diff --git a/beets/dbcore/query.py b/beets/dbcore/query.py
index b97d4999b..ffa89168e 100644
--- a/beets/dbcore/query.py
+++ b/beets/dbcore/query.py
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ class Query(ABC):
 
 
 P = TypeVar("P")
-SQLiteType = Union[str, float, int, memoryview]
+SQLiteType = Union[str, bytes, float, int, memoryview]
 AnySQLiteType = TypeVar("AnySQLiteType", bound=SQLiteType)
 
 
@@ -416,7 +416,7 @@ class NumericQuery(FieldQuery):
                 return "1", ()
 
 
-class InQuery(FieldQuery[Sequence[AnySQLiteType]]):
+class InQuery(Generic[AnySQLiteType], FieldQuery[Sequence[AnySQLiteType]]):
     """Query which matches values in the given set."""
 
     field: str
@@ -424,10 +424,10 @@ class InQuery(FieldQuery[Sequence[AnySQLiteType]]):
     fast: bool = True
 
     @property
-    def subvals(self) -> Sequence[AnySQLiteType]:
+    def subvals(self) -> Sequence[SQLiteType]:
         return self.pattern
 
-    def col_clause(self) -> Tuple[str, Sequence[AnySQLiteType]]:
+    def col_clause(self) -> Tuple[str, Sequence[SQLiteType]]:
         placeholders = ", ".join(["?"] * len(self.subvals))
         return f"{self.field} IN ({placeholders})", self.subvals
 
diff --git a/beets/util/__init__.py b/beets/util/__init__.py
index ccb95b459..4335e0f3e 100644
--- a/beets/util/__init__.py
+++ b/beets/util/__init__.py
@@ -427,7 +427,7 @@ def displayable_path(
         return path.decode("utf-8", "ignore")
 
 
-def syspath(path: bytes, prefix: bool = True) -> Bytes_or_String:
+def syspath(path: Bytes_or_String, prefix: bool = True) -> Bytes_or_String:
     """Convert a path for use by the operating system. In particular,
     paths on Windows must receive a magic prefix and must be converted
     to Unicode before they are sent to the OS. To disable the magic
diff --git a/beetsplug/playlist.py b/beetsplug/playlist.py
index 401178553..83f95796e 100644
--- a/beetsplug/playlist.py
+++ b/beetsplug/playlist.py
@@ -23,9 +23,13 @@ from beets.library import BLOB_TYPE
 from beets.util import path_as_posix
 
 
-class PlaylistQuery(InQuery):
+class PlaylistQuery(InQuery[bytes]):
     """Matches files listed by a playlist file."""
 
+    @property
+    def subvals(self) -> Sequence[BLOB_TYPE]:
+        return [BLOB_TYPE(p) for p in self.pattern]
+
     def __init__(self, _, pattern: str, __):
         config = beets.config["playlist"]
 
@@ -73,10 +77,6 @@ class PlaylistQuery(InQuery):
             break
         super().__init__("path", paths)
 
-    @property
-    def subvals(self) -> Sequence[BLOB_TYPE]:
-        return [BLOB_TYPE(p) for p in self.pattern]
-
 
 class PlaylistPlugin(beets.plugins.BeetsPlugin):
     item_queries = {"playlist": PlaylistQuery}