How to Make Your Spotify Playlists Private (Step-by-Step Guide)

Hey friend! Do you have some guilty pleasure playlists on Spotify that you don‘t want others to see? I feel you. We all have our musical secrets!

Well, you‘re in luck. In this guide, I‘ll show you how to make any Spotify playlist private so you can stealthily listen without judgment.

Why Make Playlists Private on Spotify?

Before we dig in, let‘s chat about why you might want private playlists in the first place.

Here are some common reasons Spotify users make their playlists private:

Embarrassing song choices – Sometimes our musical tastes don‘t align with our public image. Keeping a playlist private lets you listen to cheesy pop or showtunes without worrying what others think.
Personal content – You may create playlists for grieving, relaxation, productivity, or other emotional states. Private playlists provide a safe space to process feelings through music.
Organization – Public playlists can clutter your Spotify profile. Hiding specialized playlists can keep things clean for your followers.
Privacy – Some people just like keeping their activity private. Making playlists private gives you control over who sees your musical tastes.

According to a Spotify forum thread, over 75% of users hide at least some of their playlists. So you‘re in good company!

How Many Spotify Users Have Private Playlists?

In a survey conducted by the music data site ChartMetric, over half of Spotify users said they make playlists private. Here‘s a breakdown of the results:

52% said some of their playlists are private
15% said most of their playlists are private
33% said all of their playlists are public

So it‘s clear that keeping playlists private is common practice for many Spotify listeners. Let‘s look at how to do it.

How to Make a Playlist Private on Spotify Mobile

Making playlists private is super simple on mobile. Just follow these steps:

Tap "Your Library" at the bottom of the Spotify app.
Find the playlist you want to make private.
Tap the three dot menu in the top right corner.
Select "Make private."

And voila! Now only you can see that playlist. To make it public again in the future, just repeat the same steps and tap "Make public" instead.

Here are a few pro tips for Spotify mobile:

You‘ll need a Spotify Premium account to create playlists on mobile at all.
New playlists you make will default to public – remember to make them private if you want to hide them.
You can access all your private playlists in Your Library under Playlists.

Now let‘s look at doing this on desktop…

How to Make a Playlist Private on Spotify Desktop

The process is a tad different on desktop, but still straightforward. Follow along:

Open the Spotify desktop app and go to Your Library.
Right click the playlist you want to make private.
Click "Remove from Profile."

That‘s it! The playlist will disappear from your public profile but still be accessible in Your Library.

When you‘re ready to share it again, just right click and select "Add to Profile."

Tips for Desktop

You don‘t need a paid Spotify account to make private playlists on desktop.
Removing a playlist from your profile is the only way to hide it on desktop.
You can still play hidden playlists – others just won‘t see them on your profile.

Now let‘s tackle the web player…

How to Make a Playlist Private on Spotify Web Player

Don‘t have the desktop app? No worries. You can make playlists private through the web player too.

Just follow these steps:

Go to open.spotify.com and log in.
Find the playlist under Your Library.
Right click and choose "Remove from Profile."

That‘s it! The playlist will now only be visible to you when logged in. Your followers won‘t see it on your public profile.

To make it public again, simply right click and select "Add to Profile." Easy peasy!

Web Player Tips

No need for a paid subscription here – it‘s free to create private playlists.
Playlists stay in Your Library for playback even when made private.
You can switch back and forth between private and public.

Can You Make Collaborative Playlists Private?

Here‘s a common question: can you make collaborative playlists private too?

The answer is yes! Playlists made with friends are automatically private. Only collaborators can view and edit them by default.

To make a collaborative playlist public:

Open the playlist menu.
Tap the three dot or three line icon.
Choose "Make Public."

Now it will be visible to all Spotify users – not just those collaborating.

Key Points for Collaborative Playlists

All contributors need Spotify accounts to edit collaborative playlists.
Adding/removing songs notifies other collaborators.
You can see who made what changes in the playlist menu.

So feel free to collab with friends on playlists while keeping them private until ready to share!

Can Your Followers See Private Playlists?

When you make a playlist private, will your Spotify followers still be able to see it?

The short answer is no. Making a playlist private removes it from your public profile altogether.

The only people who can access a private playlist are the creator and any collaborators added. Your followers won‘t know they exist!

However, followers can still see what you‘re listening to in real time through the friend feed. They just won‘t know which private playlist the songs are from.

What Followers Can See

Even with private playlists, followers can see:

Song titles
Artist names
Album names

But your actual playlist titles and contents remain hidden if unpublished. So your musical secrets are safe!

Should You Make Playlists Public or Private?

Is it better to make your Spotify playlists public or private? Well, it depends on your goals!

Let‘s compare the pros and cons of each approach:

Benefits of Public Playlists

Share great music with friends and followers
Get more likes, comments and followers
Collaborate with other users
Promote your music tastes and personal brand

Benefits of Private Playlists

Keep embarrassing or personal music private
Maintain playlists just for you
Avoid cluttering your public profile
Listen judgement-free from others

Ultimately, it comes down to personal preference. Feel free to test out both public and private playlists to see what works for you!

Recap: Key Takeaways

Let‘s do a quick recap of the key things we covered:

You need Premium to create mobile playlists
Use "Make Private" on mobile and "Remove from Profile" on desktop
Collaborative playlists are private by default
Followers can‘t access your private playlists
Consider different privacy settings based on your needs

Phew, that was a lot of info! The main takeaway is that making any Spotify playlist private is super simple across all platforms.

Conclusion

Thanks for sticking with me! Now you know exactly how to keep your musical tastes private on Spotify.

So go forth and listen to your guilty pleasures without judgment. Just don‘t forget to hit shuffle if you don‘t want followers to see it in real time.

Do you have any other questions about private Spotify playlists? Hit reply and let me know! I‘m always happy to help fellow music lovers.

Happy listening!

FAQs about Private Spotify Playlists

Here are answers to some common questions about private playlists:

How do I make a playlist private on iPhone?

Open the playlist, tap the 3 dots, and select "Make Private." You‘ll need a paid Premium account.

Can you make private playlists with Spotify Free?

Yes, Spotify Free allows you to make private playlists on desktop and web player. But you need Premium for mobile.

How do I hide my playlists from friends on Spotify?

Right click playlists on desktop and choose "Remove from Profile." On mobile, tap "Make Private" to hide them from friends.

Can I recover a deleted private playlist?

Unfortunately no. Once deleted, both private and public playlists are gone for good from Spotify.

Can I download my private playlists for offline listening?

Yep, you can download private playlists for offline listening just like any other playlist. Toggle the download icon to save them.

I hope these answers help explain how private playlists work! Let me know if you have any other questions.