How to Make Music Playlists on Linux With Rhythmbox or VLC

You can make a music playlist on Linux with a library-focused player such as Rhythmbox, or build one in VLC and save it as a playlist file. Rhythmbox is convenient when you want to keep several named lists inside one music library. VLC is useful for a quick queue that you can save and reopen. In either app, a playlist organizes links to audio files; it does not copy or contain the songs themselves.

These are interface illustrations; menus vary by distribution and app version.

Choose an app and prepare your music

Install either player from your distribution’s software center or official package repositories if it is not already available. Rhythmbox is included with some Linux distributions, but it is not installed by default everywhere. Check the Rhythmbox project page or the official VLC site for project and installation information.

Before starting, confirm that your audio files play in the chosen app. If Rhythmbox’s library is empty, import or add your music folder using the library controls available in your version. Keep the tracks in a stable folder, such as Music; moving them later can leave saved playlists pointing to files that no longer exist.

Create a playlist in Rhythmbox

Rhythmbox is a good choice when you want to browse a collection by song, artist, or album and maintain playlists in the same application.

1. Open Rhythmbox from your desktop’s applications menu. Select the music library or song list in the sidebar. If you do not see the songs you want, import them into the library first.
2. Select the tracks for your first playlist. Click one song, then hold Ctrl while clicking other individual songs. For a continuous range, select the first track, hold Shift, and select the last one.
3. Right-click the selection and choose Add to Playlist, then New Playlist. Some versions also provide a New Playlist command in an app menu or a plus button. If you do not see the context-menu option, create a blank playlist first and drag the chosen tracks onto it.

4. When the new playlist appears in the sidebar, give it a descriptive name such as “Evening Jazz” or “Road Trip.” A clear name makes it easier to find later.
5. To add more tracks, return to the library, select them, then use Add to Playlist and choose the playlist by name. Select the playlist in the sidebar to review its contents and start playback.

For a portable copy, use Rhythmbox’s playlist export command if your version provides it, then select a format such as M3U, PLS, or XSPF. The GNOME project’s Rhythmbox documentation and project information can help you identify the version and supported features you have.

Make and save a playlist in VLC

VLC can play audio without building a music library first. Its current playlist is a working queue; save it to a file if you want to open it again after closing VLC.

1. Launch VLC and switch to its playlist view using the playlist control or the View menu. On many desktop builds, Ctrl+L also opens the playlist.
2. Add music by dragging audio files or a folder from your file manager into the playlist pane. You can also use Media > Open File and select multiple tracks in the file chooser when your desktop supports multi-select. Add tracks in the order you want them to play.

3. Check the queue and reorder tracks if needed. When it is ready, choose Media > Save Playlist to File. If you do not see the command, right-click inside the playlist pane and look for a save option.
4. Choose a location you can find again, enter a name such as weekend-mix.xspf, and save. XSPF is a playlist format; the file stores references to media rather than the audio itself.
5. To reopen it later, use Media > Open File and select the saved .xspf file. VLC will rebuild the queue from the referenced tracks.

If a playlist opens without music

• Check file locations. Moving or disconnecting the music folder can break playlist links. Restore the previous path or recreate the playlist after organizing the files.
• Check playback first. Open a track directly. If it fails, check for an unsupported format or missing codec. Install codecs only through trusted distribution repositories.
• Use a stable save location. Keep exported playlists somewhere predictable. Back them up with your music when moving computers; a playlist does not back up the audio.

For current VLC controls, consult the VideoLAN VLC user documentation.