPhone to PC if you need to move photos to the computer.)

Step 1. Connect your iPhone to the computer and run EaseUS MobiMover. "Allow" it to access your iPhone data and "Trust" this computer. Then, click "Audio" and "Music" to proceed. 

how to back up music from iPhone to computer - step 1

Step 2. Click "Music" to choose desired music files and click "Settings" at the right top corner to navigate a safe location on your PC for saving the files.

how to back up music from iPhone to computer - step 2

Step 3. Click "Transfer to PC" to start the transferring.

how to back up music from iPhone to computer - step 2

With EaseUS MobiMover Free, many other iPhone files can be recovered with the transfer function, like recovering deleted photos, messages, and notes from iPhone with simple steps.

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Updated by Daisy

Daisy is the Senior editor of the writing team for EaseUS. She has been working in EaseUS for over ten years, starting from a technical writer to a team leader of the content group. As a professional author for over 10 years, she writes a lot to help people overcome their tech troubles.

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Written by Myra

Myra joined EaseUS in 2017. As a big fan of Apple products, she mainly focuses on iOS data transfer and iOS troubleshooting tips. Meanwhile, she is expanding her knowledge and skills in other fields like data recovery and disk management. Myra is open-minded and likes both extensive and intensive reading. Other than reading and writing, she is also fond of mobile games and K-pop stars.

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