Youtube only recommending playlists

If you’ve noticed that Youtube seems to only be recommending playlists to you instead of individual videos, there are a few potential reasons why this may be happening and some steps you can try to get more variety in your recommendations again.

Why is Youtube only recommending playlists?

Here are some common reasons why Youtube may be favoring playlists over individual videos in your recommendations feed:

• You watch a lot of playlists – The Youtube algorithm picks up on your viewing habits. If you frequently watch full playlists, Youtube will serve up more playlists thinking that’s your preference.
• Playlists have high watch time – Playlists that keep viewers watching for a long time signal to Youtube that they are engaging. So the algorithm promotes those playlists more to keep people on the platform.
• Individual videos don’t have enough data – For new or more obscure individual videos, Youtube lacks enough viewer data to recommend them widely yet. Playlists draw from multiple videos so they have more aggregate data sooner.
• Creator or topic focus – If you watch videos focused on certain creators or topics, Youtube may find recommending full playlists around those subjects more relevant than individual videos.
• Maximizing overall watch time – Youtube wants to keep you watching as long as possible. Recommending an entire playlist generally results in more total watch time vs a single video.

How to get more variety in Youtube recommendations

If you want Youtube to mix in more individual videos along with playlists in your recommendations, here are some tips:

1. Watch individual videos – Watch full individual videos instead of just letting a playlist run. This signals to Youtube your interest in stand-alone videos.
2. Search for videos directly – Use Youtube search or external sites to find individual videos to watch. This adds more data beyond just your watch history.
3. Use incognito/private mode – Watch individual videos in incognito or private browsing mode. Your main account watch history won’t influence recommendations as much.
4. Delete watch and search history – Clearing your history resets your recommendations and removes viewing patterns Youtube relied on.
5. Dislike playlist recommendations – Click the dislike button on playlist recommendations to teach the algorithm you’re not interested.
6. Like individual video recommendations – Click like on individual videos you want to see more of. This signals Youtube to recommend you more of that content.
7. Subscribe to new channels – Expand the creators and topics you subscribe to. More data from new sources will introduce new individual videos.
8. Use a different account – If all else fails, try watching on a separate account without your main viewing history.

Why Youtube may focus playlists

There are some reasons from Youtube’s perspective that likely drive recommending playlists more versus individual videos:

• Higher watch time – Playlists keep viewers watching longer on average than individual videos.
• Easy autoplay – Playlists allow Youtube to autoplay videos seamlessly, leading to longer sessions.
• Predictable content – Playlists offer cohesive content around topics and creators Youtube understands well.
• Advertising revenue – More watch time and predictable content attracts advertisers and drives ad revenue.
• Data advantage – Playlists give the algorithm more aggregate data to assess audience engagement and optimize recommendations.

While too much playlist repetition can frustrate users, recommending playlists likely benefits Youtube’s key metrics. But with some targeted viewing you can strike a better balance.

Troubleshooting problems with Youtube only recommending playlists

If you’re still struggling to get Youtube recommendations back to an even mix of playlists and individual videos, here are some troubleshooting steps to try:

1. Log out of Youtube and watch anonymously – This removes any influence from your personal account history.
2. Start fresh with a new account – Creating a brand new account gives you a blank slate for recommendations.
3. Use Youtube Guest Mode – This lets you watch without any account history impacting recommendations.
4. Provide Youtube feedback – Use Youtube’s Send Feedback option to note problems with playlist repetition.
5. Consider 3rd party apps – Apps like ViewPure focus just on individual Youtube video recommendations.
6. Leverage search more – Rely on search rather than the Youtube home page recs to find more variety.
7. Expand your subscriptions – Following a wider range of channels exposes you to more individual videos in your Subscriptions feed.
8. Make your watch history more diverse – Consciously vary your viewing instead of marathon watching certain playlists.
9. Periodically retrain recommendations – Clear history/likes/dislikes to reset the algorithm every so often.

Benefits of Youtube recommending playlists

While too much playlist repetition has downsides, there are some potential benefits for users to Youtube surfacing playlists more:

• Higher video quality – Playlists often come from established creators who produce high-value content.
• Finds your interests – Playlists let the algorithm quickly hone in on your tastes and preferences.
• Lean-back viewing – Playlists allow easy, uninterrupted watching without having to pick new videos.
• Discovers creator catalogs – Playlists can introduce you fully to creators you may enjoy through their video collections.
• Encourages exploration – Algorithmic playlists help you discover content you may not find on your own.

There are definite advantages to Youtube surfacing more playlists for some use cases. But it’s about achieving the right balance of playlists vs stand-alone videos in your recommendations.

Best practices for managing Youtube recommendations

To get the most of out Youtube’s recommendation system, keep these best practices in mind:

• Vary your viewing – Watch single videos as well as playlists, and expand to new topics/creators.
• Give feedback – Use likes, dislikes and Send Feedback options to tell Youtube what you want.
• Clear history periodically – This resets the algorithm to avoid getting stuck in a rut.
• Leverage accounts – Use multiple accounts and Guest Mode for more unbiased recommendations.
• Search proactively – Don’t rely solely on Youtube homepage recommendations.
• Subscribe wisely – Follow creators that release varied content, not just playlists.
• Private/incognito watch – Use these modes to introduce new signals beyond your main history.
• whitelist channels – Be sure to get notifications from channels you never want to miss.

Your Youtube recommendations should provide a healthy mix of content types. With some proactive management, you can achieve better results from the Youtube algorithm.

