Are YouTube Playlists Still Useful for Increasing Watch Time?

H

Harvey levin

Newbie

Jun 29, 2026

11

3

• Today at 12:20 PM

• #1

Hi everyone,
I’ve noticed that many creators no longer put as much emphasis on organizing their videos into playlists.
Do you think playlists still help increase watch time and keep viewers engaged with a channel, or have they become less important over time?
Would love to hear your experience.

 

T

tim.simfert

Newbie

Jun 23, 2026

6

1

• Today at 12:30 PM

• #2

I still see value in using playlists, especially with content that never gets outdated. I noticed higher session durations where the related videos were well clustered, even though YouTube favors recommendations over playlists these days

 

Invictus

Elite Member

Jr. VIP

Feb 9, 2018

2,385

843

• Today at 12:44 PM

• #3

playlists still help with watch time but they are less critical now

 

E

erbezel

Newbie

Feb 10, 2021

8

3

• Today at 12:50 PM

• #4

I still think playlists are worth using, especially if your videos cover related topics

They make it easier for viewers to keep watching instead of leaving after one video They won't replace good content, but they can definitely help increase watch time when used properly

 

P

PPCGrowthLab

Newbie

Apr 24, 2026

25

11

• Today at 1:04 PM

• #5

I think YouTube recommendation system does most of the work now. Playlists are helpful, but they are no longer the main driver of watch time.

 

Crazy Monkey

Elite Member

Jr. VIP

Aug 4, 2015

6,908

842

• Today at 1:08 PM

• #6

Yes, I still use playlists. They help viewers watch more videos without searching again. I group similar topics together, and sometimes I notice better watch time and session duration from those playlists.

 

W

wassema1

Newbie

Dec 8, 2012

27

6

• Today at 1:09 PM

• #7

Yes YouTube playlists still help increase watch time because they keep viewers watching related videos longer and improve overall channel session duration

 

Nikolaos

Elite Member

Jr. VIP

May 27, 2016

10,455

2,387

• Today at 5:56 PM

• #8

Harvey levin said:

Hi everyone,
I’ve noticed that many creators no longer put as much emphasis on organizing their videos into playlists.
Do you think playlists still help increase watch time and keep viewers engaged with a channel, or have they become less important over time?
Would love to hear your experience.

Click to expand...

Playlists are useful for your audience because they enable it to view more of your videos instead of searching them manually.

 

Kusika Sardar

Newbie

Jul 1, 2026

22

1

• 55 minutes ago

• #9

yeah playlists still matter, imo. maybe not in a “magical” way, but they absolutely help people binge instead of bouncing.