YouTube Playlist Length Calculator
Paste any public YouTube playlist URL below to see its total duration in hours, minutes and seconds.
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How Long Is a YouTube Playlist?
A YouTube playlist shows how many videos it holds, but not how long they add up to. Paste any public playlist URL here and you get the total watch time, the average, shortest and longest video, and how long the playlist takes at 1.25x, 1.5x, 1.75x or 2x speed.
Useful when you're sizing up an online course or tutorial series before you start it, planning how many days a study playlist will take, picking a podcast queue for a long drive, or deciding whether the rest of a documentary collection fits before bed. If you only plan to watch part of the list, pick a start and end video and the duration totals cover just that stretch.
How to Check the Length of a YouTube Playlist
- Find a YouTube Playlist: Navigate to YouTube and find the public playlist for which you want to calculate the total length.
- Copy the Playlist URL: Copy the full URL from your browser's address bar. Any valid YouTube URL containing a playlist ID will work.
- Standard Playlist URL:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL... - Video URL within a playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=...&list=PL... - Shortened share link with a list parameter:
https://youtu.be/VIDEO_ID?list=PL...
- Standard Playlist URL:
- Paste the URL: Paste the copied URL into the input field on our homepage.
- Calculate: Click the "Calculate" button. The tool will then fetch the data and display the total duration of the playlist, along with a detailed list of all the videos.
- (Optional) Use Your API Key: For faster results and to avoid rate limits, you can enter your own YouTube Data API key in the designated field.
How the Total Duration Is Calculated
The tool reads the playlist's contents through the official YouTube Data API and adds up each video's exact reported runtime, so the total is not an estimate. Results are kept in your browser's local storage for up to 24 hours, which is why looking the same playlist up again is instant. The shared backend key is rate-limited, so for very large playlists or many lookups in a row, supplying your own API key is faster and avoids waits.
A few things worth knowing:
- Playlists with more than 50 videos are fetched in pages, so they take a few extra seconds.
- YouTube Shorts and live replays count toward the total just like regular videos.
- Active live streams have no fixed duration, so they're excluded from the total.
- Private, unlisted and deleted videos inside a public playlist are skipped, since the API doesn't return their durations, so the number of videos listed can be lower than the playlist's own video count.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I check the length of a private playlist, Watch Later or Liked Videos?
No, the tool only supports public playlists. Watch Later (a list=WL link) and Liked Videos (list=LL) belong to your own account, and the YouTube API does not expose private or unlisted playlists to third-party apps without the owner's authorization, so there is no duration data for the tool to add up. If it is a regular playlist you own, set it to public, or copy the videos into a new public playlist, and it will calculate normally.
Why am I getting a 'Playlist not found' error?
Usually the playlist is private or has been deleted, or the link is not a fixed playlist at all. YouTube Mix and radio links (their list ID starts with RD) are generated on the fly for you and have no stable contents, and a Watch Later link (list=WL) is private to your account, so neither can be measured. Check that the URL contains list= followed by a public playlist ID, such as one starting with PL.
How long is the playlist at 1.5x or 2x speed?
Pick 1.25x, 1.5x, 1.75x or 2x once the playlist loads, and the adjusted total is shown next to the 1x total so you can compare the two. A playlist that runs 3 hours at normal speed takes 2 hours at 1.5x and 1 hour 30 minutes at 2x. The adjusted total follows the video range you have selected.
Is there a limit to the number of videos in a playlist?
No hard limit in the tool. YouTube returns playlist items in pages of 50, and the tool keeps requesting pages until it reaches the end, so playlists with hundreds of videos are fine. A very large playlist (500 videos or more) takes a few extra seconds and many more API requests, which is the case where your own API key helps most, since the shared key's daily quota is spread across everyone using the site.
Can I calculate the duration for only part of the playlist?
Yes. Once a playlist is loaded, use the 'From Video' and 'To Video' dropdowns to pick a start and end point, for example video 5 to video 12 of a course. The total duration, the speed-adjusted time, the average, shortest and longest video, and the CSV export all recalculate to cover only that range, so you can work out how long just the second half of a series takes.
What is a YouTube API key and why would I provide one?
A YouTube API key is an identifier that lets you access YouTube's data. You don't have to provide one. The tool works without it, using a shared backend key. Bringing your own key avoids the daily quota of that shared key, so you won't hit rate limits when running many lookups in a row.
Is it safe to enter my API key here?
Your key never touches our server. It's sent directly from your browser to Google. For best safety, restrict your key in the Google Cloud console: under 'Application restrictions' choose 'HTTP referrers' and allow only this site's domain (e.g. https://playlistlength.app/*), and under 'API restrictions' allow only the YouTube Data API v3. That way, even if someone copies your key from your browser, they can't use it elsewhere.
How do I restrict my API key?
In the Google Cloud console, open 'APIs & Services' > 'Credentials', click your API key, then under 'Application restrictions' choose 'HTTP referrers' and add the URL of this site. Under 'API restrictions', select 'YouTube Data API v3'. Save. Restrictions take effect within a few minutes.
Can I export the playlist to CSV and open it in Excel or Google Sheets?
Yes. The 'Export as CSV' button downloads one row per video, with the playlist title, video number, video title, YouTube video ID, duration in seconds, formatted duration (HH:MM:SS), and a direct URL to the video. It opens in Excel, Numbers, or Google Sheets. If you set a From/To range first, only that range is exported.
Disclaimer
This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by YouTube. The use of the name "YouTube" is for context only; we are not claiming any ownership. We take no responsibility for user actions.