Desktop: New Your Library sidebar

[MattSuda]

Spotify is introducing a new Your Library sidebar in the desktop app and Web Player.

The new Your Library sidebar improves navigation and makes it easier and faster to collect and retrieve all types of content, bringing new features to desktop that you're already familiar with in the mobile app. The new sidebar is also more customizable than before to meet different preferences.

You can read more info about the new desktop experience in the Spotify Newsroom post:

➜ Spotify’s Desktop Experience Gets a Brand-New Look With Redesigned ‘Your Library’ and ‘Now Playing’ ...

This thread is your go-to destination for learning what's new, asking questions, getting help for issues you might have, as well as to share your feedback about the new Your Library sidebar for desktop. Also, do you have any tips for other users on how you are using the new Your Library sidebar? We'd love to hear them.

What's new in the Your Library sidebar?

• See your entire collection and all of the content types (not just playlists)
  
  
• Filters for your collection (Playlists, Artists, Albums, Podcasts) that can be combined with other filters (By you, By Spotify, Downloaded)
  
  
• Sort options for your collection (Recents, Recently Added, Alphabetical, Creator, Custom Order)
  
  
• Chosen filters and sort options will be remembered in the sidebar across restarts of the desktop app
  
  
• Search through your collection in the sidebar
  
  
• Pinned library items to find your favorites, faster – current limit is 4 (Playlists, Playlist Folders, Artists, Albums, Podcasts)
  
  
• Art covers are now shown in the sidebar
  
  
• Compact library layout (no art covers) is available as an option in Settings to increase content density
  
  
• Dedicated + (plus) button to create Playlists and Playlist Folders
  
  
• Flexible Sizing: A collapsed library view (with only art covers) to maximize the browsing area, a regular width view, and an expanded view for more focused library management and curation. (you can also drag to customize the size)
  
  
• In the expanded library view, you have options for list view, compact view, and a grid view. The list and compact views show you more details in 2 columns, Date Added and Last Played, and the grid view allows you to see larger art covers.
  
  
• Playlist Folders can still be expanded into the sidebar in a tree view, and now when you click on them, the sidebar only shows the Playlist Folder and what's inside for a more focused view.
  
  
• Menu option to move a playlist to a folder (with search)

Note: The Your Library sidebar experience will be the same for the most part in the Web Player. However, the Web Player does not support all of the features found in the desktop app. To be able to use all of the features, you can download the desktop app right here.

Tips to get started:

If you need a familiar experience to help you get started with the new Your Library sidebar, here's how to get it as close as possible to the old sidebar that previously only showed playlists:

• In the left "Your Library" sidebar, click on the "Playlists" filter at the top.

• Then, in the drop down menu select "Custom Order" under "Sort by". You will then see your previous playlist order and be able to move your playlists and folders like before.

• Your currently chosen filters and sort options will be remembered across restarts of the desktop app.

• If you would like to only see text in the Your Library sidebar (no art covers), go to the drop down menu and at the bottom of the menu click on "Compact" under "View as".

• Flexible Sizing: You can drag the Your Library sidebar to different sizes. Fully expand the sidebar by clicking the arrow button at the top, and fully collapse the sidebar by clicking on the "Your Library" heading to see only art covers.

• At the top, you can scroll through the different filters with your mouse scroll wheel for faster navigation when the sidebar is set to a smaller size. 

Walkthrough of the basics:

Sidebar List:

You can now see your entire collection and all of the content types (not just playlists) in the sidebar list. At the top, click on the filters to filter the content you want to see, and click on the drop down menu to change the sort order or view of the list. To create a new Playlist or Playlist Folder, click on the + (plus) button at the top right corner of the sidebar. To search through your collection, click on the search button.

Filter Options:

At the top, click on the filters to filter the content you want to see. You can scroll through the different filters with your mouse scroll wheel for faster navigation when the sidebar is set to a smaller size. 

To remove the filter, click on the X or the currently selected filter and then choose another filter to see another type of content. Having no filter selected will show all types of content mixed in the list.

• Playlists
• Artists
• Albums
• Podcasts & Shows
• These can be combined with other filters: By you, By Spotify, Downloaded

Sort Options:

At the top, click on the drop down menu to change the sort order of the list under "Sort by".

• Recents
• Recently Added
• Alphabetical
• Creator

When the "Playlists" filter is selected, you have the option to see your playlists in your own custom order.

• Custom Order

When the "Podcasts & Shows" filter is selected, you have the following option:

• Recently Updated

View Options:

At the top, click on the drop down menu to change the view of the list under "View as".