Dealing with excessive Youtube playlist recommendations

If your Youtube recommendations feed is dominated by playlists to an excessive degree, here are the most effective ways to deal with it:

1. Dislike playlist recommendations – Click the dislike button on any playlist suggestions to signal you want less of them.
2. Like individual videos – Click like on stand-alone videos you enjoy to encourage more of those recommendations.
3. Watch videos externally – Find videos to watch on other sites like Reddit or Twitter. Then watch them on Youtube logged in so they influence your recommendations.
4. Search for videos – Use Youtube search and filters like Sort By Upload Date to discover new individual videos to watch.
5. Clear your watch history – Wipe your history clean through your Youtube account settings to reset your profile.
6. Create a new account – Start fresh with a new account and consciously watch more individual videos as you get initial recommendations.
7. Send Youtube feedback – Use the Send Feedback option to note you want fewer playlist recommendations.
8. Try alternate recommendation systems – Use 3rd party apps not tied to your Youtube history for recommendations.
9. Subscribe to varied channels – Expand your subscriptions to channels that publish individual videos, not just playlists.
10. Temporarily avoid autoplay – Turn off autoplay to consciously select each video instead of passively letting a playlist run.

With a mix of short-term fixes and longer-term habits, you can rebalance your Youtube recommendations feed. The key is signaling your preferences clearly and consistently to the algorithm.

Why does Youtube recommend the same playlists repeatedly?

It can be frustrating when Youtube keeps recommending the same playlists over and over. Here are some key reasons this happens:

• You’ve watched that playlist before – Youtube assumes you’ll want to rewatch playlists you’ve already viewed.
• Top performing playlist – Playlists with high overall audience retention get surfaced more frequently.
• Related to your interests – The topic or creator matches playlists you tend to engage with.
• Promoted by creator – Channel may be heavily promoting that playlist to boost its exposure.
• Popular overall – Playlist may be trending in general on Youtube, spreading it more widely.
• Good aggregate metrics – Youtube has aggregate data showing that playlist performs well.
• Longer watch time – Playlist drives longer sessions, which Youtube favors for ad revenue.
• Newer playlist – Youtube tests new playlists aggressively to quickly gauge performance.
• Priming for more – Repeating playlists aims to get you to watch more of that content.

High performing playlists that match your interests are likely to surface repeatedly. But you can train the algorithm over time by clearly signaling your preferences.

Reducing repetitive Youtube playlist recommendations

To cut down on Youtube recommending the same playlists on repeat, try these suggestions:

1. Dislike the playlist – Click the Dislike button on the playlist itself to tell Youtube not to recommend it.
2. Don’t finish rewatching – If you’ve already seen a recommended playlist, don’t rewatch the whole thing again.
3. Like individual videos – Click Like on standalone videos in other playlist suggestions to encourage those.
4. Widen your interests – Watch videos on a broader range of topics to introduce more variety.
5. Clear your watch history – Removing your history removes data driving repetitive recommendations.
6. Create a new account – Start fresh with a blank slate unbiased by your main account’s history.
7. Search for new playlists – Use search filters like “Playlist” and Sort By Date to find new options.
8. Send feedback – Use the Send Feedback option to note repetitive playlist recommendations.
9. Subscribe to varied channels – The more creators you follow with diverse content, the more range you’ll see.
10. Use incognito mode – Watch in incognito windows so those views don’t impact your main recommendations.

With a mix of short and long term strategies, you can retrain the Youtube algorithm to recommend a wider variety of playlist options.

Benefits of Youtube recommending the same playlists

While too much repetition frustrates users, there are some potential benefits when Youtube keeps surfacing the same playlist recommendations:

• High quality – Repetitive playlists often come from established creators with strong content.
• Matches your tastes – Frequently recommended playlists closely align with your interests.
• Drives watch time – Familiar playlists keep viewers watching longer than new suggestions.
• Avoids choice paralysis – Removing decision making makes selecting what to watch easier.
• Lets you rewatch – Repeated playlists enable rewatching favorite content.
• Predicts your preferences – Youtube believes these playlists will make you happy based on past data.
• Encourages loyalty – Seeing the same playlists builds familiarity and connection with those creators.

Excessive repetition goes too far, but there are some user benefits to Youtube surfacing familiar playlist options you already enjoy.

Final recommendations for improving Youtube playlist suggestions

Here are some final tips to get your Youtube recommendations dialed in to provide a good mix of fresh, engaging playlist suggestions:

• Watch playlists fully the first time – This tells Youtube you enjoy that playlist, without repeating it constantly.
• Like videos you want to see more of – Use Likes, and Dislikes too, to clearly signal your preferences to Youtube.
• Expand your interests – Seek out new creators and topics to expose yourself to more content, and train the algorithm.
• Periodically reset recommendations – Clear your history and likes/dislikes to restart your suggested content.
• Make use of multiple accounts – Separate browsing and watch history keeps recommendations diverse.
• Send feedback to Youtube – Let Youtube know if you have issues with playlist recommendations.
• Leverage 3rd party options – Alternate apps and browser extensions provide recommendations independent of Youtube.
• Search proactively – Rely on Search, not just homepage recommendations, to take control of discovering new content.
• Subscribe strategically – Follow creators who release varied individual videos, not just playlists.

The ideal mix allows discovery of new playlists while reducing repetitive recommendations. With some effort, you can achieve that balance and get more from Youtube’s suggestions.