---
{"title": "Arrange exhibit videos by length for museum educators", "description": "A plain guide for museum educators to put exhibit videos shortest first, with the tools to try and the mistakes to avoid.", "url": "https://xpdaily.com/how-to-arrange-exhibit-videos-by-length-for-museum-educators/", "date": "2026-10-21"}
---
A plain guide for museum educators to put exhibit videos shortest first, with the tools to try and the mistakes to avoid.

List each exhibit video with the length YouTube shows on it, rank them from shortest to longest, and put that order into the playlist. A pen and paper, a spreadsheet or a browser tool can do it.

| Option | How it orders videos |
|---|---|
| Paper list or sticky note | You rank by hand |
| Spreadsheet | You sort by a length column you fill in |
| YTSort | Reorders a YouTube playlist you own by video length, shortest or longest first [^1] |

## What you need before you start

Arranging exhibit videos by length takes only a few things.

- **A playlist you own.** Reordering a playlist in place only works on one that belongs to your account. For a playlist shared by an exhibit team, make sure the account that runs the tour can edit it, or work from a written list.
- **The length of each video.** YouTube shows it on each thumbnail. You need it to rank the videos.
- **A reason for going short first.** It might be to fit a guided gallery tour or to show short clips between talks. Know which, because it decides what you do with the long videos.
- **A place to keep the order.** The playlist itself, a paper list or a spreadsheet all work. What matters is that the order lives in one place.
- **A web browser.** Only needed if you want a tool to do the sorting. Add the tool to your browser once, before you start, following its own instructions.

Set aside a short block before you line up the videos for an exhibit. Sorting while you are already mid-tour tends to break your flow.

## Step by step

These steps work with any tool, including a pen and a sheet of paper.

1. **Open the playlist you want to sort.** Make sure the account that runs the exhibit can edit it before choosing a way to put shorter videos first.
2. **List every video with its length.** Write the title and the time shown on the thumbnail. Do not sort yet.
3. **Mark videos that must stay in order.** Some exhibits tell a story in order. If one video explains what comes next, keep those together.
4. **Rank the rest from shortest to longest.** Put the shortest at the top.
5. **Decide what happens to the very long videos.** You can leave them at the end or schedule them for a longer block in a classroom visit.
6. **Check the order before you commit.** Read the new list once from top to bottom and look for videos that now sit in a confusing place.
7. **Apply the order.** Reorder the playlist by hand, or use a tool that does it for you.
8. **Watch from the top.** Start with the first video and move down the list.
9. **Keep notes as you go.** Short videos pass quickly, so a line or two per video helps the tour script stay straight.
10. **Review after the first few sessions.** If the order is not helping visitors, change it.

## Tools that can do it

You do not need software for this. Here are options to consider.

**Paper list or sticky note.** You write each title and length and rank them by hand. Nothing is published here about price or limits because it depends on what you already own.

**A spreadsheet.** A column for the title, a column for length and a sort on the length column gives you a shortest-first list. Check how it behaves on your phone if you plan to use it in the gallery. Facts about specific spreadsheet apps are not provided here, so check their own pages for limits and cost.

**YTSort.** YTSort is made by the team that publishes this site. YTSort is one option. It reorders a YouTube playlist you own by video length, shortest or longest first. [^1] It sorts the full playlist, not just the videos loaded on screen. [^1] It shows the before and after order so you can check it before applying. [^1] It can sort only videos within a length range and move the rest to the end. [^1] It shows total, average, shortest and longest video duration for the playlist. [^1] It exports position, title, duration and URL of every video to a CSV file. [^1] It works by sending requests to YouTube's own system using your existing session, so there is no dragging or scrolling, and after sorting it reads the playlist back and re-applies any moves that did not stick. [^1][^1] YTSort is free. [^1]

You can get YTSort through a bookmark, a browser script, or a Chrome Web Store extension. [^1] The extension needs Chrome or Edge, and the script version works in any browser, including Firefox, with Tampermonkey, Violentmonkey or Greasemonkey installed. [^1] Its panel follows YouTube's light or dark theme automatically. [^1] If its usual fast method is ever unavailable, it switches to drag-and-drop. [^1]

## Common mistakes to avoid

**Sorting an exhibit that tells a story in order.** If later videos explain earlier ones, a pure shortest-first order can leave visitors confused. Keep dependent videos together.

**Trusting the order without a look.** Read the new order once before you start. A quick check catches videos that ended up in an odd spot.

**Forgetting the long videos.** Moving them to the end is fine, but give them a slot in a longer visit or they never get watched.

**Trying to reorder a playlist that is not yours.** Check who owns it first. If it is not yours, copy the videos into your own playlist or keep a written list.

**Watching without notes.** Short videos go by fast, so notes can help you track what fits the tour.

**Never reviewing the order.** If the order is not working for your visitors, change the approach instead of sticking with it.

## Frequently asked questions

### How to put the shortest exhibit videos first in a YouTube playlist?

List each exhibit video with its length, rank them from shortest to longest, then apply that order to the playlist by hand. You can do this on paper or with a tool. Check each tool's current details before choosing how to sort the playlist.

### Can YTSort sort a whole exhibit playlist?

Yes. YTSort sorts the full playlist, not just the videos loaded on screen. [^1] It reorders videos by sending requests to YouTube's own system, so there is no dragging or scrolling. [^1] After sorting, it reads the playlist back and re-applies any moves that did not stick. [^1]

### Can the new playlist order be checked before it is applied?

With YTSort, yes. It shows the before and after order so you can check it before applying. [^1] With a paper list or spreadsheet, you see the order as you write it, so read it through once before you start.

### Which browsers work with YTSort?

The add-on needs Chrome or Edge. The script works in any browser, including Firefox, once you add a script manager such as Tampermonkey, Violentmonkey or Greasemonkey, a small add-on that runs scripts for you. [^1] It can also be run from a bookmark. [^1]

### Should museum educators always put exhibit videos shortest first?

Not always. If an exhibit tells a story in order, keep dependent videos together. Shortest first can fit a guided gallery tour. Review the order after a few sessions and change it if needed.

YTSort is free; all install options include the same features. [^1] - [Visit YTSort](/go/start-ytsort)

## Sources

[^1]: YTSort's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher) (/go/start-ytsort)