> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.3q.video/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.3q.video/user-guide-new-ui/playlists.md). # Playlists
Playlists allow you to group and organize media files into structured collections. A playlist can contain video files, audio files, or a mix of both, depending on the selected playlist type. Playlists can be used for manual content collections, automated content feeds, carousel layouts, reel-style video experiences, or embedded playlist players. From the Playlists area, users can: * Create video, audio, or mixed playlists * Add files manually to a playlist * Create automatic playlists based on metadata and filters * Configure release settings * Manage playlist elements * Generate playout and embed codes * Use playlists for video carousels and vertical reel players The Playlists section is available from the main navigation under **Playlists**. *** ### Playlist Overview The playlist overview displays all playlists available in the account. Each row represents one playlist and includes the most relevant information: * Playlist thumbnail * Playlist ID * Playlist title * Source project * Number of elements * Release status * Playout IDs * Creation date The overview can be filtered by playlist content type: * **All Playlists** * **Video** * **Audio** * **Mixed** Additional filters are available for: * **Status** * **Scope** A search field can be used to find playlists by title or related metadata. *** ### Playlist Types When creating a playlist, users can define the content type of the playlist. Available options are: * **Video**\ The playlist contains video files. * **Audio**\ The playlist contains audio files. * **Mixed**\ The playlist can contain both video and audio files. The selected content type determines which files can be added to the playlist. *** ### Creating a Playlist To create a new playlist: 1. Open **Playlists** in the main navigation. 2. Click **Create Playlist**. 3. The **Create Playlist** side panel opens. 4. In the **Basics** tab, select or upload a playlist image. 5. Enter a **Title**. 6. Select the playlist content type: * **Video** * **Audio** * **Mixed** 7. Optionally select a **Source Project**. 8. Choose whether the playlist should be created manually or as an automatic playlist. 9. Optionally add a **Description**. 10. Open the **Release** tab. 11. Define the release status and availability period. 12. Save the playlist. After saving, the playlist appears in the playlist overview. *** ### Playlist Image A playlist image can be added in the **Basics** tab. Supported image formats include: * AVIF * BMP * GIF * JPEG * JPG * PNG * WEBP The image can be used as a visual representation of the playlist in players, carousel layouts, or other frontend integrations. *** ### Title The **Title** is the visible name of the playlist. Choose a clear and descriptive title, especially when playlists are used for public playouts, carousels, or automated content feeds. Example titles: * Product Videos * Latest News * Carousel Demo * Reel Player Playlist * Webinar Collection * Featured Videos *** ### Source Project The **Source Project** defines where playlist elements can be selected from. If a source project is defined, only files from that project can be added to the playlist. If no source project is selected, files from all available projects can be used as a source. This setting is especially useful when playlists should be limited to a specific content pool or editorial workflow. *** ### Manual Playlists Manual playlists are managed by adding and arranging files directly.
Users can: * Add files to the playlist * Remove files from the playlist * Change the order of elements * Review the number of elements * Review the total playlist duration Manual playlists are useful when the exact content and order should be controlled by an editor. Typical use cases include: * Curated video collections * Training playlists * Event playlists * Product video selections * Editorially managed playlists *** ### Automatic Playlists Automatic playlists update themselves regularly in the background based on rules and filters defined by the user.
Instead of adding files manually, users define which content should be included. The system then updates the playlist automatically when matching files are added, changed, or removed. Automatic playlists are especially useful for dynamic content experiences such as: * Video carousels * Vertical video or reel players * Latest videos * News playlists * Topic-based playlists * Category-based collections * Continuously updated content feeds For example, an automatic playlist can be configured to show the latest 100 videos from a specific source project, filtered by category, type, aspect ratio, people, or metadata fields. *** ### Automatic Playlist Configuration Automatic playlist rules can be configured in the **Elements and Configuration** area. The configuration defines which files are included in the playlist and in which order they appear. Available filter options may include: * **Categories** * **Types** * **People** * **Aspect Ratio** * Additional metadata fields such as: * Title * Description * Display Title * Display Title Second Line * Tags * Program * Series The available filter fields may depend on the account configuration, metadata setup, and project structure. *** ### Aspect Ratio Filtering Automatic playlists can be filtered by aspect ratio. This is especially useful for frontend experiences that require a specific format. For example: * **Landscape 16:9** for standard video players or carousels * **Portrait / vertical formats** for reel-style players * Other aspect ratios depending on the available content and player configuration By filtering playlists by aspect ratio, users can make sure that only suitable videos are used in the intended playout experience. *** ### Sorting and Order Automatic playlists can be sorted by selected metadata fields. For example, playlists can be sorted by: * Creation date * Title * Other available metadata fields The order can be set to: * **Ascending** * **Descending** For dynamic playlists, descending order by creation date is commonly used to show the newest content first. *** ### Number of Elements Automatic playlists can be limited to a defined number of elements. This allows users to control how many videos are included in a playlist, carousel, or reel player. For example: * A carousel may show the latest 10 videos. * A reel player may use the latest 50 