Playlist files are small, but they carry relationships that are easy to lose during a move. An M3U or PLS file usually points to songs by filename or relative path, so importing the playlist before its music—or moving every track to a new location without a map—can leave an empty list of broken references. PhaseShift v1.2 keeps the playlist beside the folder import that gives it meaning.
Three Common Playlist Formats
The Mac folder importer recognizes M3U, M3U8, and PLS. M3U is the widely supported plain-text playlist format, M3U8 is its UTF-8 variant for filenames and titles beyond basic ASCII, and PLS stores entries in an INI-like numbered structure. None of these formats contains the audio itself; each one describes where the corresponding songs should be found.
Import the Folder, Not Just the Playlist
Choose Import Folder from the PhaseShift library and select the directory that contains both the playlist and its music. The recursive scan finds supported audio throughout the folder tree as well as playlist files in its subfolders. The confirmation screen reports the playlist count before you begin, so you know those sidecar files are part of the operation.
Songs Are Imported Before Playlists
PhaseShift deliberately processes playlist files after the audio. As each song is copied, the importer records where that source file landed inside the managed library. When it reaches an M3U, M3U8, or PLS entry, it first resolves the path relative to the original playlist and then maps that source to the imported song. This is more reliable than guessing from a filename alone.
Auto-Organize Does Not Have to Break Relative Paths
A playlist may point to ../Album/01 Track.flac while Auto-Organize stores the imported copy under Artist/Album/01 Track.flac. Because PhaseShift tracks the source-to-destination mapping during the operation, the playlist can still match the song after its managed path changes. Preserve Folders remains the natural choice when you want the directory tree itself retained, but playlist matching is not limited to that mode.
Reimporting Updates a Same-Named Playlist
If a regular playlist with the same name already exists, importing the folder again replaces that playlist’s contents instead of creating another copy with a nearly identical name. This makes a repeated folder import useful when the playlist file has changed. Smart playlists and playlist folders remain separate because their contents are defined differently.
Unmatched Entries Stay Visible
A playlist can still reference a missing file, a track outside the selected folder, or a name that no longer matches. PhaseShift falls back to filename and title matching when possible, then includes the number of unmatched entries in the final import summary. You get the working portion of the playlist along with a clear signal that some references need repair, rather than a silent all-or-nothing failure.
CUE Sheets Solve a Different Problem
CUE files are scanned in the same folder workflow, but they are not playlists. A CUE sheet divides one continuous audio file into virtual tracks, while M3U, M3U8, and PLS arrange separate songs into a listening order. Supporting both lets a single imported folder carry album boundaries and user-created playlists without treating those two kinds of metadata as interchangeable.