Creating a playlist takes three steps: start a new list, add songs to it, and name it
A playlist on YouTube Music is a collection of songs you arrange in any order you want. You create it yourself, not YouTube. Once you make one, you can play it whenever you want, share it with other people, or keep it private. The process is the same whether you use YouTube Music on your phone, tablet, or computer.
The fastest way to start is to find any song you like, tap or click the three-dot menu next to it, and choose "Add to playlist." YouTube will ask if you want to create a new one or add it to an existing playlist. Pick "Create new playlist," give it a name, and you're done. That one song is now in your new playlist. From there, you can add more songs the same way, or you can open the playlist and add songs directly from inside it.
Key Takeaways
- You start a playlist by finding any song, tapping the three-dot menu, and selecting "Add to playlist," then choosing "Create new playlist."
- You can add songs to a playlist from the song's menu, or by opening the playlist itself and searching for songs to add.
- Playlists appear in your "Library" tab on YouTube Music, and you can edit the order of songs by dragging them up or down.
- You control who sees your playlist: you can keep it private, share it with specific people, or make it public so anyone can find it.
- YouTube Music saves your playlists to your account, so they appear on all your devices as long as you're signed in.
How to add songs to a playlist you already made
Once your playlist exists, you have two ways to add more songs. The first is the same method you used to create it: find a song anywhere in YouTube Music, tap or click the three-dot menu, choose "Add to playlist," and select the playlist by name. The second way is to open the playlist itself, tap or click the plus sign or "Add songs" button inside it, and search for songs to add.
On a phone or tablet, open the YouTube Music app, go to your Library (usually at the bottom of the screen), find your playlist, and tap it to open it. Look for a plus sign or button that says "Add songs." Type the name of a song or artist, and YouTube will show you matching results. Tap the song you want, and it goes into the playlist. You can add as many as you want this way.
On a computer, the steps are similar. Go to youtube.com/music, click "Library" on the left side, find your playlist, click it to open it, and look for an "Add songs" button near the top. Search for songs the same way, and click them to add them.
Changing the order of songs in your playlist
YouTube Music lets you rearrange songs so they play in the order you want. On a phone or tablet, open your playlist, then press and hold a song (don't tap it—hold your finger on it for a second). A menu will appear. Look for an option that says "Move up," "Move down," or a similar direction. Tap it to shift that song one spot. You can do this as many times as you want until the order is right.
On a computer, open your playlist and look for a small icon that looks like six dots or lines next to each song (usually on the left side). Click and drag that icon up or down to move the song to a new spot. You can drag a song all the way to the top or bottom if you want.
Removing songs from a playlist
If you add a song by mistake or change your mind about it, you can remove it without deleting the song from YouTube Music itself. Open your playlist, find the song you want to remove, tap or click the three-dot menu next to it, and look for an option that says "Remove from playlist." Click or tap it, and the song disappears from that playlist only. The song still exists in YouTube Music and in any other playlists you added it to.
You can also delete an entire playlist if you no longer want it. Open your Library, find the playlist, tap or click the three-dot menu next to the playlist name (not next to a song inside it), and choose "Delete playlist." YouTube will ask you to confirm. Once you confirm, the playlist is gone, but all the songs in it remain in YouTube Music.
Sharing your playlist and controlling who can see it
By default, your playlists are private—only you can see them. If you want to share a playlist with friends or make it public, open the playlist, tap or click the three-dot menu at the top, and look for an option like "Share" or "Make public." YouTube will show you your choices.
If you choose to share, YouTube gives you a link you can copy and send to anyone. People who click that link can see your playlist and listen to it, but they cannot change the order of songs or remove songs (unless you give them permission to edit it, which is a separate setting). If you make the playlist public, anyone on YouTube Music can search for it and find it, even if you don't send them a link.
To change these settings later, open the playlist, tap or click the three-dot menu, and look for "Privacy" or "Share settings." You can switch between private, shared with specific people, and public whenever you want.
Where your playlists appear and how to find them
All your playlists live in your Library on YouTube Music. On a phone or tablet, tap the Library icon at the bottom of the app (it usually looks like a stack of lines or a folder). On a computer, click "Library" on the left side of the screen. Your playlists appear in a section labeled "Your playlists" or similar. Tap or click any playlist to open it and start playing songs.
Your playlists sync across all your devices. If you create a playlist on your phone, it appears on your tablet and computer as long as you're signed into the same YouTube account. If you add a song to a playlist on your computer, that song appears in the same playlist on your phone the next time you open the app.
What happens to your playlists if you stop paying for YouTube Music
If you have a YouTube Music Premium subscription and it expires, your playlists stay in your account. You can still see them, open them, and listen to them if you switch to the free version of YouTube Music. However, the free version has ads and does not let you read songs for offline listening. Your playlists themselves are not deleted—they're just subject to the limits of the free service.
If you delete your YouTube account entirely, your playlists are deleted too. YouTube keeps your account data for a short time after deletion, but after that period, everything is gone. If you think you might want your playlists later, you can read a copy of your data from your Google Account settings before you delete anything.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I add the same song to multiple playlists?
Yes. A song can be in as many playlists as you want. Adding a song to one playlist does not remove it from another. You can use the three-dot menu on any song and add it to different playlists one at a time.
What's the difference between a playlist and a liked song?
A liked song goes into a single "Liked" collection that YouTube Music creates for you automatically. A playlist is a collection you create yourself and can organize however you want. You can have many playlists, but only one "Liked" collection. Playlists let you group songs by mood, artist, or any other reason you choose.
Can someone else edit my playlist if I share it with them?
Not unless you turn on editing permission. When you share a playlist, people can see it and listen to it, but they cannot change the order or add or remove songs. If you want to let someone edit your playlist, look for a "Collaborate" or "Allow edits" option in the share settings, though this feature varies by device and region.
How many songs can I put in one playlist?
YouTube Music does not publish a hard limit, but playlists with thousands of songs may slow down on older phones or devices. Most people keep playlists between 50 and 500 songs. If you want to organize a huge music library, create multiple playlists by mood, genre, or artist instead of one giant list.
Do I lose my playlists if I switch phones?
No. As long as you sign into YouTube Music with the same account on your new phone, your playlists appear automatically. They sync from your Google Account, so they're not stored only on one device. Just read the YouTube Music app, sign in, and go to your Library to see all your playlists.