How to make a playlist on YouTube: a step-by-step guide

Guilty pleasure, you ask? Always binge-watching content!

With streaming platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu, there’s an endless stream of content – whether episodes of a series or just comedic clips. You can keep the videos rolling until you get your fill. But there’s one more super powerful content-streaming platform with more than 2.6 billion monthly active users – YouTube.

On YouTube, the binge-watching feature is playlists, which run consecutive videos, often featuring related content. These curated scrolls allow you to watch a song’s multiple covers, creative DIY accent wall ideas, vlogs, and more.

Learn how to make a playlist on YouTube and why curating your satisfying selection of highly watchable content on the platform is wise. But before that, let’s review what a YouTube playlist is.

So what is a YouTube playlist?

YouTube playlists are selections of videos that all users can create and share. These run through videos automatically, so viewers don’t have to do anything to keep the clips rolling.

YouTubers can save playlists and easily view them later or make changes to the content, such as adding or deleting videos. Content creators can also invite their friends to modify playlists.

Benefits of creating YouTube playlists

Whether a series of warm-up exercise videos or recipes, making a YouTube playlist is time well spent. Here are a few reasons viewers and content creators benefit from this feature.

For viewers

• You can retain your favorite videos: YouTube allows you to create playlists of your top music videos or workout clips. Once you curate an excellent playlist of 10-minute HIIT sessions or indie tracks from the early aughts, you can share it with others.
• It improves user experience: As much as playlists help you curate the content you like in one place, these lists also allow you to omit clips. The platform automatically loads a related clip when you play a video. While this can be an exciting way to explore new content, you may not want to watch specific videos. That’s when the editing feature comes in handy (more on this in a bit).

For creators

• Playlists increase watch time: Content creators trying to make it big on YouTube want to rank well with the algorithm. And watch time is YouTube’s crucial deciding factor. More watch time means a higher searchability ranking, meaning your channel will pop on the top. Since content consumers take a “set-it-and-forget-it” approach to view playlists, the clips in the selection enjoy high completion rates and watch time.
• You can increase your odds of being discovered: Videos in playlists may appear multiple times in search results – once as an individual clip and again as part of a curated list. So making playlists can help your content get more traction in searches.

How to create a playlist on YouTube

Users ready to create their first playlist and binge 80s hip-hop or clips of the world’s most satisfying mac and cheese recipes can do so using the following steps. Here’s how you can make a playlist on YouTube.

1. Open YouTube’s homepage.
2. Search for the YouTube video you want to add to your new playlist.
3. Select “Saved” under the video in the right-hand corner.
4. YouTube will automatically save the video in the default “Watch later” playlist. But if you want to start your playlist, select “+ New playlist” from the pop-up menu and enter a name.
5. Next, select privacy settings – public, unlisted, or private. Public means everyone on the platform can search the playlist and watch it. Unlisted means anyone with a direct link can watch. And private means only you can watch it.
6. Finally, click “Create.” (Note: if you add a video to an existing playlist, select the playlist to move the clip, and you don’t need to follow any additional steps to save your work.)

Want to edit your playlist?

Sometimes, a video is better suited to another list. But can you modify a playlist? Yes. Here’s how.

1. Open YouTube in a web browser.
2. Open your recent playlists in the menu on the left-hand side of the screen. If you can’t find them, click “Library,” scroll down to “Playlist” and locate the one you wish to edit.
3. Tap “View full playlist.”
4. Hit the pencil icon to open the editing drop-down menu.
5. Edit the title or click the three dots below to change the playlist settings or add videos. You can also click on the three dots on any given video and remove the clip.

How to share a Youtube playlist

Share your curations with the world, and delight others with your excellent music taste or knack for finding helpful DIY tutorials. Here’s how.

1. Open the iOS or Android YouTube app or desktop platform.
2. Locate the playlist you wish to share. If the playlist is private, you can’t share it, so convert it to unlisted or public.
3. Tap the sharing icon (an arrow). You’ll see options to share the playlist to other popular social media platforms or copy a link you can give to others.

Voilà! You’re all set.

FAQs about creating a playlist on YouTube

The best social media users and content creators spend time learning about the apps they use. Here are some commonly asked questions to help you better understand the playlist feature on YouTube.

Can I create a playlist without a YouTube channel?

Yes. Anyone can create a playlist on YouTube, not just content creators. So whether you’re a creator with a channel or someone who uses the platform only to watch content, you can keep all your favorite videos in one place. That said, you need a YouTube account and must be signed in to make a playlist.

What is the video limit for a playlist?

Get as creative as you want when curating your collection of videos because YouTube allows users to add up to 5,000 videos to a playlist.

Is there a video minimum for playlists?

No. You can make a playlist with just one video. That said, a good playlist should have enough content to engage viewers.

Become a better YouTuber with Linktree

YouTube is an incredible resource, an entertainment platform, and part of a savvy social media marketing strategy.

Head to The Linktree Blog to learn how to leverage this app’s features and reach. Find out how to promote your music and turn your content into cash. Also, understand account features such as your subscriber list, channel name, and commenting settings.

While you’re at it, claim your free Linktree URL that allows you to keep all your socials under one roof. Cross-promote your YouTube playlists like never before!