Binge-watching—the practice of consuming several back-to-back episodes of a TV show—is extremely popular. The introduction of auto-play had a hand in shaping this behavior. As soon as you finish an episode, the next one starts (unless you intervene). This makes it easy to sit back and keep watching.
Playlists are a way to recreate this experience on your TikTok account. By grouping your videos into a themed collection, you can keep viewers watching for longer.
What is a TikTok playlist?
A TikTok playlist is a curated collection of content created by accounts with more than 10,000 followers. These collections are visible on your profile page just above your content feed. When a user clicks a playlist title, each video in the series plays one after the other. Users can watch videos sequentially, or skip through the playlist to find new content.
Why should you make TikTok playlists?
Playlists are a way to keep your content organized and help users discover new videos. You can create playlists based on a theme, such as how-to videos, or use them to string together multiple short posts that tell a longer story. These collections can help increase your channel’s watch time; when a viewer finishes watching one of your videos, the next one on the list will play automatically.
Playlists also make it easier for viewers to relocate a video they’ve already seen. Imagine that a user discovers a bathroom renovation video you created a year ago. Later, when they’re picking out tiles, they want to watch the video again to follow your advice. They head to your profile page, but your feed is automatically organized chronologically, with the most recent videos at the top. This makes it difficult to locate older content. If your page includes a “Home Makeover” playlist, the user will be able to find the video quickly and they might even discover some new content of yours in the process.
How to make a playlist on TikTok from your profile
Here’s how to make a playlist starting from your profile page:
1. Navigate to videos
Once you’ve opened the app to your profile page, click over to the video tab. You should see your video displayed on your screen. Any playlists that you’ve already created will be displayed in a bar above your video content.
2. Create a playlist
If you’re making your first playlist, you’ll see a banner reading “Sort videos into playlists” at the top of your content. Click the banner to head over to the creation screen. If you’ve already made at least one playlist, you’ll see a plus sign displayed next to your current collections. Tap this button to add a new playlist.
3. Name your playlist and add content
TikTok provides on-screen instructions to walk you through the playlist creation process. First, come up with a name for your playlist and enter it into the blank field. Choose a name that tells viewers what to expect and captures their attention. After you enter the title, click “Next.” The app will bring up your video feed, with the most recent video displayed at the top.
Tap the circle in the upper right-hand corner of the thumbnail to add videos to your playlist—you can add more than one video at a time. TikTok will organize the videos into a list based on the order of the selection.
You will only be able to add public videos. Videos can appear in only one playlist at a time—if you want to add a post to a different playlist, you’ll have to remove it from its original collection first.
How to make a playlist on TikTok from a video
You can also create new playlists directly from a video post. Here’s how to access the menu and begin the creation flow:
1. Select a video
Navigate to one of your videos as though you were going to watch it. Press down and hold on the post screen or tap the three-dot icon on the bottom right corner of the screen to pull up the menu.
2. Create or add to a playlist
Once you’ve located the menu, you can choose from two options: “Add to playlist” or “Create a playlist.” Select the first option to add your video to an existing collection or tap “Create” to build a new one. The post that you selected will become the first video in your playlist.
3. Add content and details
If you’re creating a new playlist, the app will prompt you to come up with a name. Choose a name that describes your playlist’s theme. After you input a title the app will bring up your video library. Select the other videos you want to add by tapping the circle in the upper right-hand corner of the video thumbnail.
How to manage a playlist on TikTok
- Delete old content
- Keep playlist content updated
- Update titles
- Choose a video order that keeps viewers engaged
Periodically refreshing your playlists can help keep your page engaging. To make changes to a playlist, open the playlist and use the three-dot icon menu in the upper right-hand corner of the screen to pull up the edit menu. These are the edit functions that you will find and some management tips to help keep your content current and accurate:
Delete old content
Delete playlists or videos that are no longer relevant. If content becomes out of date or inaccurate, you can remove it to make way for new collections. The playlist edit menu includes options for deleting individual videos or entire collections.
Keep playlist content updated
Periodically adding more videos to your existing playlists will help keep them engaging. Update your collections with new content whenever you create a post that fits one of your themes. You can add a video to a playlist from the playlist edit menu or an individual post. To add a video directly, select a video, pull up the menu, tap “Add to playlist,” and select the correct collection.
Update titles
You can use the edit menu to rename playlists after they have been published. Changing a playlist name can be a low-lift way to reframe the content. As you create more playlists, you may want to edit your existing collection titles to give them shorter names; shorter titles create more space for playlists at the top of your feed.
Choose a video order that keeps viewers engaged
You may want to rearrange your playlist videos to place popular posts near the beginning or if you notice a sequential series is out of order. Once you open the playlist edit menu you can rearrange your content by pressing down on the video thumbnail and dragging it to its new position.
How to make a playlist on TikTok FAQ
Why can’t I create a playlist on TikTok?
TikTok playlists are currently only available to a select portion of users. If you don’t see the playlist option on your video tab, your account has not yet been given access to this feature.
How many TikTok followers do you need to make playlists?
Creator playlists are currently offered to accounts with more than 10,000 followers. If you’ve passed the follower threshold and still can’t access the playlist feature, TikTok user support may be able to grant permission.
How do you get the playlist feature on TikTok?
TikTok’s playlist feature is currently only offered to select creators with more than 10,000 followers. If you don’t meet these criteria, you’ll have to wait until the app rolls the feature out to a wider audience.