• Compact (view text only without art covers)
• List
• Grid (bigger art covers)

Flexible Sizing:

You can hover over and click on the right edge of the sidebar to drag it to your preferred width. You can also fully expand the sidebar by clicking the arrow button at the top, and fully collapse the sidebar by clicking on the "Your Library" heading to see only art covers.

In the expanded library view, you have options for list view, compact view, and a grid view. The list and compact views show you more details in 2 columns, Date Added and Last Played, and the grid view allows you to see larger art covers.

FAQ:

This section will answer your frequently asked questions and will be updated with the latest answers.

Related help articles on the support website:

• Your Library   • Sort and filter   • Keyboard Shortcuts

Can I view the Your Library page in the main browsing area like before?

• Unfortunately, the old Your Library page in the main browsing area is being discontinued with the release of the new Your Library sidebar. You can adjust the size of the Your Library sidebar to be bigger and you can also enable the "grid view" if you would like to see bigger art covers.

How do I see only my playlists in the sidebar like I used to be able to, I can't drag and move my playlists or folders anymore?

• In the left "Your Library" sidebar, click on the "Playlists" filter at the top.

  
  Then, in the sort options drop down menu select "Custom Order". You will then see your previous playlist order and be able to move your playlists and folders like before.

  
  Your currently chosen filters and sort options will be remembered across restarts of the desktop app.

I don't want to see art cover images in the sidebar, how do I turn them off?

• If you would like to only see text in the Your Library sidebar (no art covers), go to the drop down menu and at the bottom of the menu click on "Compact" under "View as".
  
  

How do I get the album art to expand in the bottom left corner like before? When I try to expand the album art, it opens the Now Playing View sidebar to the right.

• Unfortunately, that is no longer possible. When you expand the album art in the bottom left corner of the app, it will no longer hover over the Your Library sidebar. Instead, the new right sidebar will open up. You can resize the Now Playing View sidebar to your preferred size.
  
  

  You can read more information about this by going here.

How do I play or shuffle play a Playlist Folder now? (I don't see dedicated pages with play / shuffle options anymore)

• Right click on a Playlist Folder and select the "Play" option. To shuffle play, make sure to turn on the shuffle mode first before selecting the "Play" option in the right click menu.

How do I get to my Local Files now?

• In the left "Your Library" sidebar, click on the "Playlists" filter at the top.

  
  Then, in the sort drop down select "Custom Order".
  
  The "Local Files" playlist will be near the top of the list under your pinned items (if any).

Feedback:

Where can I give my feedback about the new Your Library sidebar in the desktop app?

• We welcome your feedback about this change. The best way to share your feedback is to comment here in this thread.

[Chrisnn22]

Try reordering them on desktop, then checking your library on mobile and seeing if it got rearranged accordingly. 

And to reorder them on desktop, click on a folder to view it "inside" - then it should allow you to customize the order in which your playlists get displayed. 

Similarly, if you don't use any folders, just throw all your playlists into one folder - then you should be able to customize their display order. 

[UserID5342287]

WHERE CAN WE VOTE TO BE ABLE TO MOVE "Liked Songs", "Your Episodes" or "Local Files"

THEY SHOULD BE CUSTOMIZABLE

AND

WHERE CAN I VOTE FOR MORE THAN 4 PINNED PLAYLISTS.

I was thinking of pinning all my playlists, to be able to move the original unmovable playlists down, but the maximum pinnable playlists is 4. 

God this is aweful. 

[Rimšiakas]

Why was that nonsense response marked as a solution and the thread marked as solved? REDESIGN THIS ATROCITY. It's been years, I still hate it and nobody's getting used to it because it's an objectively terrible UX design. Put the library in the main panel, ffs.

[Chrisnn22]

You could try using and pinning folders instead - that'd still limit you to 4 pins, but would let you quickly access a lot more playlists 

[guigeek]

Plan Free

Device Desktop

Operating System W10

My Question or Issue

The library tab on the left border of the screen won't close (the tab which is about 10 cm wide when open and two when closed). You can either use the button or click and drag with the mouse, nothing works. Seem to happen only with playlists, not artists or anything else

[guigeek]

Workaround: change the type of content you want displayed, close the tab and switch back to "playlist"

[meiksbar]

Subject: New "Your Library" Design Semantically Flawed – Destroys Playlists, Profile & Library. Need Separate "Playlists" + "Full Library" NOW!

Hello Spotify Community and Development Team,

The Desktop app update (new "Your Library" sidebar) creates massive workflow issues for users who work structured with playlists. Here are the detailed problems, workarounds, and a logical solution. This affects thousands who curate their music consciously.

