How to make a playlist on YouTube

Save your faves. It's easy.
 By 
Amy-Mae Turner
 on 

YouTube's Playlist tool is a simple way to save a collection of videos you can return to and watch at any time. Whether you want to make a list of songs you love, create an ambient noise soundtrack to relax to, or save all your favorite TED talks, playlists are the way to go.

It's a quick and easy process to start creating your first playlist. We're here to help you learn how. 

Creating your first YouTube Playlist

To create a YouTube Playlist, you need to be signed in to your YouTube account. Once you are, find the first video you want to add to your Playlist via YouTube's search function. 


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Below the video's title, you'll see a range of options. Look for the "Save" option and click on it. 

You'll now get a pop-up giving you the option to "Create a new playlist." Select this. 

Pop-up list with prompt to create a new playlist
Credit: YouTube

The next pop-up gives you the ability to give your new Playlist a name. This name can contain letters, numbers, and symbols. You have space for 150 characters. 

Pop-up menu for naming a new playlist
Credit: YouTube

This pop-up also gives you the chance to control the privacy of your Playlist. You can choose to make the Playlist public, completely private, or, if you select "Unlisted," it's not public but you can share the Playlist with others via a URL.    

To add further videos to your list, follow the steps above, but instead of clicking "Create a new playlist," check the box of the Playlist you want to add the video to. 

Finding your YouTube Playlists 

There are three ways to view the Playlists you have created. From YouTube's homepage, if you look to the left-hand side menu, Playlists you have recently accessed should appear here.

The words "Mashable playlist" circled in red
Credit: YouTube

If you want to view further Playlists, the second method, from YouTube's homepage, is to click on the "Library" tab that appears to the left of your screen. 

The word "Library" circled in red
Credit: YouTube

The third way to access your Playlists is to click on your avatar icon at the top right of your screen and select "Your channel." 

The words "Your channel" circled in red
Credit: YouTube

Once you're in your channel page, look for the Playlists tab towards the top of the page. 

The word "Playlists" circled in red
Credit: YouTube

Click this to access your YouTube Playlists. 

Sharing your YouTube Playlists 

If you want to share a YouTube Playlist, it's a simple process. Go to the Playlist you want to share and click on the share arrow icon. 

Icons representing where you can share YouTube playlists on social media
Credit: YouTube

You'll then get a pop-up that gives you the ability to share the Playlist via social media platforms, via email, and via a URL, along with the option to create an embed code. 

Topics YouTube

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Amy-Mae Turner

Amy-Mae is a freelance writer covering tech at Mashable.

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