How to Make a Spotify Playlist Public (Phone and Computer)

A playlist nobody can find is just a private mix tape. If you've built something you're proud of, whether it's a road-trip list, a wedding soundtrack or the music you play in your shop, you'll want people to be able to open it, follow it and share it. Spotify makes this a two-part job, and that's where most people get stuck.

Spotify treats being public and appearing on your profile as related but separate things. Here's how Spotify's help pages say it works, so you can get your playlist in front of the right people without any guesswork.

Setting a Spotify playlist to public on your phone

New playlists start out public, so you may only need to check the setting. If you made a playlist private at some point, Spotify's privacy article describes the route on mobile:

1. Open the Spotify app and go to Your Library.
2. Open the playlist you want to change.
3. Tap the three-dot icon at the top of the playlist.
4. Choose the option to make it public. If it says make private instead, the playlist is already public.

Menus vary a little between iPhone, Android and app versions, so the wording might differ slightly. The three-dot menu at the top of the playlist is the place to look.

Showing a Spotify playlist on your profile from the desktop app or web player

On a computer, the help pages focus on the profile side of things. Only public playlists are published to your profile, and you choose which ones appear:

1. Open Spotify on the desktop app or at the web player.
2. Find the playlist in your library.
3. Right-click it, or click the three-dot icon inside the playlist.
4. Select Add to profile. To take it off again later, select Remove from profile.

If you can't see a make-public option on your computer, that's why. Spotify's help describes the profile route for desktop and the three-dot menu for mobile, so switch to the phone app if you need to flip a private playlist back to public.

Public, on your profile, or just shared: what Spotify's help says about each

These three states get mixed up constantly, so here's a quick comparison drawn from Spotify's help pages:

Spotify playlist state	What Spotify's help says
Public	New playlists are public by default and can appear on your profile.
Private	Nobody can open it, even with a link, and it stops showing to other users.
Not on your profile but shared	Anyone you send a link to can play, follow and share it further.
Shared link	Links from the app give view access and expire after 7 days.

The row about links is the one that surprises people. A playlist that isn't shown on your profile can still travel a long way if you hand out the link, because recipients can share it onwards.

Making sure new Spotify playlists show on your profile automatically

If you'd rather every new playlist went straight onto your profile, Spotify has a setting for that. On mobile, tap your profile picture, then Settings and privacy, then Privacy and social, and look for the playlist visibility controls. On desktop, click your profile picture, choose Settings, and under Social you'll find the option to publish your new playlists on your profile.

Turn it off if you prefer to choose playlist by playlist. That's often the better habit when you make a lot of throwaway lists, such as a quick one for a party or a client event.

Why a public Spotify playlist matters for creators and small businesses

A public playlist is one of the easiest pieces of content a small business can share. A café can publish its opening-hours soundtrack. A fitness coach can share the class mix. A podcaster can collect the songs mentioned across episodes. Once the playlist is public, anyone who follows it can show it on their own profile, which spreads it without any extra effort from you.

If you're thinking about music as part of your brand, my breakdown of the Spotify marketing strategy that built the brand itself is a good read for ideas, and the thinking in how to use podcasts to increase brand awareness carries over neatly to playlists.

• Give the playlist a clear name people would search for.
• Check it from a logged-out view or a friend's phone to make sure it shows up.
• Keep the playlist updated so followers have a reason to come back.
• Remember that on collaborative playlists any recipient can edit, so think before you share the link far and wide.

If your Spotify playlist still isn't showing as public

Work through these in order:

• Open the playlist on your phone and check the three-dot menu. If it offers to make the playlist private, it's already public.
• Look at your profile settings. A playlist can be public but left off your profile.
• If it was published and then set to private, Spotify says it stops appearing for other users, so make it public again.
• Try logging out and back in, then reopen the app. Menus vary by version, and a refresh clears most display glitches.

If none of that helps, Spotify's support pages are the next stop, because they can see account details that you can't.

Frequently asked questions

How do I make a Spotify playlist public?

On your phone, open the playlist, tap the three-dot icon at the top and choose the option to make it public. New playlists are public by default, so it may already be set.

Can I make a Spotify playlist public on desktop?

Spotify's help describes Add to profile for desktop: right-click the playlist or click the three-dot icon, then select Add to profile. For flipping a private playlist back to public, use the phone app.

What's the difference between public and on my profile?

Only public playlists are published to your profile, but you choose which ones appear. A playlist you've left off your profile can still be shared by link.

Can someone open a private Spotify playlist with a link?

Spotify's help says a private playlist can't be accessed by anyone, even with a link. Share links from the app give view access and expire after 7 days.

Can people edit my public playlist?

Not unless it's collaborative. Spotify says that on collaborative playlists any recipient can edit, so only turn that on for people you trust.