Youtube allows users to create playlists to organize and save videos for easy access. However, there is a limit to the number of videos you can add to a single playlist. The current playlist size limit on Youtube is 200 videos.
What is the playlist limit on Youtube?
The maximum number of videos you can add to a single Youtube playlist is 200. This limit has been in place for a long time, ever since Youtube introduced the playlist feature years ago.
So if you try to add more than 200 videos to a playlist, Youtube will give you an error saying “Playlist size limit exceeded”. You won’t be able to add any more videos once you hit the 200 video cap.
Why is there a 200 video limit?
Youtube has not officially explained the reason behind capping playlists at 200 videos. But most likely it is a technical limitation that was put in place when the feature was first developed.
Storing and organizing thousands of videos in a single playlist can put strain on Youtube’s infrastructure. So having a cap allows them to optimize performance and ensure a good user experience even for large playlists.
The 200 video limit may also discourage spammy playlists and help keep playlists focused on specific themes or topics.
Does the limit apply to all playlist types?
Yes, the 200 video limit applies universally to all playlist types on Youtube.
It does not matter whether you create a standard playlist, a Watch Later playlist or a Liked Videos playlist. Or even if you make a playlist on your channel page or on the Youtube Music app.
All playlists have the same 200 video cap as of now. Youtube has not set different limits for different playlist types or locations.
What happens if you exceed 200 videos?
If you try adding more than 200 videos to a playlist, Youtube will simply not allow you to add any more items once you reach the limit.
You’ll see an error message saying “Playlist size limit exceeded” on the screen. The only options you have at that point are to remove some existing videos from the playlist or create a new playlist.
There is no way around the 200 video cap even if you try tricks like adding videos in batches. Youtube’s system is designed to enforce the limit across playlists.
How to organize more than 200 videos?
Since 200 videos is the hard limit, the only way to organize a larger video collection is to use multiple playlists.
Here are some tips to effectively work around the playlist limit:
- Create a master playlist for the full collection and divide videos into smaller themed sub-playlists.
- Use descriptive playlist titles and descriptions so you can find content easily.
- Number your playlists sequentially if order is important (Eg: Best Speeches Vol. 1, Vol. 2 etc).
- Create separate playlists for different categories or topics within a broad subject.
- Limit sub-playlists to 200 videos each so you have room to add more later.
With strategic use of multiple playlists, you can organize thousands of videos even with the 200 video cap.
Does Youtube Premium remove the limit?
No, unfortunately even Youtube Premium subscribers are limited by the 200 video playlist cap. Paying for Youtube Premium does not get you unlimited sized playlists.
Premium gives you ad-free viewing, offline downloads and background play. But the technical playlist limit is still enforced for all users equally, whether free or paid.
Will Youtube ever increase the playlist size limit?
There is no official confirmation from Youtube on whether they plan to expand the playlist cap in the future. The 200 video limit has persisted for many years already.
However, considering Youtube’s rapid growth over the years, it is likely they will bump up the playlist size restriction at some point. There is definite user demand for larger playlists.
Youtube may be working on backend upgrades to support more videos per playlist. We can hopefully expect the limit to be increased gradually in the coming years.
Workarounds for large video collections
Here are some alternative options if you have a very large video library you want to manage beyond Youtube’s 200 video playlist limit:
Use third-party playlist tools
Browser extensions like Enhancer for Youtube allow creating mega playlists with thousands of Youtubes videos added. They get around Youtube’s limit by technically using multiple playlists in the background.
However, the actual Youtube interface still shows the standard 200 video cap when using such tools.
Maintain a playlist index outside Youtube
You can create a simple spreadsheet or document to track your video collections spanning multiple playlists. This gives you a single reference sheet for all videos regardless of Youtube’s limit.
The index can include data like video titles, playlists they are in, unique video IDs etc. for easy lookup.
Use a dedicated video management system
For professional and enterprise video libraries, consider using a dedicated video management system like Kaltura or VdoCipher.
Such systems provide unlimited playlists, secured hosting, access controls and transcoding capabilities to manage large video catalogs natively.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do I suddenly have only 200 videos in my playlist?
This can happen if Youtube detected spam/abuse and reset your playlist as corrective action per their policies. Otherwise if your large playlist was created within rules, it is likely a glitch so contact Youtube support.
Can I get banned if I use a third-party tool to create mega playlists?
Using browser extensions and apps to workaround Youtube’s limit is not officially supported by Youtube. Your account could get banned if Youtube flags this as abuse. So use third-party tools at your own risk.
Should I split a 1,000 video playlist into 5 playlists of 200 videos each?
Yes, for a large collection splitting into multiple 200 video playlists is the optimal way to organize within Youtube’s limit. Make use of descriptive titles and descriptions for each component playlist.
Can I download an entire mega playlist using third-party tools?
Most playlist manager tools don’t offer a bulk download for more than 200 videos. You will need to manually download playlist components of 200 videos each. Some paid tools may support direct bulk download in future.
In Conclusion
Hitting the 200 video limit is annoying but working around it is easy enough. Youtube may increase the cap in future, but for now dividing up your collection into themed sub-playlists is the best option within the existing restriction.
With clever organization and naming, you can build large video libraries using standard Youtube playlists itself. And third party tools give more power if needed.
