In iTunes, I can choose to order my playlists in numerous ways; I like to have my “Top Rated” sorted by “Date Modified” so the tracks I have recently added and enjoyed are at the top. With my iPod, it would remember how I had my playlists arranged when I synced it. But with my iPhone, it syncs my playlists in no discernible order.
If I make a playlist from an album, it will remember the track order, but when I use playlists that are created from preset rules, it lists them (on my iPhone) in a seemingly random order.
Is there any way to fix this? When my iPod broke, I bought a 32 gig iPhone to use for a music player, and I cant seem to find a workaround for this.
Are you using iTunes 9 and syncing smart (dynamic) playlists? I (and others) noticed this upon upgrading to 9.
There are a two possible fixes, the second of which worked for me. First, arrange the playlist how you would like it, then right-click (or Control-click) on the playlist name and select “Copy to Play Order”. Try syncing.
The other option is to arrange the playlist, then right-click (or Control-click) on the playlist and select “Edit Smart Playlist”. In the playlist properties, uncheck “Live Updating” and sync.
As I say, the second option worked for me, but at a price. The playlist will no longer automatically update when new items match your criteria. I’ve gotten into the habit of unchecking, syncing and re-checking.
I’m not sure if this is a confirmed bug.
ETA: Ah, Apple has a KB article with the same info.
I have a similar issue. It happened when I "up"graded to iTunes 9 and an iTouch at the same time.
I’m using a smart playlist (essentially everything with Classical, Opera and Audiobooks cut out), and I like to sort it in reverse order by ‘last played’, so that the first few songs are ones that I probably haven’t played in over a year.
If I pull the “Copy to Play Order” stunt, which I was advised to by someone at the local Apple shop’s ‘minimum-wage-earning-gibbering-moron bar’, it then locks everything into the order in which it was set when I did that rather than automatically updating.
The sorting order translated fine to my last iPod.
Unfortunately I can’t get the gibbering morons to tell me whether this downgrade was provided by iTunes or the iTouch. I’m still trying to work out whether it’s worth losing the iTouch in order to insert it into one of them. I’ve been 50-50 on this one for a month or so, but it’s difficult to schedule an appointment that they won’t keep anyway.