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How to Make a YouTube Playlist: Your Step-by-Step Guide to More Engagement and Channel Growth

Discover how to make a YouTube Playlist that boosts your channel’s visibility by up to 30%! Learn step-by-step strategies to keep viewers hooked, increase watch time, and drive channel growth.

Creating a YouTube playlist can boost your channel’s visibility by up to 30%?

Insane, right? Research shows that playlists keep viewers hooked for longer, leading to increased watch time and channel growth.

With over 500 hours of content uploaded to YouTube every single minute, making your videos stand out can feel like a tough challenge. That’s where playlists come in as your secret weapon.

Think of them as a curated collection of your best content—grouped in a way easy for your audience to enjoy. Playlists create a seamless viewing experience, encouraging viewers to stick around and explore more of your videos. This helps improve your watch time and engagement, which can lead to major growth for your channel.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through how to create a playlist on YouTube step-by-step, whether you’re working on your desktop or your mobile device. Plus, I’ll share some pro tips to help you optimize your playlists for even more success!

Let’s get started!

Why You Should Create a YouTube Playlist

YouTube Playlist
How to Make a YouTube Playlist: Your Step-by-Step Guide to More Engagement and Channel Growth 1

First, let’s talk about why playlists are so effective on YouTube. Sure, they help organize your videos, but their benefits go far beyond that.

Here are three compelling reasons to start building your playlists today.

Better User Experience

YouTube playlists allow viewers to watch multiple videos in a row without searching for the next one. This seamless flow keeps viewers engaged longer, which means fewer drop-offs and more total watch time on your channel.

Imagine someone stumbles upon your amazing tutorial video. Instead of manually hunting down the next part, they’re automatically led to the next one in the series. This keeps viewers glued to your content, increasing the chances they’ll watch more—and come back for more.

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Increased Channel Engagement

YouTube’s algorithm loves engagement, and playlists are a fantastic way to get it. Not only do they help boost your overall watch time, but they’re also ranked by YouTube and can show up in search results. More organic traffic? Yes, please!

When your videos are grouped into themed playlists, it also improves your channel’s discoverability. This can help push your videos higher up in YouTube’s recommendations, getting them in front of more eyeballs.

Smarter Content Organization

A well-organized channel is key to attracting and retaining viewers. Playlists allow you to categorize your content, making it easier for viewers to find exactly what they’re looking for.

For example, if you run a fitness channel, you can create playlists for “Beginner Workouts,” “Yoga for Flexibility,” and “HIIT Routines.” This way, your content is neatly organized, and viewers can quickly jump to the playlist that fits their needs.

Pro Tip: When creating playlists, think about themes or specific series that make sense for your content. Maybe “How-to Tutorials,” “Weekly Vlogs,” or “Product Reviews” would work for your niche.

How to Create a YouTube Playlist on Desktop

How to create a YouTube  Playlist on Desktop
How to Make a YouTube Playlist: Your Step-by-Step Guide to More Engagement and Channel Growth 2

Creating a playlist on your computer is super easy and takes just a few clicks. Here’s how to do it:

Sign In to Your YouTube Account

First things first: make sure you’re logged into YouTube. Head to YouTube’s homepage, and click the Sign In button in the top-right corner. Use your Google account to log in. Don’t have one? No problem! Creating a YouTube account is quick and simple.

Open YouTube Studio

Once you’re logged in, click on your profile picture in the top-right corner, and select YouTube Studio from the dropdown menu. This is your control center for managing everything on your channel, from uploading videos to organizing playlists.

Select or Search for a Video

Inside YouTube Studio, browse your uploaded videos or use the search bar to find a specific one you want to add to your playlist.

Add the Video to a Playlist

Under the video you want to include, click the Save button (it looks like a little plus sign next to a bookshelf icon). A dropdown will appear—select Create New Playlist if you’re starting from scratch.

Organize and Customize Your Playlist

Once your playlist is created, give it a title. Keep it short, catchy, and keyword-rich to help with YouTube’s SEO. You’ll also need to choose your privacy settings. Public playlists can be seen by anyone, private playlists are just for you, and unlisted playlists can only be accessed via a link.