1. Semantic Nonsense: "Playlists" as Catch-All Term Makes No Sense

The left sidebar under "Your Library" (Playlists filter) now shows an illogical mix:

• Real Playlists (mostly curated by me, across albums/genres)

• Albums (fixed artist tracklists with predefined order)

• Followed Artists (navigation targets to artist page, not playable content!)

These are three fundamentally different concepts:

• Playlist = My individual track selection + order

• Album = Artist-prescribed tracklist (respects Artist Intent)

• Artist = All releases by a person/band, usually chronological/popularity sorted

Result: The term "Playlists" for this mishmash is misleading and destroys intuitive navigation. When I click "Playlists," I expect playlists – not albums or artist icons.

2. Library Chaos: Filters & Sorting Unreliable

• "Playlists" filter still shows albums/artists (not filterable)

• "Custom Order" often completely missing or not persistently saved

• Folders with playlists work, but overall column remains cluttered

• Result: Constant filtering/sorting needed just to work

3. Public Profile Destroyed: Curated Order Gone

My public profile view (important for followers/visitors!) now inherits the automatic library sorting:

• Before: Drag&Drop order (e.g., "Top Playlists first, then genre mixes")

• Now: Automatic "Recently Added" or alphabetical – my storytelling idea gone

• Workaround: Numbering before playlist names ("01 - Top Mix," "02 - 80s Retro"). Ugly, unprofessional, step back to DOS era

4. Counterproductive Library Workaround

To make the sidebar usable:

1. Remove ALL albums from library ("Remove" → Album tab empty)

2. Create "Albums" folder, rebuild each album as separate playlist inside

3. Result: Sidebar clean again (playlists + folders only), but:

   • Album tab unusable (empty)

   • Artist algorithms lose data (no "saved albums")

   • Hurts Spotify/artists long-term

This shows: The system forces users into anti-patterns.

5. Personal Background: Gut Feeling Was Right

1.5 weeks ago I had a bad feeling about Spotify changes (already annoyed by play button move + smaller cover). Therefore I migrated ALL playlists via Soundiiz/SongShift to Apple Music. Staying with Spotify only hoping for correction – but switch is prepared.

macOS Version 1.2.84.461 – Problem Confirmed

Proposed Solution: Clear Separation (5 Minutes Development)

text

Left Sidebar "Your Library": ├── Playlists (EXCLUSIVELY playlists + folders, Drag&Drop sorting, persistent) └── Full Library (mixed overview: Playlists + Albums + Artists + Podcasts)

• "Playlists": Back to old, clean logic for curators like me

• "Full Library": For collectors/newbies who want to see everything

• Filter/Sorting per tab persistently saved

• Public profile full Drag&Drop control again

Why this works:

• Respects user intention (structured vs. see-everything)

• Semantically correct

• Fixes ALL mentioned issues immediately

Please prioritize! This affects playlist enthusiasts, music producers, DJs – everyone using Spotify as a TOOL, not just "play something."

Thanks for reading – looking forward to feedback/correction!

Best regards,
Meik **bleep** (Germany)

[Paula_Vi]

Hey @meiksbar 

Thanks for reaching out and welcome to the Spotify Community!

We value the time you took sharing your feedback with us. At the moment, we can’t guarantee any change about this soon, but we’ll pass all this info internally. Thank you for all your comments!

If you need help with anything else, just let us know 😊

[genericcode]

I agree, I haven't got on with the new interface since Spotify changed it and that was 3 years ago. It's cluttered. I wish there was an option to revert it back. 

[genericcode]

The UX isnt great. It's been 3 years since they changed the desktop interface and I still don;t agree with it.

I think it was easier to browze and look through playlists and albums when they were in the middle panel. The third panel (pop out) is not needed in my opinion. 

[caleidoscopic]

My time at Spotify is over.

It's no longer just the UI/UX, which is chaotic. Right now on tablet it's terrible. I think the only app that has improved is the one for the TV.

My problem is EVERYTHING. The Podcast recommendations that I don't want to hear, the constant changing of the recommendation carousel. It's almost worse than Instagram, you can't focus on what's important: LISTENING TO MUSIC.

They don't want you to listen to your music and discover something new every once in a while, they want you to waste as much time as possible in their app.

Sometimes I go in, I see an album that appeals to me from the recommendations but I don't save it. A few minutes later I go back in and they've changed, I no longer know which album that is.

Favorites get lost, they get duplicated, you can access the same albums from different links. In one link your favorite songs from that album are marked, from another link to the same damn album there are no songs marked. If you mark one as a favorite that is already on the other album, they appear twice in the favorites list, but if you remove one, both are removed!

Ultimately, I don't know why I'm wasting my time here. Nothing is going to change. In a couple of months I'm going to Qobuz.

[FuchsPrime]

It's been years and I still do not like it.