Spotify has become a go-to platform for millions of music lovers as it offers a wide range of playlists for every age and mood. Whether you’re making your own list of favorite tracks or following someone else’s keenly curated collection, knowing when a playlist was created or updated can help you find music that matches your preferences more easily.
However, one common question among Spotify users is “how to see when a Spotify playlist was made?” and “if yes, then how?”.
To answer this, we will explore whether Spotify offers the option to see the playlist creation and update date. This quick guide will also discuss alternate options to help you track Spotify playlist history.
What are Spotify Playlists?
Playlists are similar to containers in which tracks are organized by categories. These categories include personalized, editorial, or listener’s playlists. In personalized playlists, Spotify algorithms analyze the listening habits of users and the playlists they created to produce another playlist according to their taste.
The app either updates the playlist every Monday, depending on the previous week’s data or every Friday depending upon the latest release of the listener’s most liked artist. Editorial playlists are created and managed by a specialized team of editors. These music experts create playlists specific to genres like “Relax & Unwind”, “Rapcaviar” or “Hip Hop”.
Unlike editorial or personalized playlists, the listener’s playlist is created by the users themselves. They can make their playlist and arrange the songs in any order. Moreover, they can also choose to keep the playlist private or make it public.
Importance of Knowing When a Spotify Playlist Was Made/Updated
Knowing when a Spotify playlist was created or updated helps understand the relevance of the music with current trends and the context of that playlist. The creation date of a specific playlist provides insights into the original theme and the music trends of a particular time.
For example, if you want a nostalgic music experience on Spotify, you can search for playlists that were created years ago. On the other hand, the last update date holds similar significance as it signifies the level of activity put into maintaining the playlist. Being aware of these dates enables users to evaluate the playlist’s timeliness.
A playlist that has not been updated in a long time may not have the newest songs. Therefore, if you like to keep up to speed with the latest music, a regularly updated playlist is more dynamic and adaptable to shifting trends.
How to See When a Spotify Playlist Was Made?
Previously, Spotify provided the option to see the creation date of a playlist by sliding left on that playlist. However, it has removed that option in its updates. Now, listeners can neither see the date on a desktop nor on a mobile device. Instead, they can view it when a specific playlist is updated.
In addition, if the users would like the feature to be added again, they can suggest it on Spotify’s idea exchange page. By scrolling down to the button on this page, you will find “Tell us the title of your idea”. Hit the click button, and you will be asked to ensure that your idea is unique. Once you are sure, enter the subject and body of the idea.
It will be posted online, and if it gathers enough votes, Spotify might consider your idea and introduce it in new updates.
Method 1: Using Spotify’s Desktop App
Several methods can help you see the last update of a Spotify playlist. But keep in mind that these methods may only help you view new or old songs in a sorted list. You are unable to see the exact date of the recent update. Here’s the first way that you can try if you are using a desktop app:
- First, you must have the desktop app downloaded to your system
- Then open any of your playlists and click on the sort option.
- Then a dropdown menu will appear. Tap on “Recently added”
- The songs that were added on the most recent date will appear at the top of the playlist, while the old ones will be arranged at the bottom
Method 2: Using Spotify’s Mobile App
For the mobile app, follow these steps:
- Open the playlist and swipe down its cover page
- This will show a search option along with sort options on the top of the screen
- Hit the sort button and click on “Recently added” option
- Then, you will see an arrow either in the up or down direction. A downward arrow indicates that the songs are added from oldest to newest, while an upward arrow indicates that they are starting from the newest songs at the top to oldest at the bottom
Method 3: Using External Spotify Tools
If nothing works for you, use external Spotify tools to find the new songs added to the updated playlist.
1. Playlist History App
Playlist History App is not an official service provided by Playlist. Rather, it is an external tool that uses Spotify’s API to access your account’s data and provide an overview of the modifications to any playlist.
To use it:
- Go to the Playlist History App and click on the “Get Started” button
- Sign in to your account, and your playlists will appear on the screen with the last time when each of them was updated
- Hit the “See History” option of any playlist to see when it was exactly updated and how many total changes have been made in it till now
2. Playlist Sorter App
Playlist Sorter is a free online tool that can be connected to your Spotify account to find the recently added songs to your playlist. It also allows you to sort the tracks in alphabetical or popular order. Here’s how to do it:
- Open the Playlist Sorter App and tap the “Connect with Spotify” option
- Login to your account and click on the playlist that you want to sort out
- Select the option “Recently Added”
- You can choose to sort the tracks in a manner in which recently added songs show first, or the oldest added songs appear first on the screen
Note: This app also does not show the exact date of the update.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
Does Spotify notify artists when you add a song to a playlist?
Yes, Spotify sends notifications to the artists when their songs are added to anyone’s playlist along with the name of that playlist. In addition, artists can also see the popular playlists or the ones in which their songs are played on a loop on their account’s dashboard. It happens only when the playlist is public. If the playlist is private, it will only remain discrete to the creator of that playlist.
Can you sort Spotify playlists by the date added?
Yes, Spotify playlists can be sorted by the date they were added. You can either use the App directly or get help from external tools like the Playlist Sorter App. To do this, open the Spotify app and go to the playlist. Drag it down and hit the sort button. There, you can sort it out by the date added.
For the Playlist Sorter app, download it first, connect your account, choose the playlist, and hit the sort button.
Can you see the dates of Spotify playlists?
No, Spotify does not provide any option that allows users to see the creation date or the date when it was added to the playlist. They can only know about the newest added songs from the sort option. Furthermore, users are now suggesting that Spotify add this option, so there is a possibility that this option might be available in any new updates.
Can you see Spotify playlist history?
It is not possible to see the history of changes made in the Spotify playlist. Instead, you can use third-party tools like the Playlist History App to see when the playlist was last updated and how many changes have been made to it since its creation.
If you want to know about the listening history, tap on your Profile icon on your mobile phone and click on the listening history. On the desktop, click the Queue icon and then select the “Recently played” tab
Why is the date added to my Spotify playlist not showing?
The “Date Added” option has been deleted from the new updates on Spotify. Therefore, if you have updated the app or installed it recently, this might be a reason that the option is not visible to you.
If you are using an older app version on a desktop, your Spotify window might not be wide enough, and certain columns, including “Date Added,” may not be displayed. Adjusting the window size can sometimes reveal hidden columns.
