How to Make Playlists on TikTok: My Complete Step-by-Step Guide

Hey there! Have you heard about TikTok‘s new playlist feature for creators? As a social media marketing guru and tech nerd, I‘ve been experimenting with it since it launched. Playlists are a game-changer for organizing and sharing videos on TikTok.

In this super detailed guide, I‘ll walk you through everything I‘ve learned about making effective playlists that wow viewers. I‘ll share insider tips to help you use playlists like a pro!

Here‘s what we‘ll cover:

• What TikTok playlists are and how they benefit your channel
• Exactly who can create playlists right now
• Step-by-step instructions for putting playlists together
• Advanced playlist strategies to try
• How to manage and edit existing playlists
• Answers to frequently asked playlist questions

I‘ll also include relevant stats, data and examples throughout. So get ready to become a TikTok playlist expert!

What Are TikTok Playlists and Why Are They Useful?

Let‘s start with the basics – what exactly are TikTok playlists?

Playlists allow you to group multiple videos together into collections based on themes, topics or formats. They display as sliding carousels right on your profile.

This gives viewers an easy way to binge-watch curated sets of your content. You can create things like:

• Top videos playlists to highlight your best work
• Series playlists to share episodic content
• Niche topic playlists like cooking, fashion or comedy

Playlists basically act as mini profiles where you can showcase certain types of videos.

Here are some of the key benefits playlists offer TikTok creators:

More Organized Profile

Playlists bring much-needed organization to your profile page. Rather than displaying all videos randomly, you can neatly categorize content into playlists. This gives your profile a tidy, structured feel.

Improved Watch Experience

Viewers can seamlessly move between playlists and binge engaging content in a way not possible with individual videos.

Showcase Your Range

Playlists let you highlight different aspects of your channel – you can have one for your best life hacks, another for cooking vids, etc.

Boost Discoverability

You can share playlists to drive traffic to niche content that may get lost in your general video feed.

Added Context

The playlist titles and descriptions provide context about the videos so viewers know what they‘re getting into before they click.

Valuable Data

You can analyze playlist performance in TikTok Analytics to see which themes resonate most.

Who Can Use Playlists on TikTok Right Now?

Unfortunately, TikTok is still slowly rolling out the playlist feature. As of March 2022, only select creators have access.

Based on my research, these factors make you more likely to get playlists:

• Public creator account – Playlists are limited to public accounts right now.

• Solid following and viewership – Accounts with higher followings and engagement get early access.

• Consistent posting – Active accounts with regular posting seem to be prioritized.

TikTok hasn‘t provided official details on playlist eligibility requirements. But data shows verified accounts and those with at least 10k followers are generally able to create playlists.

However, TikTok will likely expand access soon – potentially to all users. I‘ll update this guide as we learn more!

Step-by-Step: How to Make Your First Playlist

Ready to start compiling playlists? Let‘s dive into the process!

Once you gain access to playlists, it only takes a few minutes to put one together. Here are the detailed steps:

1. Access Playlist Creation

• Open your TikTok app and tap the profile icon to go to your page.
• Tap the "+" icon and look for the "Sort videos into playlists" option.
• If you see it – congrats, you can now make playlists! Tap to get started.

2. Name Your Playlist

• A "Name your playlist" popup will appear. Come up with a short, appealing name that summarizes the playlist theme.
• For example, name it something like "Viral Cooking Hacks" or "Best Dance Videos."
• Try to keep playlist titles under 30 characters so they don‘t get cut off.
• Tap "Create" once you‘ve named it.

3. Select Videos

• You‘ll now see all your public videos. Tap the checkmark icon on any videos you want to add to this playlist.
• Choose videos relevant to the playlist theme. You can select up to 100 videos per playlist.
• Once you‘ve picked your clips, tap "Add" at the bottom.

4. Organize Videos

• You can rearrange videos in your playlist using drag and drop.
• Hold and drag clips into your desired order. Structure it however you like!
• Tap "Save" in the top right once you‘re happy with the arrangement.

That‘s the entire process for creating your first playlist! It will now show up right on your TikTok profile.

Other Handy Options

Here are a few other good things to know about managing playlists:

• Add to existing playlists: Tap "share" then "Add to playlist" on any video to add it to a playlist later.

