How to import iTunes playlists on Big Sur?

There are times I want to listen to my old iTunes playlists on my Mac mini.

I’ve tried importing my old iTunes folder from my old MacBookPro into Apple Music, but the playlists are not showing up.

Do I need to recreate the playlists from scratch? Is there any way to import my old playlists?
What are people using for alternative players that support iTunes music library and playlists for MacOS?

thanks