vertical videos. * A news playlist may contain the latest 100 clips. Limiting the number of elements helps keep playlists focused and improves performance in frontend integrations. *** ### Video Carousel Use Case Playlists can be used as the content source for video carousel experiences. A video carousel displays multiple videos in a scrollable or swipeable layout and is often used to present selected or automatically updated content collections. Automatic playlists are especially useful for carousels because they can keep the content up to date without manual playlist editing. Example carousel workflows: * Latest videos carousel * Featured content carousel * Category-based carousel * News carousel * Product video carousel * Project-specific carousel A carousel playlist can be configured with filters such as category, type, people, aspect ratio, or metadata fields. The playlist then provides the matching elements to the carousel playout. *** ### Vertical Video and Reel Player Use Case Playlists can also be used for vertical video and reel-style playback experiences. A reel player is designed for short-form or vertical content and usually benefits from automatically updated playlists. For this workflow, users can create an automatic playlist that only includes videos matching the required vertical format or metadata rules. Example reel player workflows: * Vertical news clips * Social-style short videos * Mobile-first video feeds * Highlight clips * Short product videos * Event snippets * Automatically updated reel collections For best results, use aspect ratio filters and metadata filters to make sure that only suitable vertical videos are included in the playlist. *** ### Release Settings The **Release** tab controls the publication status and availability period of the playlist. #### Release Status The release status defines whether the playlist is available for use. Common release states include: * **Published** * Other available statuses depending on the account configuration Only published playlists are generally intended for public playback or integration. #### Available From The **Available from** field defines when the playlist becomes available. This can be used to schedule playlist publication. #### Available Until The **Available until** field defines when the playlist is no longer available. This can be used for temporary campaigns, events, or licensed content windows. *** ### Managing Playlist Elements The **Elements and Configuration** area shows the current playlist elements. For each playlist, users can review: * Number of elements * Total duration * Individual playlist items * Thumbnail * Title * Creation date * Duration For manual playlists, files can be added, removed, and reordered. For automatic playlists, the element list is generated based on the configured rules. Users can update the configuration to change which files appear in the playlist. *** ### Adding Files to a Manual Playlist To add files to a manual playlist: 1. Open the playlist. 2. Open **Edit Elements**. 3. Click **Add Files**. 4. Search for the files you want to add. 5. Select the desired files. 6. Add them to the playlist. After adding files, they appear in the playlist element list and can be reordered or removed. *** ### Playout and Sharing The **Playout and Sharing** area provides the embed and sharing options for a playlist. Users can select an available playout and copy the required integration code. Available sharing options may include: * Embed code * JavaScript integration * Direct link * Other integration formats depending on the playout configuration The selected playout determines how the playlist is presented to viewers. This is where playlists can be integrated into websites, portals, applications, or external systems. *** ### Playlist Playouts Playlist playouts define how a playlist is rendered and played back. Depending on the configuration, a playlist can be used for different playback experiences, such as: * Standard playlist player * Video carousel * Reel player * Embedded playlist * Custom frontend integration The available playouts depend on the account configuration and player setup. *** ### Start Playback at a Specific Time In the sharing options, users can define a start time for playback. This allows the embedded playlist player to start playback at a specific timestamp. This option is useful when a playlist should open at a particular point in the first item or when a predefined playback position is needed for sharing. *** ### Integration Options When generating embed codes, users can choose how the playlist player should be integrated into a website. Available integration options may include: * Width and height defined directly in the iframe code * Dynamic width with fixed aspect ratio * Dimensions and aspect ratio controlled by a container around the iframe These options help adapt the playlist player to different website layouts and responsive frontend requirements. *** ### Lazy Loading The **Use Lazy Loading** option can be enabled for playlist embeds. Lazy loading ensures that the browser only loads the playlist player when it is actually needed, for example when the iframe scrolls into the visible area of the page. This can improve page performance, especially when multiple players or playlist embeds are used on the same page. *** ### Typical Use Cases Playlists can be used for many different workflows, for example: * Creating curated video collections * Grouping audio or mixed media content * Publishing a series of related videos * Creating automatically updated latest-video feeds * Providing content for a video carousel * Providing vertical content for a reel player * Embedding playlist players on websites * Organizing videos by category, type, person, or metadata * Creating project-specific content selections *** ### Notes Automatic playlists are used for dynamic playlist experiences such as video carousels and vertical video or reel players. The availability of playlist features, playouts, filters, and integration options may depend on the account configuration, enabled modules, and user permissions. For vertical video and reel player workflows, make sure that the playlist configuration matches the intended player layout, especially regarding aspect ratio, sorting, and number of elements. --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.3q.video/user-guide-new-ui/playlists.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. 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