YouTube playlists allow you to curate and organize videos into collections that you can easily access later. Playlists make it simple to save your favorite videos or group content around specific topics or themes. There are a few different ways to create a playlist on YouTube depending on whether you are using a computer, mobile device, or smart TV.
Creating a playlist on the YouTube website
The easiest way to create a new playlist is directly through the YouTube website. This method works for both logged-in users with YouTube accounts as well as users who are not signed in.
To create a playlist on the YouTube website:
- Go to YouTube.com and find a video you want to add to a new playlist.
- Click on the “Save” button below the video.
- Select “Create new playlist” from the dropdown menu.
- Give your playlist a name and description.
- Click “Create” to finish making the playlist.
Once you save your first video to the new playlist, you’ll be able to easily add additional videos. Simply find a video you want to add, click “Save,” and select your playlist from the dropdown menu. Your videos will be added to the bottom of the playlist in the order you select them.
Creating playlists from the YouTube mobile app
You can also quickly create playlists right from the YouTube mobile app on your iOS or Android device.
To make a new playlist on mobile:
- Open the YouTube app and find a video to add.
- Tap on the video to open it.
- Tap the “Add to” icon near the top right corner of the video.
- Select “Create new playlist” from the menu.
- Name your playlist and tap “Create.”
You’ll then be able to add additional videos to your new playlist. Just tap the “Add to” icon on a video and select your playlist.
Creating playlists from YouTube Music
In addition to the main YouTube app, you can also create playlists in the YouTube Music app. The process is very similar:
- Open the YouTube Music app.
- Find a song you want to add to a new playlist.
- Tap the “Add to playlist” icon.
- Choose “Create new playlist.”
- Give the playlist a name and description.
- Tap “Create.”
YouTube Music playlists work just like regular YouTube playlists. You can continue adding songs after creating the playlist.
Creating playlists on YouTube TV
Users of YouTube TV, the live TV streaming service, can also make playlists of recorded shows and movies. To create a playlist on YouTube TV:
- Go to the Library tab in the YouTube TV app.
- Select a recorded show or movie.
- Tap the “Add to” icon.
- Choose “Create new playlist.”
- Name your playlist.
- Tap “Create.”
You can then add other recorded content to build up your custom playlist.
Creating playlists on YouTube on Smart TVs
If you watch YouTube on a smart TV, you can create playlists right from the big screen by:
- Opening the YouTube app on your smart TV.
- Finding a video you want to add to a playlist.
- Pressing down on your remote to bring up the option menu.
- Selecting “Save to playlist.”
- Choosing “Create new playlist.”
- Naming your playlist.
- Confirming to complete playlist creation.
You can then continue to add videos in the same way to build up your playlist.
Creating playlists from YouTube Studio
Uploading video creators can also create and manage playlists directly from YouTube Studio. To make a playlist in Studio:
- Go to YouTube Studio and select “Content” from the left menu.
- Click the “Playlists” tab.
- Click the “+” button to create a new playlist.
- Give your playlist a name and description.
- Click “Create Playlist” to finish.
You can then click into your new playlist and add videos from your channel’s content library. Managing playlists in YouTube Studio gives creators more control and insight over their channel’s playlists.
Making playlists public or private
By default, playlists you create will be public, meaning anyone can view them. But you can also easily make them private so only you can see them:
- On desktop, click the 3-dot menu next to a playlist and choose “Make private.”
- In the mobile app, tap the 3-line menu next to a playlist and tap “Make private.”
- In YouTube Studio, click the 3-dot menu on a playlist and select “Make private.”
Private playlists are handy for organizing your personal video collections.
Collaborative playlists
If you want to create a playlist with friends and family, you can make collaborative playlists that allow multiple people to add videos. To make a collaborative playlist:
- Create a new playlist as you normally would.
- Click the “Collaborative playlist” toggle to turn it on.
- Share the playlist link with anyone you want to allow to add videos.
Collaborative playlists provide an easy way for a group to share their favorite videos in one place.
Reordering videos in playlists
Once you’ve created a playlist and added some videos, you may want to reorder how the videos are organized. Playlists play videos in the order they were added by default, but you can customize this.
To reorder playlist videos:
- Open the playlist and click the 3-dot menu icon next to it.
- Choose “Edit playlist” to customize the order.
- On desktop, drag and drop videos to reorder them. On mobile, tap and drag videos.
- When you’re happy with the order, click “Save changes.”
Reordering playlists gives you more flexibility in how you structure your video collections.
Deleting playlists
Over time, you may want to get rid of playlists you no longer need. To delete a playlist:
- On the YouTube website, click the 3-dot menu next to a playlist and choose “Delete.”
- In the mobile app, tap the 3-line menu next to a playlist, then tap “Delete.”
- In YouTube Studio, click the 3-dot menu on a playlist, then click “Delete playlist.”
The videos themselves won’t be deleted, just removed from that playlist.
With these steps, you can now easily create playlists to organize your favorite YouTube videos from any device. Playlists give you more control over your video collections.