Want to take it up a notch? Add a description to your playlist, choose a custom thumbnail, and reorder the videos for a logical flow. All of these little touches can help make your playlist more engaging and easier to discover.

How to Create a YouTube Playlist on Mobile (iOS & Android)

Prefer to manage your channel on the go? Creating a playlist on mobile is just as easy. Here’s how to do it from the YouTube app:

Open the YouTube App and Sign In

Launch the YouTube app and log in with your Google account.

Find a Video

Use the search bar at the top to locate a video, or browse your channel’s uploads.

Add the Video to a Playlist

Once you find the video, tap the three-dot menu (or the “More Options” button) next to the video title. Select Save to Playlist, and then tap Create New Playlist to start fresh.

Manage Your Playlist on Mobile

To edit your playlist, tap your profile picture and go to the Library tab. From there, you can reorder videos, update privacy settings, and add a description, just like on desktop.

Pro Tips for Optimizing Your YouTube Playlist

Want to take your playlists to the next level? Here are some expert tips to help you maximize viewer engagement and boost your channel’s growth.

Use Keywords in Your Playlist Title and Description

Your playlist title and description are critical for SEO. Make sure you include relevant keywords that people are likely searching for. For instance, instead of calling your playlist “My Reviews,” try “Top Tech Reviews of 2024” or “Best Fitness Tips for Beginners.”

By incorporating searchable terms, you increase the chances of your playlist showing up in YouTube’s search results and recommendations.

Create Themed Playlists

Organizing your videos around specific themes can improve user experience and help your viewers find what they need. Let’s say you run a cooking channel—you could create playlists for “Quick Weeknight Dinners,” “Healthy Snacks,” or “Desserts for Beginners.”

Themed playlists give viewers a clear idea of what to expect and can keep them watching longer.

Update Your Playlists Regularly

Your playlists should evolve along with your content. Add new videos to your playlists and remove outdated ones regularly. This keeps your content fresh and relevant, improving viewer satisfaction and engagement.

Share Your Playlists Everywhere

Why limit your playlist’s reach to just YouTube? Share your playlist across social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. You can even embed your playlists on your blog or website. The more places your playlist appears, the more traffic you’ll generate.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Making YouTube Playlists

Common Mistakes to avoid when creating a YouTube Playlist
How to Make a YouTube Playlist: Your Step-by-Step Guide to More Engagement and Channel Growth 3

While creating playlists is relatively simple, there are a few mistakes that can limit their effectiveness. Here’s what to watch out for:

Not Using Descriptive Titles

Generic playlist titles like “My Favorites” or “Miscellaneous Videos” won’t cut it. Be specific, use keywords, and give viewers a clear idea of what your playlist is about.

Ignoring Playlist Descriptions

Your playlist description is an excellent opportunity to include relevant keywords and provide more context for viewers. Use this space wisely to boost your SEO and engagement.

Forgetting Privacy Settings

Make sure you’re using the right privacy setting for your playlists. If you want everyone to see it, set it to Public. If it’s just for you, keep it Private. And if you want to share it with a select group, Unlisted is your best bet.

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Need a Better YouTube Playlist Alternative?

If yes, then Adilo is your best bet.

This online video hosting site, a solid Youtube and Vimeo alternative, allows you to create beautiful embeddable video galleries and playlist. Which means you can embed your playlists on any web page as an HTML code, allowing your audience access your videos in one place without having to leave the page.

How to Make a YouTube Playlist: Your Step-by-Step Guide to More Engagement and Channel Growth - Adilo Blog

You can also embed your video playlists on your landing pages and even emails to deliver immersive storytelling and drive more engagement and actions. What’s more, you can choose from several beautiful templates and themes to achieve stunning looks that reflect your visual identity.

The best part is that Adilo video playlists come with advanced video security and anti-piracy features. So, unlike YouTube, you can protect your video content against piracy and control who watch it and where it can be embedded. 

