Have you accumulated playlists on YouTube that no longer spark joy? This comprehensive guide will walk you through how to delete YouTube playlists you no longer need.
We‘ll cover:
- Deciding whether to delete or edit existing playlists
- Step-by-step instructions to remove playlists on desktop and mobile
- What happens to playlist data when deleted
- Best practices for organizing your YouTube playlist collection
By the end, you‘ll feel empowered to tame your video playlist beast. Let‘s get started!
Why Overhaul Your YouTube Playlists?
First, why even bother deleting or overhauling your YouTube playlists? With unlimited storage on the platform, playlists can pile up quickly.
But keeping old, irrelevant playlists around indefinitely hurts both you and your channel. Here‘s why:
For viewers
- Outdated playlists reflect poorly on your channel’s brand
- Hard for viewers to find newest and best content
- Reduces perceived authority if you recommend defunct videos
For creators
- Clutters up your creative workflow and video strategy
- Analytics get muddled across too many playlists
- New uploads get lost alongside old content
- Creates hassle of constantly updating all playlists
See why maintenance matters? Let‘s explore how to tackle this project.
Should You Delete or Edit Existing Playlists?
When facing down a messy playlist collection, you have two options:
- Delete – Completely remove unwanted playlists
- Edit – Modify existing playlists by adding or removing videos
Depending on the state of your current playlists, one may be better than the other:
| Action | When To Use | Considerations |
|---|---|---|
| Delete Playlist | Playlist is irrelevant or no longer fits your channel Want to start fresh with new playlist topic | Can‘t recover deleted playlist Loss of existing playlist analytics |
| Edit Playlist | Core topic still fits your interests Playlist has high viewership you want to retain | Time-consuming to rework existing playlist Outdated videos persist on channel |
As you can see, editing requires more effort but preserves that playlist‘s authority. Deleting forces a fresh start if the playlist no longer suits your content aims.
Step 1: Access Your Playlists to Delete or Edit
To modify your playlists, you first need access your full collection:
On Desktop
- Go to YouTube Studio > Playlists tab
- Or from homepage, click your profile icon > Playlists
YouTube Mobile App
- Tap Library tab > Playlists section
- Or tap your profile icon > Playlists
This brings up your full playlist dashboard – the playground for all your adding, deleting and editing needs!
Step 2: Delete Unwanted YouTube Playlists
When you‘re ready to Marie Kondo your playlist collection, deleting unwanted playlists takes just a few clicks:
On Desktop:
- Hover over playlist title
- Click "Delete" in the 3-dot menu
- Confirm deletion in pop-up
YouTube Mobile App:
- Swipe left on playlist
- Tap red "Delete" icon
- Confirm deletion
And poof! That playlist disappears for good. Do this for each outdated or irrelevant playlist cluttering up your account.
Warning: Unlike videos, deleted playlists CANNOT be recovered. The nuclear deletion option is permanent. So if you want to salvage certain videos first, do that before annihilating the full playlist.
Step 3: Edit & Upgrade Playlists
For playlists still worth keeping, roll up your sleeves and dive into editing mode:
Remove Defunct Videos
Cut the cruft by removing videos one by one:
- Open playlist and tap "…" menu beside any video
- Choose "Remove"
Repeat for each video not making the cut.
Bulk Add Videos
Streamline additions with bulk actions:
- Tap "Add Videos" (web) or "+" icon (mobile)
- Select multiple videos to insert into playlist
- Tap "Add" to append videos
Use this to seamlessly fuse playlists on similar topics.
Change Title, Description & Visibility
Modernize musty playlists in the playlist settings:
- Give stale playlists a fresh name and description overhaul
- Toggle visibility if the playlist should no longer be public
Like switching up tired furniture arrangements, these small shifts revive and breathe new energy into a previously outdated playlist!
What Happens When a Playlist Is Deleted?
Wondering what goes poof when you delete a YouTube playlist? Here‘s what gets erased:
- Playlist title, description, custom thumbnail
- Playlist view count and public accessibility
- Associated likes, dislikes, comments
- Playlist-specific analytics are removed
The component videos still live on in your account library and public videos. But any playlist-level data gets wiped out.
So if you want to preserve records of legacy playlists before deleting, make sure to export analytics reports and playlists for your archives.
YouTube Playlist Organization Best Practices
With great power comes great responsibility. Harness playlist superpowers properly by following YouTube‘s own recommendations:
The Rule of 3-5 Playlists
YouTube suggests 3-5 public playlists on your channel homepage for ideal navigation. Too many overwhelms viewers.
100 Videos Per Playlist Max
For performance wins, limit playlists to 100 videos max according to YouTube Creator Academy guidelines.
Visually Distinct Playlists
Custom thumbnail images help playlists stand out in suggested videos and browse features for +70% more clicks.
So take the extra minute to create unique thumbnail images per playlist to boost impressions.
Clear & Succinct Titles
Quickly convey the essence of the playlist in as few words as possible. Lean on emotional cues and trending naming conventions for maximum clicks.
Consistent Content Focus
The best playlists zero in on one particular genre or content area. Bouncing between varied topics only confuses your audience. Establish very clear guardrails per playlist.
Following these evidence-based principles elevates all your hard deletion and editing work into a supremely clickable playlist library!
I hope this soup-to-nuts guide on how to delete and organize your YouTube playlists sparks plenty of offline spring cleaning inspiration too. Let me know if you have any other YouTube questions!
