Whether you are a content creator, marketing whiz or just someone looking for quick tips for building and cataloging your favorite YouTube videos, this is the article for you. If you happen to be coming to the table completely new to the whole YouTube experience, let’s first get down to basics:

What is a YouTube playlist?

A playlist is a collection of videos that you (or someone else) creates on YouTube. Whether you are uploading your own content to the platform or simply a curious viewer, playlists are a way of organizing videos based on shared characteristics, like genre, subject matter, category, even video length. Playlists are a convenient method of quick reference, making it easy for anyone to find the videos they want to watch—and fast.

How to create a playlist on Youtube?

Here are the simple steps for creating your very own YouTube playlist—and, these steps work for YouTube desktop, mobile, and tablet.

Step 1: Select a video for your YouTube playlist

The first step begins, quite simply, by looking up a YouTube video that you wish to include in your playlist. This can be achieved by visiting YouTube.com, and typing the name or subject matter of the content into the search bar. Once your search results are revealed, you can click the thumbnail to bring up the video.

**If you happen to be creating a playlist using your own content, you can click on your channel icon in the top right corner of YouTube’s homepage. Once the drop-down menu appears, select, “My channel”. You will see a large button marked, CUSTOMIZE CHANNEL. Click through in order to see a series of headers associated with your account. Under the “Video” tab, you will be able to see all of the videos that you have uploaded to your YouTube channel.

Click on your chose

n video, and it will open on your screen.

Step 2: Create your YouTube playlist

Once you have called up your selected video, you can click on the “Save to” button. This is an icon made up of three horizontal lines and a plus (+) sign. Once you click on this button, a menu will appear. Within this menu, select, “Create new playlist.”

Alternatively, if you already know what you are looking for, you can add your chosen video directly from the search results page. Hover over the video and an icon will appear in the top right corner. Select the vertical ellipses button (three point-form dots) and click, “Add to playlist”.

Step 3: Give your YouTube playlist a name

In order to reference your playlist and revisit it each time you come back to YouTube, you need to give your playlist a name. Note: you have a maximum of 150 characters to do this.

For the best results, be sure to stick to these tips for effectively naming your playlist:

• Your playlist name should clearly and accurately describe the content within
• Your playlist should be rich in keywords—these are the words for which people are most likely to search
• Your playlist should grab and maintain users’ attention. Ask yourself, why should anyone choose my playlist over someone else’s?

Once you are ready, enter your playlist name in the provided field.

Step 4: Select a privacy setting for your YouTube playlist

Now that you have named your new playlist, you will want to consider your options for sharing and privacy. Let’s start by securing your work.

Your choices for privacy settings are featured in the same text box where you provide your playlist name. This will determine who on YouTube can access your video(s). Under the “Privacy” header, click on the drop-down arrow. From here, three options will appear.

Once you have given some thought as to who you want to see your video, choose one of the following:

• Public: This is the option to select if you want your videos to appear in public search results. Remember—public means everyone! Creating a public playlist is, hands down, the best option for effective marketing, offering maximum exposure for your videos and/or YouTube channel.
• Private: Simply put, Private is for your eyes only. Select this option for channels that have been created solely for personal use—no sharing at all.
• Unlisted: This is one of the least utilized options, yet still highly effective as it provides discretion from unwanted eyes, while still offering the potential for sharing with select groups. Basically, Unlisted means that your YouTube channel will not appear in public search results, but it can be shared with friends, family, co-workers, customers—or anyone else you want—via a private web link. For example, if you operate a YouTube channel that features how-to videos for makeup application that you do not want to make available for viewing by potential competitors, you can select the Unlisted option and share your playlist with only prospective clients or employers using a web link.

Once you have created your title and selected your preferred YouTube privacy setting option, you can click on the “Create” button.

You have now successfully created your own YouTube playlist! In order to view your playlist, return to your YouTube channel homepage and select the tab marked “Playlists”. From here, you will be able to reference every playlist you have created.

Step 5: Adding MORE videos to your YouTube playlist

Now that you have created your very own playlist, you can add as many or as few new videos as you wish. Simply refer to the same process outlined in step two while searching for your next addition.

Since you have already created a playlist, this time, when you click the “Save to” icon on new videos, your playlist name will appear as an option. Check the box when prompted, and the video will be added to your playlist.

There you have it. You have now created your very own YouTube playlist! You are now ready to explore everything that YouTube has to offer—saving, storing and sharing your findings along the way.

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