How to Delete a Playlist in Spotify on Desktop & Mobile [2024]

Key Takeaways
  • Simply tap and hold on the playlist you want to delete and select "Delete playlist" from the menu of options that show up. Confirm your decision by tapping on "Delete" in the next prompt.
  • If you're on desktop (app or web), open the playlist and click on the three-dot icon underneath its name. Select "Delete" from the list of options and click on "Delete" again to confirm it,
  • You can also unfollow a playlist instead of deleting it make it private or simply edit the songs in it to better suit you. You can recover deleted playlists for up to 90 days after deletion.

Gone is the time when YouTube used to be the go-to for music lovers. Today, Spotify is one of the most popular music streaming services worldwide, with more than 550 million monthly active listeners. Spotify allows music enthusiasts to curate their favorite tracks through likes and playlists.

In this article, our main focus will be on how to delete a playlist on Spotify and some alternatives to deleting a playlist on Spotify.

What is a Spotify Playlist?

A Spotify playlist is a way to organize your favorite tracks, podcasts, and local files in one neat little area. You can create your own playlists or follow playlists made by others, like those created by Spotify, different artists, or other people.

Your friends can collaborate with you in creating the perfect playlist. You can also edit, share, or download these playlists for offline listening.

Spotify Playlist on desktop and mobile

READ MORE: How to Unblock Someone on Spotify in 6 Easy Steps ➜

↪ How to Create a Playlist on Spotify

Before we go over how you can delete a Spotify playlist, let’s quickly go over how you can actually create one. The following steps are on mobile, but they can be repeated on the desktop and web versions of Spotify as well.

  1. Open Spotify app on your phone and tap on Your Library.

    Tap on Your Library
  2. In the top-right corner, you can see a “+”. Tap on it, and you’ll get two options. Choose Playlist.

    Tap on + and Then Tap on Playlist.
  3. You have to now give a name to your playlist.

    Name Your New Playlist
  4. To add songs and podcasts to your playlist, tap on the Add to this playlist button.

    Tap on Add to This Playlist
  5. You can search for any track on Spotify that you want to add to this playlist.

    Add Any Song or Podcast to This Playlist

How to Delete a Spotify Playlist on your Phone

Besides minor differences in the user interface, the Spotify app is the same between iPhone and Android, making the steps for deleting a playlist on Spotify essentially the same:

Step 1: Open Spotify and Go to Your Library

The playlists you listen most often to are shown in the Home section when you open Spotify. In order to view all of your playlists, liked songs, and downloaded songs, tap on “Your Library” in the bottom right corner.

Tap on Your Library

Step 2: Tap and Hold the Playlist You Want to Delete

In the “Your Library” section, all of your curated music is shown. Browse through it and find the playlist you want to delete. Tap on it and hold until you see some options pop up.

Tap and Hold on the Playlist You Want Deleted

Step 3: Tap on Delete Playlist

From the options that appear, you can choose what action you need to take about your playlist: download it for offline listening, pin it to the top, share it with your friends, or delete it. Tap on Delete Playlist.

Tap on Delete Playlist

Step 4: Confirm Action by Tapping on Delete

In order to prevent deleting the Spotify playlist by mistake, a confirmatory message pops up. Tap on the Delete button to confirm the action of deleting your playlist.

Tap on Delete Again
If you had a public playlist that other people had added to their libraries, deleting it on your end won’t remove it from their libraries. What you should then do is remove all the songs from the playlist, one by one, and then delete it. In this way, the playlist they have won’t contain any songs (or podcasts) in it.

How to Delete a Spotify Playlist on Desktop

If you’re using Spotify on your computer, whether through the desktop app on Mac or Windows or the web version, the steps for deleting a Spotify playlist are identical:

Step 1: Open Spotify and Click on The Playlist You Want to Delete

When you open Spotify on your computer, you are able to see all of your playlists on the left under the “Your Library” section. Click on Playlists so that only playlists are shown. Scroll to locate the playlist you want to delete and click on it.

