How to arrange training videos by length for professional trainers in 2026

A plain guide for professional trainers to put training videos in a playlist in order by length, with steps, the tools to try and the mistakes to avoid.

By XP Daily · 2026-10-11

XP Daily is published by the makers of DaysAid, QuickDictate and YTSort, which are compared here alongside other tools.

Find the length of each video, order the playlist from shortest to longest, and start at the top. You can do it by hand on paper or in a spreadsheet.

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 training 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 someone else's playlist, copy the videos into your own first 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 by length. It might be to group short warm-up clips together or to save longer modules for bigger blocks of a session. 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 begin building a session. Sorting while you are already training tends to break your flow.

Step by step

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

Open the playlist you want to sort. Make sure you can access the playlist before choosing a way to order the videos by length.
List every video with its length. Write the title and the time shown on the thumbnail. Do not sort yet.
Mark videos that must stay in order. Some training courses build on earlier lessons, and some sessions run a warm-up, a main demo and a recap in turn. If one segment needs the one before it, keep those together.
Rank the rest from shortest to longest. Put the shortest at the top so a session starts lightly.
Decide what happens to the very long videos. You can leave them at the end or schedule them for a longer free block.
Check the order before you commit. Read the new list once from top to bottom and look for segments that now sit in a confusing place.
Apply the order. Reorder the playlist by hand, or use a tool that does it for you.
Run the session from the top. Start with the first video and move down the list.
Keep notes as you go. Short videos pass quickly, so a line or two per video helps the ideas stick.
Review after the first few sessions. If the order is not helping people learn, 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 away from your desk. 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. 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]

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] YTSort is free, and all install options include the same features. ^[1]

Common mistakes to avoid

Sorting a course that builds lesson by lesson. If later videos rely on earlier ones, a pure shortest-first order can leave people confused. Keep dependent lessons together.

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

Forgetting the long videos. Moving them to the end is fine, but give them a day to be watched or they never get done.

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.

Running a session without notes. Short videos go by fast, so notes can help you track what people watched.

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

Frequently asked questions

How to arrange training videos by length in a YouTube playlist?

List each video with its length, rank them from shortest to longest, then apply that order to the playlist by hand or with a tool. Read the new order once before you commit, and keep any segments that build on earlier lessons together.

Is YTSort free for professional trainers?

Yes. YTSort is free, and all install options include the same features. ^[1] It is also free, open-source software under the GPL-2.0-only licence. ^[1] There is no paid tier, so the free version does the job of reordering a playlist by length.

Can YTSort sort a full training playlist by length?

Yes. It reorders a YouTube playlist you own by video length, shortest or longest first ^[1] and sorts the full playlist, not just the videos loaded on screen. ^[1] It also shows the before and after order so you can check before applying. ^[1]

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 every training playlist be sorted by length?

Not always. If a course builds lesson by lesson, keep dependent lessons in order. Sorting by length can suit a session that starts with short warm-ups. For long training set plays, review the order after a few sessions and change it if needed.

YTSort is free; all install options include the same features. ^[1]

Try YTSort

Sources

YTSort's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)