How to sort workout playlists by duration for fitness enthusiasts in 2026

A plain guide for fitness enthusiasts to put workout videos in a playlist by length, 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.

Find the length of each workout 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

Sorting workout playlists by duration 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 videos into your own first or work from a written list.
The length of each workout. 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 session into a free half hour or to begin with a short warm-up. 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 plan the week's training. Sorting while you are already warmed up 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 put shorter sessions 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 programs build sessions on earlier ones, such as a warm-up before a strength block. If one workout needs another, keep those two together.
Rank the rest from shortest to longest. Put the shortest at the top.
Decide what happens to the very long videos. You can leave them at the end or schedule them for a longer block on a rest day.
Check the order before you commit. Read the new list once from top to bottom and look for sessions that now sit in a confusing place.
Apply the order. Reorder the playlist by hand, or use a tool that does it for you.
Start from the top. Begin with the first, shorter session and move down the list.
Keep notes as you go. Short sessions pass quickly, so a line or two about how each felt helps the plan stick.
Review after the first few sessions. If the order is not helping your training, 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 can sort only videos within a length range and move the rest to the end. ^[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; all install options include the same features. ^[1]

Common mistakes to avoid

Sorting a program that builds session by session. If later workouts build on earlier ones, a pure shortest-first order can leave you out of sequence. Keep dependent sessions together.

Trusting the order without a look. Read the new order once before you start. A quick check catches sessions 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 done or they never get finished.

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.

Training without notes. Short sessions go by fast, so notes can help you keep track of what you did.

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

Frequently asked questions

Can YTSort sort a workout playlist by duration?

Yes. YTSort 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] After sorting, it reads the playlist back from YouTube and re-applies any moves that did not stick. ^[1] You can check the new order before it is applied. ^[1]

Can YTSort sort only the short workouts and move long ones to the end?

Yes. YTSort can sort only videos within a length range and move the rest to the end. ^[1] So you could keep your shorter sessions at the top of the playlist and move the longer ones to the end rather than deleting them, and read the before and after order to check it first. ^[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]

Is YTSort free and open source?

YTSort is free; all install options include the same features. ^[1] It is free, open-source software under the GPL-2.0-only licence. ^[1] Because it is free and open source, nothing about the cost depends on which way you install it.

Should fitness enthusiasts always sort workouts shortest first?

Not always. If a program builds session by session, keep dependent sessions in order. Shortest first can suit a quick training block or a short free window. For longer programs, review the order after a few sessions and change it if the sequence 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)