Creating Playlists

Playlists are a powerful way to organize your tracks into custom collections without duplicating files. Whether you’re curating tracks for a project, creating mood-based collections, or organizing stems for a mix, playlists help you work more efficiently.

What Are Playlists?

In Feedtracks, playlists are virtual collections of tracks. When you add a track to a playlist, you’re creating a reference to that track—not copying the file itself. This means:

• The same track can appear in multiple playlists without using extra storage space
• Removing a track from a playlist doesn’t delete the original file
• Playlists can be nested inside folders just like tracks
• Each playlist can have its own artwork and description

Creating a Playlist

From the Drive View

1. Navigate to the folder where you want to create the playlist
2. Click the New button in the top-right corner
3. Select New Playlist from the dropdown menu
4. Enter a title for your playlist (required)
5. Optionally add a description to explain the playlist’s purpose
6. Click Create Playlist

Quick Playlist from Selected Tracks

You can also create a playlist from tracks you’ve already selected:

1. Select one or more tracks by clicking their checkboxes
2. Click the More Actions menu (three dots)
3. Choose Add to New Playlist
4. Enter the playlist details
5. The selected tracks will be automatically added to your new playlist

Adding Tracks to Playlists

Method 1: Drag and Drop

The fastest way to add tracks to a playlist:

1. Open the folder containing your playlist
2. Drag one or more track files
3. Drop them onto the playlist item

The tracks will be added to the end of the playlist in the order you dropped them.

Method 2: Add from Track Menu

1. Right-click on any track (or select multiple tracks)
2. Choose Add to Playlist from the context menu
3. Select the destination playlist from the list
4. The track(s) will be added to the end of the playlist

Method 3: Add from Inside the Playlist

1. Open the playlist by clicking on it
2. Click the Add Tracks button
3. Browse and select tracks from your drive
4. Click Add Selected to include them in the playlist

Reordering Tracks in a Playlist

Playlist order matters, especially when you’re curating a listening experience or organizing tracks for a project workflow.

Using Drag and Drop

1. Open the playlist
2. Click and hold the drag handle (⋮⋮) on the left side of any track
3. Drag the track up or down to its new position
4. Release to drop the track in place

The new order is saved automatically. Each track in a playlist has a position number that determines its order.

Position Numbers

Internally, Feedtracks assigns each track in a playlist a position number:

• Position 1 = first track
• Position 2 = second track
• And so on…

When you reorder tracks, these position numbers are automatically updated to maintain the sequence you’ve chosen.

Editing Playlist Details

Changing Title and Description

1. Open the playlist
2. Click the Edit button (pencil icon) next to the playlist title
3. Update the title or description
4. Click Save Changes

Adding Custom Artwork

Give your playlist a visual identity with custom artwork:

1. Open the playlist
2. Click on the artwork area (or the Upload Artwork button if no artwork exists)
3. Select an image file (JPG or PNG recommended)
4. The artwork will be uploaded and displayed
5. The artwork UUID is stored with the playlist

Artwork helps you quickly identify playlists at a glance, especially when you have many collections.

Understanding Playlist Metadata

Each playlist tracks useful metadata:

• Tracks Count: Total number of tracks in the playlist
• Total Size: Combined file size of all tracks (in bytes)
• Last Modified: When tracks were last added, removed, or reordered

This information is displayed in the playlist header and helps you understand the scope of each collection.

Sharing Playlists

Playlists can be shared publicly or with specific collaborators.

Public Playlist Sharing

1. Open the playlist
2. Click the Share button
3. Toggle Make Public to enable public access
4. Optionally set an access password for added security
5. Optionally set an expiration date
6. Copy the public link to share

When someone accesses your public playlist link:

• They can play all tracks in order
• They can see track metadata (title, artist, duration)
• They cannot edit, download, or remove tracks (unless you grant additional permissions)

Password Protection

If you’ve set a password on your public playlist:

• The password is stored as a bcrypt hash (access_password_hash)
• Visitors must enter the correct password to access the playlist
• The same playlist can be shared with different passwords by creating multiple share links

See Password Protection for detailed information about securing shared content.

