Create a modern-day mixtape

Share perfectly curated collections the easy way in the Music app

- CARRIE MARSHALL

THE DAYS OF carefully curating a cassette mixtape by recording songs off the radio may be long gone, but Apple Music has a much simpler, more straightforward, and much better-sounding alternative for you: playlists!

Playlists have been available in Apple's music apps since the iPod days and, they're even better in the Apple Music era.

Whether you're creating a mix for your own amusement, to soundtrack an event, to download for a trip off-grid, or share with a friend or loved one, it's easy to create, organize, and share playlists of pristine digital delights, and sync them across all your devices automatically via iCloud.

SHARE THE TUNES

As we'll discover, it's easy to create a personal playlist, add songs, and move them around. It's also easy to create a Smart Playlist to automate your audio. That enables you to set whatever criteria you like and get Apple Music to find the songs, so if you want some late '90s rock, but don't want Green Day or Nickelback, or songs that go on too long, Apple Music can do that, too.

You can use the playlist features here for your own music, including iTunes purchases, and share those purchases via Family Sharing. However, if you want to share playlists of Apple Music tracks, you'll need to have an Apple Music or Apple One Family Plan. That enables you to share your account with up to five people.

HOW TO Make and share playlists