NEW: Make New Playlist v1.0

A neat option for the Music app would be the ability to choose a default playlist view. Not exactly a new item on the Wish List. I’ve evolved a toleration of the default “as Playlist” view since I see it on the iPad so much. But I generally switch to the “as Songs” view while I’m building the playlist or working on the tracks in it and then switch back to “as Playlist” afterwards. Kinda like when you’re done working on your car, you close the hood. CHONK.

I’ve mentioned many times how I’ve assigned keyboard shortcuts to the “as Playlist” and “as Songs” menu items in the Music app’s View menu. That helps.

Lately I’ve been using a script that uses System Events accessibility scripting to hit “as Songs” and display the Column Browser after it creates a new playlist containing a batch of selected tracks. It can change the new playlist to any view. I’ve just set it to “as Songs” at my house.

I’m not a big fan of System Events scripting because it can be Kinda Klunky, requires serious permissions, and can need unpredictable future fixes if the app it targets updates its UI. But sometimes it’s the only way to bring truck home.

If you’re going to download and use Make New Playlist, you should know that on first launch it will ask you to give it accessibility permission in System Settings > Privacy & Security > Device Control and Data Access (formerly “Accessibility”). This is so the script can use System Events scripting to access the Music app’s View menu in order to pretend-click on its menu options. And to be able to pretend-click Command-B to show the Column Browser. I’ve put the step-by-step directions in the Read Me PDF. It’s pleading with you to read it.

I’ve given it the Shift-Command-N keyboard shortcut and it appears to over-ride same for the Music app’s “New Playlist with Selection” command. So you can imagine.

Latest version:

• Initial release

More information for Make New Playlist v1.0 and download link is here.

UPDATED: Move Playlists to Folder v5.0

This applet will allow you to quickly move one or more selected playlists to an existing or new Playlist Folder instead of having to drag each of them one at a time.

Latest version:

• UI and layout updates for macOS 26 and later
• Speedier playlist indexing
• Removes ability to extricate playlists from folders
• Additional maintenance

More information for Move Playlists to Folder v5.0 and download link is here.

UPDATED: Merge-Delete Playlists v7.6

This applet will allow you to merge the track contents of two or more playlists to a new or existing playlist or delete any number of playlists at once, including Smart, Genius, and Playlist Folder playlists. The merge feature will prevent the same tracks that may appear in different source playlists from being duplicated and has an option to delete original playlists. The delete feature only deletes playlists; tracks, of course, remain in the library.

Latest version:

• UI and layout updates for macOS 26 and later
• Maintenance
• Icon and docs update

More information for Merge-Delete Playlists v7.6 and download link is here.

NEW: Playlist Countdown v1.0

Back when we had record albums and cassette tapes every day of our lives, you could throw a glance at the player and get a pretty good idea of how much time was left on the side. Also, as a former radio DJ, I have a lingering professional anxiety about how long some sound thing is going to take to finish.

But when I play a playlist in the Music app I’m afraid my math skills are not speedy enough to calculate anything beyond “looks like it might be about half over I dunno”.

After years of having minor Quakes of Angst, I finally got around to making Playlist Countdown. It will countdown the time remaining in a playing playlist. If you need to know that. Like I know I frequently do.

Latest version:

• Initial release

More information for Playlist Countdown v1.0 and download link is here.

UPDATED: Assimilate View Options v6.4

This applet re-creates each selected playlist so its Songs View column settings (visible columns) are the same as the main “Songs” library.

Works with user-created regular playlists only.

Latest version:

• Fixes issue with empty description tag returning missing value
• Minor maintenance

More information for Assimilate View Options v6.4 and download link is here.

UPDATED: Compare Two Playlists v5.3

Quickly compares the contents of any two playlists and displays the tracks that are common to both or the tracks in one playlist not contained by the other. Has tools to copy or move tracks from one playlist to another or delete common tracks from one or the other playlist.

Latest version:

• Fixed a modern problem indexing playlists
• Minor UI update

More information for Compare Two Playlists v5.3 and download link is here.

UPDATED: Playlist XML Librarian v2.1

The original AppleScript version of Playlist XML Librarian had a search function but I didn’t like it much. So I decided not to include it in the v2.0 rebuild until I figured out a better way to do it. Well, I went ahead and did that for v2.1.

Playlist XML Librarian v2.1 will list the exported Playlist XML files collected in a specified folder with options to view, edit and send (import) them to the Music app. Makes it easy to maintain an organized stockpile of exported Playlist XMLs to reduce the number of onboard Music playlists.

Also see Playlist XML Viewer which can display and play a single selected local Playlist XML file drag-and-dropped or chosen. For handling exported library XML files, see Library XML Track Viewer

Latest version:

• Adds search feature; searches XML collection for playlist XMLs with track entries whose Title, Artist, Album or Composer tag matches entered search text.
• v2.0 (jun 3 2026):
• Outgrew AppleScript, is now a full-fledged Xcode app
• Overall speed boost
• Checks each XML file for appearance in the Music app as status
• Sort playlist XML list by name, date, track count, playlist kind and status
• Additional Settings to configure status indexing and display
• Description overspill appears in popover
• Toggle playlist info visible

More information for Playlist XML Librarian v2.1 and download link is here.

UPDATED: Playlist XML Librarian v2.0

I’ve suspected for years that there would come a time when I’d want one of my AppleScript dinguses to grow up into an Xcode app. You can only do so much with a single thread. I’ve been using Playlist XML Librarian pretty regularly and the AppleScript incarnation just wasn’t able to gimme what I need.

Playlist XML Librarian v2.0 will list the exported Playlist XML files collected in a specified folder with options to view, edit and send (import) them to the Music app. Makes it easy to maintain an organized stockpile of exported Playlist XMLs to reduce the number of onboard Music playlists.

Also see Playlist XML Viewer which can display and play a single selected local Playlist XML file drag-and-dropped or chosen.

Latest version:

• Outgrew AppleScript, is now a full-fledged Xcode app
• Overall speed boost
• Checks each XML file for appearance in the Music app as status
• Sort playlist XML list by name, date, track count, playlist kind and status
• Additional Settings to configure status indexing and display
• Description overspill appears in popover
• Toggle playlist info visible

More information for Playlist XML Librarian v2.0 and download link is here.

UPDATED: Remove From Other Playlists v3.0

A Correspondent recently divulged to me that his Music library contains over 5K Smart playlists. I just had to tell somebody.

It reminds me of an old Punch cartoon showing a rather ragged gentleman with a face full of bandaids and a very shabby looking growth of beard sitting at a table writing a letter: “Dear Sirs: I have used the same razor blade daily for seven months. Is this some kind of record?”

Anyway. It’s good to keep yer library nice ‘n’ neat in my opinion. You can start with this:

Remove From Other Playlists will load, list and examine a selection of tracks from a selected playlist in the Music app and then display the other playlists that also contain them. The tracks can then be batch-removed from any one or more of these other playlists.

Latest version:

• Initial re-release

More information for Remove From Other Playlists v3.0 and download link is here.