Search, sort and filter in Spotify

[Katerina]

In this article you'll find out how to search, sort and filter on the Spotify platform. Click on each section to expand it.

► Search

If you're looking for one of the following, you can type what you're looking for in the search box on the desktop app / Web Player, or by clicking the Search tab on the mobile app:

• Songs
• Albums
• Artists
• Playlists - you can also search using the playlist description
• Podcast shows and episodes 
• Genres and moods
• Other Spotify users
• Lyrics - search for a song using at least 3 words from its lyrics

If you'd like to, you can use more advanced search terms that you can view in this Support site article.

► Sort

If you want to reorganize how music is listed in the app, all you need to do is follow the steps according to the device you're using below. Keep in mind that your Liked songs are arranged by date by default, so you can scroll chronologically through your tracks. 🙂

Desktop

Spoiler

Sort songs in playlists

⚠️ Note: this is only possible on the desktop app. The sort order on the Web Player cannot be changed at this time. Instead, the songs will always be displayed in the Custom order you've set.

1. Click the column you want to sort by, for example:
   • Alphabetically, by TITLE, ARTIST, or ALBUM.
   • By most recently added, 
   • By song duration,
     💡 Tip: Adjust the app's screen size to reveal more columns.
2. Click the column again to reverse the order, click again to go back to the original order
   
   
   
   You can also choose the sorting method from the drop down menu (not available on the Web Player) :
   
   
   
   

Reordering songs in a playlist

This is done while in Custom order. You can drag songs with your mouse to rearrange them. If that doesn't work, there are 2 possible reasons:

#1. You already have a sorting column other than Custom order activated. Once a sorting column is activated, you can no longer reorder tracks freely. To change this, click on the activated top column until the green sorting arrow disappears. After that, you should be able to reorder your playlist manually again.

#2. You're trying to rearrange a playlist from another user. You can only rearrange tracks inside your own playlists (Liked songs excluded). Workaround: Copy the user's playlist:

1. Create a new playlist by clicking the 'New Playlist' button in the left sidebar and give it a name.
2. Go to the playlist that you want to copy.
3. Click on any song in that playlist and press Ctrl + A (Windows) | Cmd + A (Mac) to highlight all tracks.
4. Press Ctrl / Cmd + C to copy all tracks.
5. Go to your newly created playlist and press Ctrl / Cmd + V to paste all tracks there.

After that, you have all songs in your own playlist and you can rearrange them.

Sort playlists in Your Library

You can reorder your list of playlists in the menu on the left by clicking and holding a playlist title to move it up or down.

You can also organize your playlists into folders:

1. Right-click a playlist in the menu on the left of the desktop app.
2. Select Create folder.
3. Give it a name and press enter.
4. Drag playlists to the folder you created.
   
   

Sort albums and artists in Your Library

Head to Albums or Artists in the menu on the left sidebar and choose a Sorted by option from the dropdown menu.

Mobile or tablet

Spoiler

Sort playlists, artists and albums in Your Library

1. Select a filter at the top (e.g. Artists) or tap the search icon to search your collection.
2. Tap  to change how items are displayed.
   - If you want to pin an item to the top, tap and hold it or swipe right ➡️.
   - To switch between grid view and list view, tap  / .
   
   

Sort songs in playlists

1. Go to the playlist you’d like to sort.
2. Tap Sort and select a sorting option.
   💡 Tip: Tap it again to reverse the order.

Note: Keep in mind that sort options may vary depending on the list you’re sorting. There are also some exceptions:

• The sort options in Liked Songs can't be reversed.
• There isn't a Custom order for Liked Songs.
• It's not possible to reverse Custom order in playlists.

Reordering songs in a playlist

1. Open the playlist you'd like to rearrange.
2. Tap Edit located in the playlist header, next to the big green Play button.
   
3. Use the button on the right to drag & drop the song at the desired location.
   
   Optional: Tap the button the left to remove the song from the playlist. You can also change the playlist's name & cover from here.
4. Tap Save in the top right corner to save your changes.

Once edited, make sure to change the playlist sort order to Custom order to view the playlist in the arrangement you've just set.

⚠️ Note: you cannot manually rearrange your Liked Songs, as the Custom order sorting option is not available there at this time.

► Filter

It's also possible to show only specific content within track lists.

Desktop

With Filter on the desktop app you can list specific content based on a search term in any playlist or Songs in Your Library. Here's how to do that: 

1. Select the search icon at the top of track listings.
2. Enter any search term, for example “blue”. Only titles, albums, or artists containing that term are now listed.
3. To return to the original listing, just click X to remove the filter.

Mobile or tablet

If you want to filter Your Library to look for a Playlist, Artist or Album:

1. Open Your Library
2. Tap the search icon at the top-right of the screen next to the "+" sign
3. Type the word you want to filter 

You can also choose to list only Downloads in Your Library.

To filter a song within your playlist:

1. With the playlist/album opened, pull the screen down to display Find in playlists/albums at the top of the screen.
2. Once you've located the box to filter by a term, enter a search term to show specific content, for example “blue”. Only titles containing that term are now listed.

To return to the original listing, either clear your search or tap X to remove the filter.

⚠️ Note: Filter options may vary depending on the list you’re filtering. To return to the original listing, repeat these steps and tap the selected filter again.

You can also check out this Support site article for more info on sorting and filtering tracks within playlists.

Didn't help? Search for more Spotify Answers, or create a new thread and ask the Community.