YouTube Playlists: How to Create, Use, and Share

Whether you’re a YouTube creator or an avid video viewer, understanding how to make YouTube playlists is a must. With this feature, you can arrange a list of videos to be played in a row—saving you the time and energy of searching for a new video after each one ends. 

As a viewer, this means you can spend less time searching for related videos one by one. As a creator, you can use playlists to deliver a relevant stream of content to keep your viewers engaged. 

Now sure how to make a playlist on YouTube? In this guide, learn everything you need to know about them, from how to make them to how to share them. 

Quick Links

• What Are YouTube Playlists? 
• How to Create YouTube Playlists
• How to Share YouTube Playlists
• How to Delete YouTube Playlists
• How to Make YouTube Playlists Public
• How to Make YouTube Playlists Private

What Are YouTube Playlists? 

A YouTube playlist is a collection of videos. Once you compile the list, the videos in your playlist will be played one after the other—just like a playlist of songs.  

How to Use YouTube Playlists

If you’re a YouTuber with your own channel, YouTube playlists are a good way to group together relevant videos, which can keep viewers engaged and increase overall watch time. 

Playlists can also help your videos become more discoverable, because YouTube groups search results by individual videos and by playlists. By developing playlists, you can boost the chances of your videos showing up in both categories. 

However, you don’t have to be a YouTube creator to make a playlist. As a viewer, you can use playlists to categorize and organize videos in any way you’d like, whether you want to have an easy-to-access queue of your favorite yoga lessons or want to keep track of funny videos to send to your friends. 

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How to Create YouTube Playlists

There are a couple of methods for how to make a playlist on YouTube. If you’re browsing YouTube and want to create a playlist on the fly, simply click the three-dot menu below any video thumbnail, click Save to Playlist, and then select Create New Playlist. It will prompt you to name the playlist and select a privacy setting, and voilà—you have a playlist. 

However, if you manage your own channel and want to take a more systematic approach for how to create YouTube playlists, follow the steps below. 

1. Make Sure You’re on the Correct Account

You may have access to multiple accounts—for example, a personal account and a business or brand channel. Before you do anything, make sure you’re logged into the account in which you want to create the playlist. If you need to switch accounts, go to the avatar at the top right of the page, and click Switch Account.

2. Access YouTube Studio

Click on your avatar again, and navigate to YouTube Studio, which is YouTube’s channel management platform. Here, you can access your channel dashboard and analytics, upload videos, and manage settings for elements like comments, subtitles, timestamps, and monetization.

3. Create New Playlist 

On the left side of the screen, click the Playlists option. Here, you’ll see a list of all of your existing playlists. To make a playlist on YouTube, click New Playlist near the upper right side of the screen. Add a title to the playlist and select whether you want it to be public or private. Click Create, and you will see it appear in your list of playlists. 

4. Add Videos 

Click your playlist. Under the name of your playlist, you’ll see a three-dot menu. Click on it, and then navigate to Add Videos. From there, you can search all YouTube videos, enter a direct URL, or browse through your own YouTube videos. Select the videos you want to add to the playlist (you can select multiple videos at once), and click Add Videos. Once you’ve added the videos you want to include, you’re done! 

How Many YouTube Playlists Can You Have? 

You can create an unlimited number of YouTube playlists, and you are allowed up to 5,000 videos per playlist. 

How to Share YouTube Playlists 

After learning how to create YouTube playlists, you’ll probably want to know how to share them. (Note: Your playlist must be public or unlisted to be shared.)

1. Log in to your YouTube account.
2. Navigate to YouTube Studio. 
3. Click Playlists in the left-hand toolbar.
4. Click the playlist you want to share.
5. Click the arrow-shaped share button to send the playlist via social media, access the direct URL, or embed the playlist.

How to Delete YouTube Playlists

Need to delete a YouTube playlist? Fortunately, it’s a simple process: 

1. Log in to your YouTube account.
2. Navigate to YouTube Studio.
3. Click Playlists in the left-hand toolbar.
4. Click the playlist you want to delete.
5. Click the three-dot menu under the playlist name.
6. Click Delete Playlist.
7. You will get a popup asking you to confirm you want to delete; click Delete.

How to Make YouTube Playlists Public

You can choose to make your YouTube playlist public when you first create it. However, if you didn’t initially make it public, you can make that change by following these steps: 

1. Log in to your YouTube account.
2. Navigate to YouTube Studio.
3. Click Playlists in the left-hand toolbar.
4. Click the playlist you want to make public.
5. Under the name of the playlist, you will see the current privacy setting (public, private, or unlisted).
6. Click that setting, and a dropdown will appear with the three options.
7. Select Public.

How to Make YouTube Playlists Private 

Similarly, you can also make yours private at any time. Just follow these steps: 

1. Log in to your YouTube account.
2. Navigate to YouTube Studio. 
3. Click Playlists in the left-hand toolbar.
4. Click the playlist you want to make private.
5. Under the name of the playlist, you will see the current privacy setting (public, private, or unlisted).
6. Click that setting, and a dropdown will appear with the three options.
7. Select Private.

Get Started With YouTube Playlists

YouTube playlists are an essential tool for channel owners to categorize and optimize their content—but they’re just as useful for viewers who want to keep track of their favorite videos! They’re easy and intuitive to build and share, so get started building your first playlist today.

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