How to Create Playlists in Plex

To many, Plex is a model for how all home media centers should be, including being affordable (with premium options), well designed, compatible with the widest amount of devices, simple to set up, and easy to use. With both a free and premium version that runs at only $4.99 a month, it is a very accessible way to access streaming media.

Regardless, playlists are the modern mixtape, a way to line up a whole series of episodes, movies, or music tracks that can play one after the other with no input. It is the ultimate in convenience and something most streaming apps have embraced, which is good news as we love them.

One of the neatest features is the ability to create playlists in Plex. If you want to binge watch an entire series of something, setting up a playlist makes it simple. Set it up, hit Play and sit back and enjoy the show. Playlists can work for music too, offering hours and hours of seamless playback.

Plex has a good playlist feature that allows you to create, edit and delete playlists as you need. Once you know where to look and what to do, they are very straightforward to use.

Creating Plex Playlists on PC/Mac

Given the similarities in the software on a Mac and PC, we’re going to cover how to create a playlist for them both in a single section.

1. Open up Plex Media Player and select the first episode or movie you want to add to the playlist.
2. Now, click on the playlist icon and select Add to playlist.
3. Next, create a new playlist and name it how you see fit.
4. Then, go to the next episode or movie, click on the playlist icon again, and then select Add to playlist.
5. After adding it to the newly created playlist, you’ll just repeat the process until you’ve added everything you need.

Creating Plex Playlists on iPhone/iOS

Although the process is also similar on an iPhone or other iOS device, let’s cover creating a Plex playlist on one as well.

1. Again, open up Plex Media Player and sign-in if needed.
2. Now, select the movie or episode you want.
3. Next, click on the playlist icon.
4. Then, tap the + button in the top, right-corner.
5. To name your new playlist, you’ll have to use the web app on your computer.

Creating Plex Playlists on Android

The process to add playlists in Plex using Android is similar to that on a PC and Mac. Here’s how to do it.

1. Open Plex Media Player on your Android device and log in using the appropriate channel.
   
2. Select the first episode, audio track, or movie you want to feature in your playlist.
   
3. In the main overview window, select the playlist icon in the center. It looks like four lines with a small circle in the bottom left.
   
4. Now, select Add to playlist, create a new playlist and give your list a name.
   
5. Go to the next piece of content you want to add to your playlist and select the playlist icon once more on the main episode or track view.
   
6. This time, select the playlist you just created rather than create a new one. The item will appear underneath your first selection within the playlist.
   
7. Rinse and repeat for as many items as you want in your playlist.
   

Once complete, you can stream your playlist in order or shuffle them as you see fit.

1. Select the main navigation in Plex Media Player.
2. Select Playlists and then select the playlist you want.
3. Select the play button at the top of the playlist content window.

To shuffle your playlist:

1. Select the main navigation in Plex Media Player.
2. Select Playlists and then select the playlist you want.
3. Select the shuffle icon next to the play icon at the top of the playlist content window.

Managing Your Plex Playlist

Once set up, your playlists are not set in stone. You can change the order media appears and add or delete media.

To change the order of playback:

1. Select the main navigation in Plex Media Player.
2. Select Playlists and then select the playlist you want.
3. Select the two horizontal lines next to a title and drag it to a new position.
4. Let go to place the title in its new position.

This works for Android, on an iPhone you have to swipe down at the top of the playlist window and select Edit. The end result is the same though.

To delete a title from your playlist:

1. Select Playlists and then select the playlist you want.
2. Now, select the title you want to delete, hold down your finger on it and swipe right.

The title should now disappear from your list and the others will move up. On an iPhone, you need to access the Edit menu again, select Delete, and then OK.

Deleting a Plex Playlist

If you have watched or listened to everything within a playlist, no need to keep it if you don’t want to. Just remove it and create a new one.

1. Select Playlists and then select the playlist you want to delete.
2. Then, select the trash icon at the top of the playlist window and select Delete.

If you’re using an iPhone, you’ll need to select that menu again by swiping down. This time, select Delete on the right of the panel to delete the playlist.

Playlist Creation in Plex

I’m sure there are lots of other playlist tricks that I haven’t discovered yet but those are the basics. There is everything there the average Plex user should need to create and control their playlists.

Know of any other ways to create playlists in Plex? Know any neat tricks for managing them? Tell us about it below if you do!