iTunes: Recover Deleted Playlist
You can easily restore playlists that were accidentally deleted from iTunes if you made a backup. This practical tip shows you what you can do if you don't have a fuse.
Recover deleted iTunes playlist
If you accidentally deleted a playlist in iTunes, restoring is easy if you have backed up with the Time Machine. If you can't access it, recovery from the iTunes folder sometimes works:
- First move the playlist that may still be in iTunes. To do this, navigate to "Music" -> "iTunes" in the Finder.
- Drag the iTunes Music Library.xml file to your desktop and move the iTunes Library.itl file to a different location.
- Now start iTunes and open the menu "File" -> "Media library" -> "Import playlist".
- First import the "iTunes Music Library.xml" file that has just been moved to your desk.
- Then open the menu "File" -> "Media library" -> "Import playlist" again. In the path "Music" -> "iTunes" you will find a folder "Previous iTunes Libraries". Select the .itl file there and click on "Open".
- In the test, this method did not always work. Therefore, do not delete the "iTunes Library.itl" file, but save it in a different location.
- If the method is too risky for you, you can contact iTunes support.
