How To Create A YouTube Playlist That Keeps People Watching

If you want more views, a longer average view duration or more overall watch time on your channel, the answer might not be making more videos. It might be organising the videos you already have.

I walk you through how to create a YouTube playlist that keeps people watching, plus YouTube's newer formats: courses, podcasts and shows.

Key Takeaways

• Playlists give viewers the next logical video to watch, which increases view duration, session time and overall watch time.
• YouTube now offers playlists, courses, podcasts and, for Partner Programme members, shows, so pick the format that fits your content.
• Feature your best playlists on your channel home page so new visitors know where to start.

Why YouTube Playlists Keep People Watching

Playlists sit in their own tab on your channel. By grouping related videos, you give viewers the next logical step instead of leaving them to find it. That increases their average view duration and the time they spend on your channel.

The formats on my channel:

• Playlists: such as Building Your Online Business, Tools and Tech for Business, and YouTube and Content Strategy.
• Courses: two free Kajabi courses. They started as playlists, but the course format feels more like a premium start-to-finish programme.
• Podcast: all my longer, interview-style videos, some up to an hour.

How to Create a YouTube Playlist

In YouTube Studio, click Create in the top right. You'll see options for a new playlist, podcast, course or show.

1. Click New playlist.
2. Add a title and a full description.
3. Choose the visibility. I'd set it to private until you're happy with it, then make it public.
4. Choose the default video order: newest, oldest, most popular, or manual.
5. Set the language you speak in the videos, then click Create.

Your playlists then appear under Content, in the Playlists tab. Click one to see its details, videos and analytics. For example, my YouTube and Content Strategy playlist is described as how to build a YouTube channel that gets found in search and turns viewers into clients.

Edit Your Playlist

Click Edit on YouTube to open the full editor. From there you can:

• Upload a custom thumbnail for the playlist.
• Edit the title, description and visibility.
• Use the three-dot menu on any video to remove it, move it to the top or bottom, share it or set it as the playlist thumbnail.
• Drag and drop videos to change the order, if they need to be watched in sequence.

YouTube Courses, Podcasts and Shows

Courses

A course is effectively a playlist with a clearer start and finish. Viewers see lessons rather than videos and can resume where they left off, so order matters. My course on building your first online course has 10 lessons. You can convert a playlist to a course, or a course back to a playlist, from the three-dot menu.

Podcasts

A podcast collects longer-form episodes. I use one for all my interview-style videos, and it's edited in the same way as a playlist.

Shows

Shows are the newest and most premium option, available only to YouTube Partner Programme members, which means having over 1,000 subscribers. They let you add bespoke artwork and release content in seasons. If you're not in the Partner Programme yet, you won't see this option. Here's more on the YouTube Partner Programme.

Feature Your Playlists on Your Channel Home Page

A great way to show off your playlists is your channel home page. In YouTube Studio, go to Customisation, then the Home tab.

1. Set a channel trailer or featured video at the top.
2. Click Add section and choose a single playlist, podcast or show.
3. Repeat for each one you want to feature.

My home page has a featured video, a "start here" playlist with a play all button, then playlists for AI tools, YouTube and content strategy, building your online business, getting started with Kajabi, Kajabi alternatives, tools and tech, and success stories, with my podcast at the bottom.

Playlists work alongside other ways of guiding viewers to your next video, like end screens and YouTube cards. To see whether they're working, keep an eye on your analytics, as I explain in turning your YouTube analytics into your next video.

Conclusion

Before you make another video, organise the ones you have. A well-built YouTube playlist gives viewers the next logical video and keeps them watching.

Use playlists, courses and podcasts, plus shows if you're in the Partner Programme, and feature your best ones on your home page to grow your views, view duration and watch time.