Open Spotify and Click on the Playlist You Want to Delete

Step 2: Click on The Three Dots Under The Playlist Name

Once the selected playlist opens, locate the three dots under the playlist name. Clicking on them will give you some more options regarding this playlist.

Click on the Three Horizontal Dots

Step 3: Click on Delete

A box appears in which you have a lot more options about this playlist, like editing it, downloading it, and much more. Find the option to Delete and click on it.

Click on Delete

Step 4: Confirm Your Action to Delete This Playlist

Just like on the mobile app, a confirmation message pops up. Click on the Delete button to remove this playlist.

Click on Delete Again

How to Unfollow a Playlist on Spotify

If you haven’t created a playlist on Spotify yourself, you will not be able to delete it. There’s no way to delete a Spotify playlist that isn’t yours. Instead, for all those playlists in your library that were created by other people, you can choose to Remove them from Your Library:

  1. Open Spotify on your phone and tap on Your Library to view all of your playlists.
    Tap on Your Library
  2. Scroll through all of the playlists and tap on the one you want removed.
    Tap on the Playlist You Want to Remove
  3. Tap on the three dots next to the download button.
    Tap on the Three Dots
  4. You’ll see some options appear. Tap on Remove from Your Library.
    Tap on Remove from Your Library

Alternatives to Deleting a Spotify Playlist

You might need to delete a Spotify playlist for several reasons, such as having too many unused playlists, a change in music taste, playlists made for now-irrelevant occasions, or simply disliking the songs in them.

However, if you are reluctant to delete an entire playlist, are there any alternatives? Depending on your reason, you could opt for any of the following alternatives:

  • Editing the Playlist: You can easily edit a playlist, adding or removing songs from it any way you like.
  • Making the Playlist Private: You could also make a playlist private so that people who visit your profile can’t view it. Only those people with whom you share the link will be able to view it. In order to make a Spotify playlist private: Open Spotify > Your Library > Choose Playlist > Tap on the Three Dots > Scroll down and tap on Make Private.
How to Make a Playlist Private

SEE ALSO: What is the Spotify Iceberg? How to Easily Create One ➜


Bonus: How to Recover a Deleted Playlist on Spotify

If you deleted a Spotify playlist but are now regretting your decision, you can recover it within 90 days of deletion. All you have to do is:

  1. Open Spotify on your desktop and click on your profile picture in the top-right corner. From the drop-down, click on Account.
    Click on Your Profile Picture and then Click on Account
  2. This redirects you and opens the Spotify website in a browser. Here, under Account, you can see the option to Recover Playlists. Click on it.
    Click on Recover Playlists
  3. All of the playlists that you have deleted within the last 3 months are shown here. Click on Restore to recover your playlist.
    Click on Restore

READ MORE: What is Spotify Duo? How It Works & Its Prices ➜

Final Thoughts

Spotify provides an amazing music streaming experience. It not only allows you to create playlists with your friends, edit and delete them, but you can also have jamming sessions with your loved ones even when you guys are miles apart. If you face any problems when trying to delete a Spotify playlist, drop a comment below so we can help you out.

FAQs

How many songs can I add to a playlist on Spotify?

Whether you have a free account or a premium account, you can add up to 10,000 songs to a playlist on Spotify.

How can I change the name of a Spotify playlist after I have created it?

You can easily change the name of a playlist whenever you want. Here’s how: Open Spotify > Your Library > Open Playlist > Tap on the three dots > Edit playlist > Tap on the name to change it.

How do I add Smart Shuffle recommendations to my playlist?

If you want to enhance your playlist with smart shuffle recommendations, Open Spotify > Your Library > Open Playlist > Tap on the Shuffle button once to turn on Shuffle and tap on it again to add Smart Shuffle recommendations.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kamil Anwar


Kamil is a certified MCITP, CCNA (W), CCNA (S) and a former British Computer Society Member with over 9 years of experience Configuring, Deploying and Managing Switches, Firewalls and Domain Controllers also an old-school still active on FreeNode.