How to Create a Playlist on YouTube
Quick answer
Under any video, click Save, then New playlist. Name it, choose public, unlisted, or private visibility, and create it. The video is added and the playlist appears under Playlists on your channel. Channel owners can also create and manage playlists in YouTube Studio under Content > Playlists.
Step by step
- 1
Open a video you want in the playlist
Any video works, yours or someone else's. On mobile the Save option may sit behind the three-dot menu under the player.
- 2
Click Save, then New playlist
The save dialog lists your existing playlists with a New playlist option at the bottom.
- 3
Name the playlist and set visibility
Public playlists show on your channel and in search, unlisted ones are link-only, private ones are visible just to you.
- 4
Add more videos
Use Save on other videos and tick the playlist, or open the playlist and use its add-videos option to search directly.
- 5
Reorder and edit in YouTube Studio
Studio > Content > Playlists lets you drag videos into order, edit the title and description, and set ordering rules.
Worth knowing
- Playlists can rank in YouTube and Google search on their own, so treat the title and description as metadata, not an afterthought.
- Marking a playlist as an official series tells YouTube the videos belong together and improves next-up recommendations within it.
Doing this for a brand, not just an account?
Playlists are how a channel turns scattered uploads into browsable series, and grouping content by funnel stage or topic makes every new video work harder.
Common questions
Can I add other channels' videos to my playlist?
Yes, any public video can be saved to your playlists. Curated playlists mixing your content with relevant third-party videos are a common way to keep viewers in a topic longer.
What is the difference between public, unlisted, and private playlists?
Public playlists appear on your channel and in search. Unlisted playlists are reachable only by link, which suits client deliverables or course content. Private playlists are visible only to your account.
How many videos can a YouTube playlist hold?
Up to 5,000 videos per playlist, which is far beyond what most channels need. If a list grows unwieldy, split it into themed playlists so each has a clear search intent.
Do playlists help watch time?
Yes. When a viewer starts a playlist, the next video autoplays from the same list instead of general recommendations, which keeps sessions on your channel and lifts total watch time.