A good concert does not have to disappear when the last song ends. Apple Music Set Lists for artists let you turn the songs from a concert, tour or residency into a playlist that fans can find and share. You can use one before a show to help listeners prepare, or after it to give people a simple way to revisit the night.

The feature is managed through Apple Music for Artists on the web. It is useful, but it has specific rules about images, events, publish dates and eligible tracks. This seven-step plan helps you prepare the right material, publish calmly and give the playlist a clear purpose.

1. Decide what the Set List is for

Start with one real concert, tour or residency. Apple asks you to select one of those event types and give it a name. Decide whether the playlist is there to build interest before an upcoming date, represent a whole tour, or help people relive a finished show. That choice shapes the track order and the words you use when sharing it.

Write down the event name, dates and the version of the running order you want to use. If songs change from night to night, Apple advises using the track list that most accurately represents the tour. Do not add a popular song just to make the playlist look stronger if it was not performed.

Read Apple’s official Set Lists instructions

2. Check your artist image first

Your Apple Music artist image becomes the cover of the Set List, so check it before building the playlist. Make sure it is current, clearly represents the artist and still works when cropped in different places. If you are adding an artist image for the first time, Apple says to allow up to three days after approval before creating and publishing the playlist.

A last-minute image problem can delay an otherwise ready campaign. Review the image well before you want the Set List to appear, especially when your first show is close. The Hubb’s artist image checklist covers sizing, cropping, permissions and content checks.

Use The Hubb’s Apple Music artist image checklist

3. Connect and check your concert dates

Keep your Bandsintown dates accurate and connect them to your Apple Music artist page. Apple describes this as the easiest way to make scheduled events available when you create a Set List. Those dates can also appear across Apple Music, Shazam, Spotlight Search and Apple Maps.

Check the artist name, venue, town, date and event title in Bandsintown. If the event does not appear in Apple Music for Artists, correct the source rather than inventing a second version. This reduces confusion when fans compare the playlist with the concert information.

See Apple’s concert discovery guidance

4. Build the playlist in performance order

In Apple Music for Artists on the web, open Artist Content and find Artist Playlists. Use the plus button, choose the event type and name, then select the relevant event. Search for each track by song title or paste its Apple Music link. Drag the songs into the order people hear them at the show.

Use the exact released recording that best matches the performance. Check collaborations, remixes, clean versions and similarly named tracks carefully. If an unreleased song is in the live set, it cannot be added until there is an eligible Apple Music track to select. Keep a separate private note of the full stage set so your public playlist does not make the running order harder to manage.

5. Choose the publish date with care

Apple requires a publish date at least one day in the future. The playlist publishes according to the local date and time of the person who created it. If your team works across countries, agree who will create the Set List and check that person’s location before choosing the date.

For an upcoming show, publishing several days ahead gives you time to test the public link and include it in planned posts. For a finished concert, prepare the playlist soon while the order is easy to verify. Apple currently allows artists to publish up to five Set List playlists in a calendar year, so choose the shows that deserve a permanent playlist rather than treating every small date as a separate campaign.

6. Run a final accuracy check

Before clicking Publish, compare the playlist with the confirmed stage running order. Play a short part of every track and check the artist name, version and sequence. Confirm that the event name is clear, the concert date is correct and the artist image looks good at a small size.

  • Confirm every track was performed at the named show or on the tour.
  • Remove duplicate songs and check medleys or alternate versions.
  • Test the order on a phone as well as a computer.
  • Check the selected publish date and the creator’s local time.
  • Save a copy of the final running order for your team.

7. Share it with a useful angle

Once the Set List is live, use Promote in Apple Music for Artists on the web or iOS app to make a shareable asset. Give each post a reason to exist. Before the show, invite fans to learn a chorus or choose which song they hope opens the night. Afterwards, thank the audience and point out one moment that changed the set.

Keep the playlist link easy to find in your main post, event page or bio link. You can also use short rehearsal clips, a printed set list or a soundcheck photo to introduce different songs. Avoid posting the same sales message repeatedly. The playlist is more useful when it supports the story of the show.

Claim and organise your Apple Music for Artists page

Make one Set List work harder

A Set List can connect a live event with your recorded catalogue, but it works best when the details are accurate and the playlist has a clear job. Prepare the image and event data early, use only songs you performed, check the order and publish with enough time to test the link.

After the campaign, note which posts led to useful replies, ticket questions or playlist conversations. Do not judge the idea on streams alone. If fans use it to prepare for the show or remember the night, the playlist has already given your live set a longer life.