Why can I no longer find my iTunes playlist or library?

If you haven’t already, try checking your iTunes folder in Finder (go to Music > iTunes) and see if the iTunes Library.itl file is still there. If it is, try holding Option when opening iTunes and select that library file. That’s usually a quick fix if the library file is still on your system but not showing up.

If the library is gone or messed up, might want to check if you’ve been using iCloud Music Library or Apple Music. Could be your playlists are just syncing from the cloud now instead of being local. Worst case, if you can't find anything, try creating a new iTunes library (hold Option on startup) and see if you can locate your old stuff via a search. It might just be buried somewhere.

What do you mean on your desktop?

iTunes playlists are not stored on the desktop normally.

Did you extract a playlist and saved it to the desktop?

If so, can you not simply save another copy from iTunes?

click here ➜ Save a copy of your playlists in iTunes on PC - Apple Support

Are you maybe confusing a playlist with a shortcut to the iTunes application?

If you're missing a shortcut, just open the start menu, find the iTunes app and drag it to the desktop, then let go. It should create a shortcut there.

If that is not it, then please clarify what you refer to as a "playlist".

What did this playlist look like exactly?

What happened when you clicked on it?

See Empty/corrupt iTunes library after upgrade/crash - Apple Community.

tt2