How to build looping video playlists for waiting room managers in 2026

A plain guide for waiting room managers to build looping video playlists, with steps, the tools to try and the mistakes to avoid.

By XP Daily · 2026-10-21

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

Plan the loop, note each video's length, put the videos in a deliberate order, then set the player to repeat the whole playlist.

Option	How it orders the loop
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

Building a looping video playlist takes only a few things.

A playlist you own. Reordering a playlist only works on one that belongs to your account. Check that you have the right to show the videos in a waiting room in the first place.
The length of each video. YouTube shows it on each thumbnail. You need it to shape the loop.
A decision on what the loop should do. It might keep the room calm, cover a full shift in the clinic, or repeat every few minutes. Know which, because it sets the order.
A player that can repeat a playlist. Most players can loop a video or a list. Check the loop setting before you rely on it.
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 ordering. Add the tool to your browser once, before you start, following its own instructions.

Set aside time before the waiting room opens to build and test the loop. A loop that fails mid-morning is hard to fix with patients present.

Step by step

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

Open the playlist you want to loop. Make sure the videos are ones you have the right to show.
List every video with its length. Write the title and the time shown on the thumbnail. Do not arrange yet.
Decide how long the full loop should be. One full pass through the playlist should cover the time between resets.
Choose the order on purpose. Put calmer videos where you want a calm block and brighter ones elsewhere.
Fill gaps with the right lengths. If the loop is running short, add longer videos or repeat a segment.
Arrange the videos. Do it by hand, or use a tool that orders them by length for you.
Check the order end to end. Watch the playlist once from top to bottom and look for jarring jumps.
Set the player to loop. Turn on repeat so the playlist starts again when it ends.
Test a full cycle. Let it run once all the way through and watch the handoff back to the first video.
Review after a few days. If the loop does not suit the room, change the order.

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 an ordered 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. 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, which helps if the loop should use short clips only. ^[1] It shows the total, average, shortest and longest video duration for the playlist, which helps set the full loop length. ^[1] It exports position, title, duration and URL of every video to a CSV file, so the planned order can be kept as a record. ^[1] After sorting, it reads the playlist back from YouTube and re-applies any moves that did not stick. ^[1] It reorders videos by sending requests to YouTube's own system using your existing session, with no dragging or scrolling. ^[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, open-source software under the GPL-2.0-only licence. ^[1]^[1]

Common mistakes to avoid

Building a loop that is too long for the room time. If the loop outlasts the time between resets, it cuts off mid-video. Match the loop to your schedule.

Trusting the order without a look. Watch the new order once before you open. A quick check catches jarring jumps between videos.

Forgetting to test the handoff. The moment the last video ends and the first restarts is where loops fail. Let it run a full cycle once.

Leaving the player on the wrong loop setting. Check that repeat is on for the playlist, not just a single video.

Skipping the rights check. Confirm you are allowed to play the material in a waiting room before you build the loop.

Never reviewing the loop. If the order is not working in your room, change the sequence instead of leaving it running.

Frequently asked questions

How can a waiting room manager build a looping video playlist?

Note each video's length, decide how long the full loop should run, put the videos in the order you want, then set the player to repeat the whole playlist. YTSort can reorder a YouTube playlist you own by video length, shortest or longest first. ^[1] Confirm that you have the right to show the material in the waiting room before the loop goes live.

Can YTSort show the order before the playlist is changed?

Yes. It shows the before and after order so you can check it before applying. ^[1] It also sorts the full playlist, not just the videos loaded on screen. ^[1] For a paper list or spreadsheet, you see the order as you write it, so read it through once before you start the loop.

Does YTSort cost anything for waiting room managers?

No. YTSort is free, open-source software under the GPL-2.0-only licence. ^[1]^[1] All install options include the same features. ^[1] Check the current details on the extension and script pages before you install, because details can change.

Which browsers work with YTSort?

The add-on needs Chrome or Edge. The script works in any browser, including Firefox, with Tampermonkey, Violentmonkey or Greasemonkey installed. ^[1] It can also be run from a bookmark. ^[1]

How to loop a YouTube playlist on a waiting room TV?

Put the videos in the order you want, then set the player to repeat the playlist instead of a single video. YTSort can arrange the playlist order by video length, shortest or longest first. ^[1] Test one full cycle, from the last video back to the first, before the waiting room opens.

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)