# How to sort music playlists alphabetically for music listeners in 2026

A plain guide for music listeners to sort playlists A to Z, with steps, the tools to try and the mistakes to avoid.

By XP Daily · 2026-10-13

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

Open the playlist, list every song by title, set a rule for starting words like The and A, then reorder titles from A to Z by hand, in a spreadsheet or with a tool.

Option	How it orders songs
Paper list or sticky note	You rank titles by hand
Spreadsheet	You sort by a title 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

Sorting a music playlist alphabetically 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, you can copy the songs into your own first or work from a written list.
The title of each song. You rank tracks by their titles, so make sure the playlist shows them the way you expect.
A rule for starting words. Songs called "The Night" and "Night" would sit apart, since The, A and An change where a title lands. Decide before you start whether those words count when you sort.
A rule for what to group. Decide whether to order every track in one A to Z run, keep albums and multi-part songs together, or sort by artist. Know which, because it decides what you do with each song.
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.

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 reach the playlist before choosing a way to put titles in order.
List every song with its title. Write the title as it appears. Do not sort yet.
Set your rule for starting words. Pick whether The, A or An count before the first word of each title, and apply the same rule to every song.
Mark songs that must stay in order. Some tracks belong together, like the parts of a multi-part song or the songs of a single album. Keep those together.
Rank the rest from A to Z. Put the titles that start nearest A at the top.
Decide what happens to mixes and covers. A remix of a song can sit next to the original or be treated as its own title. Choose one and stay consistent.
Check the order before you commit. Read the new list once from top to bottom and look for songs that now sit in a confusing place.
Apply the order. Reorder the playlist by hand, or use a tool that does it for you.
Listen from the top. Start with the first song and move down the list.
Review after the first few listens. If the order is not helping you find songs, 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 rank them by hand. Nothing is published here about price or limits because it depends on what you already own and how many songs the list holds.

A spreadsheet. A column for the title and a sort on that column gives you an A to Z 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] That is a length sort, not an alphabetical one, so it does not put song titles in A to Z order on its own. For an alphabetical sort, check whether the app that holds the playlist offers its own ordering; its details are not given here.

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

Sorting with no rule for starting words. Titles begin with The, A or An, so a sort can split songs that belong together. Decide how those words count before you start.

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

Splitting multi-part songs and albums. If tracks belong together, keep them in sequence, or the playlist jumps mid-song between unrelated titles.

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

Applying different rules each time. If you change how starting words or remixes count partway through, the order stops making sense. Pick rules and keep them.

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

Frequently asked questions

Can YTSort sort a music playlist alphabetically?

No. YTSort reorders a YouTube playlist you own by video length, shortest or longest first, not by song title. ^[1] So it does not put a playlist in A to Z order. For an alphabetical sort, use a paper list, a spreadsheet, or check whether the app that holds the playlist offers its own ordering.

How do starting words like The and A affect an alphabetical sort?

Songs called "The Night" and "Night" sit in different places, because The, A and An change where a title lands. Before you sort, decide whether those words count. If they do not count, ignore them when ranking; if they do, keep them in the title. Apply the same rule to every song so the order stays consistent.

How to sort a music playlist alphabetically on paper?

List every song with its title, set a rule for starting words like The and A, then rewrite the list in A to Z order. Keep multi-part songs and single albums together. Read the finished list once before you apply it to the playlist, and apply the same rules to every song so the order stays consistent.

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

With a paper list or spreadsheet, you see the order as you write it, so read it through once before you commit. YTSort shows the before and after order so you can check it before applying. ^[1] A quick check catches songs that ended up in an odd spot.

Should music listeners always sort playlists alphabetically?

Not always. If a playlist follows an album or mixes multi-part songs, a strict A to Z order can split songs that belong together, so keep those in sequence. Alphabetical order suits a playlist you use as a list of tracks to find quickly. After a few listens, review the order and change it if it is not helping.

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)