How to prepare viewing queues for media researchers in 2026

Q: Can YTSort sort a whole YouTube playlist by length?

Yes. YTSort reorders a YouTube playlist you own by video length, shortest or longest first, and it sorts the full playlist, not just the videos loaded on screen. The sort is done by sending requests to YouTube's own system using your existing session, so there is no dragging or scrolling. After sorting, it reads the playlist back and re-applies any moves that did not stick.

Q: Can the new queue order be checked before it is applied?

With YTSort, yes. It shows the before and after order so you can check it before applying. With a paper list or spreadsheet, you see the order as you write it, so read it through once before you start watching. Checking first catches clips that ended up in an odd spot.

A plain guide for media researchers to set up viewing queues before analyzing videos, with steps, the tools to try and the mistakes to avoid.

By XP Daily · 2026-10-16

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

Gather the videos to watch, choose the order that serves the research, and keep that order in one place so a session is ready to start. 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

Preparing a viewing queue takes only a few things.

A list of the videos to watch. Write down every video that belongs in the research session before you order them.
A viewing playlist you own. YTSort reorders a YouTube playlist you own by video length, shortest or longest first. ^[1]
A goal that decides the order. It might be to start with shorter clips or to set aside long videos for one sitting. Know which, because it decides what you do with 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 up the queue before you begin a research session. Preparing it while you are already watching tends to break your flow.

Step by step

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

Gather the videos for the queue. Make sure you can access each one before choosing an order.
List every video with its length. Write the title and the time shown on the thumbnail. Do not order yet.
Mark videos that must stay in order. Some research topics build on earlier views. If video two needs video one, keep those two together.
Order the rest from shortest to longest. Put the shortest clips at the top for quick watching.
Decide what happens to the very long videos. You can leave them at the end or group them into one longer session.
Check the order before you commit. Read the new list once from top to bottom and look for clips that now sit in a confusing place.
Apply the order. Reorder the playlist by hand, or use a tool that does it for you.
Watch from the top. Start with the first video and move down the queue.
Keep notes as you go. Short videos pass quickly, so a line or two per video helps the findings stick.
Review after the first few sessions. If the order is not serving the research, 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.

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 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]

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]

Common mistakes to avoid

Ordering videos that depend on each other. If later clips rely on earlier ones, a pure shortest-first order can leave findings confusing. Keep dependent videos together.

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

Forgetting the long videos. Moving them to the end is fine, but give them a session of their own 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 keep track of what you reviewed.

Never reviewing the order. If the queue is not serving the research, change the approach instead of sticking with it.

Frequently asked questions

How can a media researcher prepare a viewing queue?

Gather the videos to watch, list each with its length, and choose the order that serves the research, keeping dependent clips together. Put the order in one place, the playlist, a paper list or a spreadsheet. Read the new order once before applying it, then watch from the top. For a YouTube playlist you own, YTSort can do the reordering by video length, shortest or longest first. ^[1]

Can YTSort sort a whole YouTube playlist by length?

Yes. ^[1] YTSort reorders a YouTube playlist you own by video length, shortest or longest first, ^[1] and it sorts the full playlist, not just the videos loaded on screen. ^[1] The sort is done by sending requests to YouTube's own system using your existing session, 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 queue order be checked before it is applied?

With YTSort, yes. ^[1] 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 watching. Checking first catches clips that ended up in an odd spot.

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] All the ways to install it come with the same features. ^[1]

Is YTSort free for media researchers?

Yes. 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] Nothing is charged on top of it, so a research queue can be reordered by length without a fee. ^[1]

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)