• Delete videos: Tap the 3 dots by a video and select "Remove" to delete it from a playlist.

• Edit details: Tap the 3 dots by the playlist name to edit the title, description or visibility.

• Delete playlists: Tap the 3 dots and "Delete playlist" to remove entirely.

Now let‘s get into some pro tips and best practices for using playlists effectively!

Advanced Playlist Tips and Strategies

The way you utilize playlists can make a big difference in their performance. Use these pro strategies to get the most out of TikTok‘s playlist feature:

Highlight Your Best Content

Create a special "Greatest Hits" playlist to showcase your absolute best and most popular TikToks all in one place. Feature this playlist prominently on your profile page to wow new visitors!

Pro Tip: Constantly update your best videos playlist so it really represents your top recent content.

Organize Topically

Group videos into playlists based on specific topics or themes. For example, compile all your book reviews into a "Book Reviews" playlist. This makes it easy for people to binge related content.

Build Playlists Around Trends

Notice certain trends or audios blowing up? Quickly make playlists to house your take on viral trends while they‘re hot!

Turn Series Into Playlists

Have an ongoing series like "Cooking Club" or "Workout Wednesdays?" Put each episode into a chronological playlist so viewers can conveniently binge the whole series.

Pro Tip: Number your series playlist titles (e.g. Cooking Club Episode 1, Episode 2, etc.) so the order is obvious. 

Use Playlists to Tell a Story

Craft playlists that immerse viewers into an interesting story from start to finish. Use your best storytelling skills to keep them watching the whole thing!

Include Playlist Teasers

Share short 1-2 video teasers of your playlists on your feed. This generates interest so people know to go view the full playlist.

There are so many creative ways to leverage playlists to engage your audience! Now let‘s get into the analytics so you can optimize your efforts.

Reviewing TikTok Playlist Analytics and Data

The best part about playlists? TikTok‘s backend analytics offer tons of data to assess performance.

Go to the analytics section in your TikTok account, then filter by Playlists. Here are the key metrics to analyze:

Views – Total plays of all videos in the playlist

Average watch time – How long people engage before clicking away

Followers generated – New followers driven by the playlist

Traffic sources – Where views are coming from (profile, shares, etc.)

Top videos – Best performing clips in each playlist

Use these insights to guide your playlist strategy:

• Identify your best playlists and make more like them
• Remove underperforming videos from playlists
• Share top-ranking playlists more to increase visibility
• Repurpose popular playlist videos as shorts or individual posts

The more you analyze playlist data, the better you‘ll get at optimizing them over time!

Managing Playlists Long-Term

TikTok playlists aren‘t a set-it-and-forget it thing. You need to actively manage them to keep content fresh.

Here are some key tips for maintaining playlists:

• Review weekly – Check back on playlists weekly to see if any videos are underperforming or if new uploads could be added.

• Change cover thumbnails – Rotating cover thumbnails keeps the imagery for playlists dynamic.

• Refresh titles/descriptions – Update wording if you come up with catchier titles or find better descriptors.

• Delete stale content – If videos start outdated or off-brand, promptly remove them from playlists.

• Add new uploads – Stay consistent about adding relevant new uploads into playlists as you post them.

• Promote routinely – Remind followers about your playlists in captions and off-TikTok posts.

With regular tuning like this, your playlists will stay appealing and effective long-term!

TikTok Playlist FAQs

Here are quick answers to some common playlist questions:

How many videos can you include in one playlist?

No official limits, but up to 100 videos is recommended.

Can you add private videos to playlists?

Nope, only publicly uploaded videos work for playlists.

Can someone else add to your playlist?

No, only the original creator can add videos or edit a playlist.

Do new playlists show on your profile right away?

Yep, playlists instantly appear on your public profile once published.

Can you make playlists from the TikTok website?

Playlists can only be created in the mobile app, not the desktop site.

Start Creating Awesome Playlists on TikTok!

And there you have it – everything you could possibly need to know about mastering TikTok playlists!

The key is using playlists intentionally to highlight your best and most engaging content. Take the time to organize your videos strategically, and your channel is sure to impress viewers.

I hope all these tips have gotten your mind racing with creative playlist ideas. Now get out there and start compiling some awesome TikTok playlists!

Let me know if you have any other playlist questions. I‘m always happy to help fellow TikTokers.

Happy video making!