Expiration Dates

Set a will_expire_on date to automatically disable public access after a certain time:

• Useful for time-limited collaborations
• Project-based sharing with external reviewers
• Preview access that shouldn’t be permanent

Removing Tracks from Playlists

Important: This Does NOT Delete the Track File

When you remove a track from a playlist:

• Only the playlist reference is removed
• The original track file remains in its folder
• The track can still appear in other playlists
• No storage space is freed

How to Remove Tracks

1. Open the playlist
2. Click the checkbox next to the track(s) you want to remove
3. Click the Remove from Playlist button
4. Confirm the removal

Alternatively:

• Right-click on a track inside the playlist
• Select Remove from Playlist

Deleting a Playlist

Deleting a playlist removes the collection but does not delete any track files.

1. Navigate to the folder containing the playlist
2. Right-click on the playlist item
3. Select Move to Trash
4. The playlist is moved to trash with a 30-day retention period

During the 30-day period:

• You can restore the playlist from trash
• All track references are preserved
• The original track files are unaffected

After 30 days:

• The playlist is permanently deleted
• Track files remain in their original locations

See Managing Trash for more information about the trash system.

Nested Playlists in Folders

Playlists can be organized within your folder hierarchy using the parent_id field:

• Create playlists inside project folders
• Group related playlists in dedicated “Collections” folders
• Move playlists between folders just like tracks

Moving a Playlist

1. Select the playlist item
2. Drag it to the destination folder
3. Drop to move

The playlist’s parent_id is updated to reflect the new location.

Best Practices

1. Use Descriptive Titles

Good playlist names clearly communicate purpose:

• ✅ “Mastered Tracks - Album Release”
• ✅ “Stem Files - Verse Section”
• ✅ “Client Review - Round 2”
• ❌ “Playlist 1”
• ❌ “Tracks”

2. Add Descriptions for Context

Use the description field to explain:

• The purpose of the playlist
• Any specific ordering logic
• Context for collaborators
• Project milestones or versions

3. Organize Playlists in Folders

Keep your drive tidy:

• Group playlists by project
• Create a “Collections” folder for personal playlists
• Use nested folders for complex projects

4. Use Artwork for Visual Recognition

Custom artwork makes playlists easier to identify:

• Use project logos
• Add album art for release collections
• Create color-coded artwork for different project phases

5. Leverage Multiple Playlists

Since tracks can appear in multiple playlists without using extra storage:

• Create different playlists for the same tracks (e.g., “Chronological Order” vs. “By Mood”)
• Make project-specific playlists and archive playlists
• Build reference playlists of favorite tracks

6. Share with Purpose

When sharing playlists publicly:

• Use password protection for sensitive content
• Set expiration dates for time-limited access
• Include a description explaining what recipients should do with the playlist

Troubleshooting

I can’t add a track to a playlist

Possible causes:

• You don’t have edit permissions for the playlist
• The track is in a different shared drive that you don’t have access to
• The playlist is in a read-only state

Solution: Check your permissions or ask the playlist owner to grant you edit access.

Tracks disappeared from my playlist

Possible causes:

• Someone with edit permissions removed them
• The original track files were moved to trash
• You’re viewing a filtered view

Solution: Check the playlist’s activity log, or search for the tracks by name to verify they still exist in your drive.

Playlist order keeps resetting

Possible causes:

• Multiple people are reordering simultaneously
• Browser cache issues
• Network connectivity problems

Solution: Refresh the page and try reordering again. If the issue persists, ensure no one else is editing the playlist at the same time.

Can’t share my playlist

Possible causes:

• You don’t have admin permissions
• The playlist is in a shared drive with restricted sharing settings
• Your subscription tier has sharing limitations

Solution: Check your role in the shared drive and verify your account’s sharing capabilities.

Related Articles

• Moving Tracks Between Folders
• Managing Track Versions
• Password Protection for Shared Content
• Understanding Access Levels
• Managing Trash and Recovery