Hey there! Have you evergone down a YouTube rabbit hole only to forget to bookmark or subscribe to those awesome videos you found? Or wondered if there was an easier way to organize your favorite YouTube content instead of constantly searching for them again? Well you‘re in luck…
Playlists are hands down one of my favorite YouTube features. They allow us to save videos into customized categories to watch later or share with friends. But what I love most is that playlists help me discover MY type of content in an ocean of 500+ hours of video uploaded every minute!
In this beginner‘s guide, I‘ll walk you through how exactly YouTube playlists work and the simple steps to start building video playlists like a pro in minutes. We‘ll cover:
- A brief history of YouTube playlists
- Step-by-step instructions to create playlists on desktop and mobile
- Tips to organize, share, and manage your playlists
- The main reasons playlists are valuable for all users
So if you‘re overwhelmed by the billions of videos on YouTube, stick with me to understand how playlists can be your best friend!
The Evolution of YouTube Playlists
It‘s fascinating to look back at how YouTube playlists have grown over the years. Playlists debuted in 2006, back when YouTube itself was just getting started:
| August 2006 | YouTube launches first playlist feature |
| March 2009 | Descriptions allowed in playlists |
| November 2010 | Private playlist settings introduced |
Flash forward to today, where YouTube sees over 2 billion monthly logged-in users who have created billions of public playlists. The features have kept expanding, especially for channel creators…
As a long-time YouTube viewer and aspiring creator myself, I‘ve seen first-hand how valuable playlists can be. Now let‘s get into the step-by-step process of actually building playlists that work for you!
How to Create a Playlist on Desktop
Jumping onto YouTube on your computer? Their desktop website makes playlist creation a breeze. Just follow these simple steps:
Step 1) Login to your YouTube account and pull up any video. Under the video title, click the "Save" button‘s dropdown arrow.
Step 2) Select "Save to…" from the dropdown menu. This opens your Playlists window.
Step 3) Choose "+ New playlist" to create one from scratch. Give it a name and description.
Step 4) Set the privacy to Public, Unlisted, or Private depending on who you want to share it with.
Step 5) Click "Create" and start adding more videos!
See? Building new playlists on the YouTube website takes less than minute!
Now let‘s see how fast it is through the mobile app…
How to Create Playlists on the YouTube Mobile App
For those times you fall down YouTube holes on your phone or tablet, the YouTube app makes it just as easy to save videos to new playlists. Here‘s how:
Step 1) In the YouTube app, tap on the "Library" tab on bottom.
Step 2) Scroll down and select "Playlists", then tap the colorful "+" button.
Step 3) Choose videos from History or go hunting for new ones to save.
Step 4) Once you pick videos, select "Next" then name your playlist.
Step 5) Finally, choose Public or Private and tap "Create" when done!
Now your playlist is ready to watch within the YouTube app! Be sure to also tap the "bell" on video channels to stay updated when they release similar content you might want to add.
[Insert visual YouTube mobile playlist guide here]Creating playlists on mobile or desktop takes less than a minute! But what good are they if aren‘t organized for easy access later? Let me share some of my top playlist management tips…
Expert Tips to Manage Your Playlists Like a Pro
After years of trial and error, I‘ve picked up some useful playlist tips that I still use today:
1. Organize Multiple Playlists in Folders
Once you make a bunch of playlists around varying topics, you can group the most relevant playlists into shared folders. For example, I have a "Cooking" folder containing playlists of dessert recipes, healthy dinners, meal prep guides, etc. This keeps my Library nice and tidy!
2. Collaborate with Friends or Teammates
If you want to crowd-source playlist creation or allow others to help manage it, turn on Collaborative Playlists in Settings. This is awesome for group projects, team accounts, and building public community playlists.
3. Embed Playlists on Blogs or Websites
As a creator looking to drive viewers to your content outside YouTube, embed playlists on websites with just a few clicks by going to playlist Settings. I‘ve even seen creators include playlists on Linktree profiles to showcase categories of content!
So by organizing, collaborating and embedding…you‘ll have playlists working hard for you on and off of YouTube!
Now that you know how to create and master playlists, let‘s talk about why you need them in your YouTube life:
5 Benefits of Creating YouTube Playlists
Here‘s why every YouTube user should be creating tailored playlists:
1. Save Your Favorite Videos in One Place
Playlists act like a personalized video library for all the content you want to rewatch or easily refer back to. No more wasting time scrolling through endless video history!
2. Discover New Related Content
YouTube‘s algorithm surfaces new suggested videos based on existing playlist content, helping you discover similar channels or topics faster.
3. Increase Watch Time for Creators
Playlists keep viewers engaged for longer versus one-off videos. More watch time = more potential revenue for creators.
4. Promote Playlists to Drive Targeted Traffic
Creators can drive viewers to very specific types of content through customized playlists instead of just channel homepages.
5. Pick Up Where You Left Off
It‘s easy to lose your spot when watching long tutorials or series-style videos. Playlists always save your last playback position.
So if you ask me, absolutely everyone benefits from creating tailored YouTube playlists with their favorite videos or content!
I hope you now feel like a YouTube playlist pro ready to organize your very own video collection. As a quick recap, we covered how to easily…
- Create new playlists on desktop and mobile
- Build video playlists around topics you care about
- Manage playlists like a pro with organization tips
- Maximize playlists to enrich your YouTube experience
What topics will you make your first playlists around? The options are endless when it comes to sharing, enjoying and discovering videos through YouTube playlists!
