How to order shared lecture playlists by length for study group leaders in 2026

Steps, tools and mistakes to avoid when a study group leader orders a shared lecture playlist by video length, from shortest to longest.

By XP Daily · 2026-10-22

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

List every video in the shared playlist with its length, rank them from shortest to longest, then apply that order to the playlist. A study group leader can do this by hand on paper or in a spreadsheet, or use a tool that reorders the playlist in place.

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

Ordering a shared lecture playlist by length takes only a few things.

A playlist you can reorder. Reordering a playlist in place only works on one that belongs to your account. For a shared playlist that someone else owns, you can copy the videos into your own playlist first, or work from a written list the group can follow.
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 study session or start with the lighter lectures. Know which, because it decides what you do with the long lectures.
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 the whole group can see.
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 the group's next session. Sorting while the group is already watching tends to break the flow.

Step by step

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

Open the playlist you want to order. Make sure you can access the playlist before choosing a way to put shorter videos first.
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 lectures build on earlier ones. If lecture two needs lecture one, keep those two together.
Rank the rest from shortest to longest. Put the shortest at the top.
Decide what happens to the very long lectures. You can leave them at the end or schedule them for a longer study block.
Check the order before you commit. Read the new list once from top to bottom and look for lectures that now sit in a confusing place.
Apply the order. Reorder the playlist by hand, or use a tool that does it for you.
Share the new order with the group. Post the list or the reordered playlist so everyone starts from the same place.
Watch from the top. Start with the first video and move down the list.
Review after the first few sessions. If the order is not helping the group study, 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. It reorders a YouTube playlist you own by video length, shortest or longest first. ^[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]

Before applying, it shows the before and after order so you can check it. ^[1] After sorting, it reads the playlist back from YouTube and re-applies any moves that did not stick. ^[1] It sorts the full playlist, not just the videos loaded on screen. ^[1] It can sort only videos within a length range and move the rest to the end. ^[1] It also shows total, average, shortest and longest video duration for the playlist. ^[1]

YTSort is free, and all install options include the same features. ^[1] It is free, open-source software under the GPL-2.0-only licence. ^[1]

Common mistakes to avoid

Ordering a course that builds lecture by lecture. If later videos rely on earlier ones, a pure shortest-first order can leave the group confused. Keep dependent lectures together.

Trusting the order without a look. Read the new order once before the group starts. A quick check catches lectures that ended up in an odd spot.

Forgetting the long lectures. 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 the group can follow.

Never reviewing the order. If the order is not working for the group's schedule, change the approach instead of sticking with it.

Frequently asked questions

How to put the shortest videos first in a shared lecture playlist?

List each video with its length, rank them from shortest to longest, then apply that order to the playlist by hand. If the playlist belongs to your account, a tool can reorder it in place. Check each tool's current details before choosing how to sort your playlist.

How to sort a YouTube playlist from shortest to longest?

List each video with its length, rank them from shortest to longest, then apply that order by hand in the playlist. With YTSort, it reorders a YouTube playlist you own by video length, shortest or longest first. ^[1] Check each tool's current details before choosing how to sort your playlist.

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

With YTSort, you can check the order first: it shows the before and after order so you can review it before applying. ^[1] With a paper list or spreadsheet, you see the order as you write it, so read it through once before the group starts watching.

Which browsers work with YTSort?

The extension 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 study group leaders always order lectures shortest first?

Not always. If a course builds lecture by lecture, keep dependent lectures in order. Shortest first can suit a short study session. For long courses, 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)