Some of Adilo’s advanced video security features include:

  • Video password protection
  • Playlist embedding restriction
  • multi-DRM encryption
  • Dynamic watermarking
  • Location whitelisting
  • IP restrictions

Additionally, Adilo comes with a built-in ad-free online video player. With this feature, your viewers can watch your videos online, right on their browsers, without ad interruptions like on YouTube.

Adilo has a free plan and you might want to start with that. 

FAQs

A YouTube playlist is a curated collection of videos that allows you to organize and enjoy a set of related videos all in one place. This is especially useful for creating themed series, instructional sets, or music playlists that play continuously in the order you’ve arranged.

Yes, you can make your playlist private. By setting your playlist to Private, only you will have access to it, making it invisible to other YouTube users. There’s also an option to set it to Unlisted, which means it won’t appear in search results or on your channel, but you can share it with specific people through a unique link.

YouTube allows you to add up to 5,000 videos in a single playlist, giving you ample space to create extensive collections of content. Whether you’re organizing content for a long-running series, saving multiple videos on a particular topic, or curating a music playlist, this high limit ensures you have the flexibility to continuously add videos to the same playlist without needing to create multiple smaller lists.

Yes, YouTube allows you to rearrange videos within your playlist. You can easily change the order by dragging and dropping each video into the desired sequence, which is ideal for creating a customized viewing experience.

Sharing your YouTube playlist is straightforward. You can simply click the “Share” button on your playlist, which gives you the option to copy a direct link to the playlist. You can then paste this link wherever you want, such as in a message or on social media platforms.

Yes, Adilo packs several features that makes it a better YouTube playlist alternatives, including ad-free online video player, advanced security features, and embeddable playlist.

Final Thoughts On Making a YouTube Video Playlist

Creating playlists on YouTube is one of the easiest and most effective ways to organize your content, improve viewer engagement, and help your channel grow.

By following the steps in this guide and applying the optimization tips, you’ll be well on your way to building a channel that keeps viewers coming back for more.

So, what are you waiting for? Get started on your first YouTube playlist today, and watch your channel soar!

SEO Content Writer at Adilo Big Command | + posts
Senior Content Editor and Strategist at ADILO | Website | + posts

Felix is the Senior Content Editor and Strategist at Adilo, where he harnesses his expertise in social video marketing, online video platforms, video editing, e-commerce, e-learning, and marketing to to help businesses drive results. With a keen eye for storytelling and a pulse on industry trends, Felix crafts actionable content that empowers brands to elevate their video marketing strategies and thrive in the digital landscape.

Felix is the Senior Content Editor and Strategist at Adilo, where he leverages his deep understanding of social video marketing, online video platforms, video editing, e-commerce, e-learning, and marketing to drive tangible results for businesses. With a passion for storytelling and a finger on the pulse of industry trends, Felix creates actionable content that empowers brands to elevate their video marketing strategies and achieve success in the dynamic digital world.

Experience

Felix has amassed extensive experience in the ever-evolving landscape of digital marketing. His journey has seen him wear many hats, from hands-on video editing and production to developing comprehensive video marketing strategies. This diverse background allows Felix to approach content creation with a holistic perspective, ensuring that every piece of content aligns with broader business goals.

Expertise

Felix’s expertise spans a wide spectrum within the digital marketing realm:

  • Social Video Marketing: Felix understands the nuances of different social media platforms and how to optimize video content for maximum reach and engagement.
  • Online Video Platforms: He possesses in-depth knowledge of various video hosting and sharing platforms, enabling him to guide businesses in selecting the right tools for their needs.
  • Video Editing: Felix is skilled in video editing techniques that captivate audiences and convey brand messaging effectively.
  • E-commerce and E-learning: He recognizes the power of video in driving sales and enhancing online learning experiences.
  • Marketing Strategy: Felix develops data-driven content strategies that align with business objectives and deliver measurable results.

Education

Felix holds a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing with a specialization in Digital Media. His academic foundation, combined with his practical experience, provides him with a well-rounded understanding of the digital marketing landscape.

Dream

Felix envisions a future where businesses of all sizes harness the full potential of video marketing to connect with their audiences on a deeper level. He is committed to empowering brands with the knowledge and tools they need to create compelling video content that drives growth and fosters lasting relationships with customers.



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