Playlists

The Playlists feature allows you to manually create lists of episodes. Organize them based on topic, theme, or even just to save episodes that you want play during an upcoming road trip. The feature can be used to group individual episodes in any way you’d like.

Add episodes from any podcast (even ones you don’t follow), arrange them in your ideal order, and hit play whenever you want a curated mix.

You can play episodes from a Playlist individually, add them to Up Next as you would episodes from any other list in the app, or replace your existing Up Next queue with the episodes from a Playlist using the Play All button.

If you’re looking for a way to automatically create Playlists based on chosen criteria, you can reference our documentation on Smart Playlists.

Creating a New Playlist

Android and iOS

To create a Playlist in the mobile apps, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to the Playlists tab.
2. Tap the plus button in the upper-right.
3. Enter a name for your Playlist (or keep the default).
4. Tap Create Playlist.

Web and Desktop Player

To create a Playlist in the web and desktop app, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to the Playlists tab.
2. Click the New playlist button.
3. Enter a name for your Playlist.
4. Click Create Playlist.

Adding Episodes to a Playlist

Android and iOS

There are a few methods for adding podcast episodes to a Playlist

• While viewing the Playlist, you can tap the Add episodes button. You can select a podcast you follow to add episodes from and tap the plus button next to each episode that you’d like to add.
• While viewing a list of episodes, swipe left on an episode and tap the plus button , you can then select which Playlist you’d like to add the episode to and tap Done to confirm the change.
• You can also add the currently playing episode to a Playlist right from within the Now Playing screen. Tap on the plus icon in the player toolbar — you may need to tap on the More actions menu to reveal the option — you can then select which Playlist you’d like to add the episode to and tap Done to confirm the change.
• You can also add an episode to a Playlist from the episode details screen (available on Android as of version 8.5 and iOS as of version 8.6). Tap the episode row to open its details, then tap the plus button to select which Playlist you’d like to add the episode to and tap Done to confirm.

Web and Desktop Player

You’ll find the plus icon next to each podcast episode when viewing a list throughout the app and on each episode’s details screen. You can click on the icon and select the Playlist you’d like to add it to.

Removing Episodes from a Playlist

Android and iOS

You can remove episodes from a Playlist in two ways using the Pocket Casts mobile app:

• You can swipe left on an episode to delete it — either by performing a short swipe and tapping the trash icon or by performing a longer swipe to trigger the action without an additional tap.
• Alternatively, you can tap the three dot menu ( or ) in the upper-right and select Reorder episodes. You’ll see a minus icon next to each episode, which can be tapped to remove the episode from the Playlist. You can then tap on the back button to return to the main Playlist view.

Web and Desktop Player

In the web app, you can remove episodes from a Playlist using the trash icon . Depending on the available space, this option appears either when you hover over an episode or after clicking on the three dot menu icon .

Reordering Episodes in a Playlist

Android and iOS

You can sort episodes manually by tapping on the three dot menu ( or ) in the upper-right and tap on Reorder episodes. You can then use the grab handles to drag episodes into your preferred order and tap on the back button to confirm.

Alternatively, you can automatically sort episodes by tapping on the three dot menu ( or ) in the upper-right and tap on Sort By. You can then choose to sort using one of the following:

• Newest to oldest
• Oldest to newest
• Shortest to Longest
• Longest to Shortest

Web and Desktop Player

Each episode in a Playlist has a grab handle icon to the right of the play button. You can drag and drop that icon to rearrange the episodes to your liking.

Alternatively, you can automatically sort episodes by tapping on the sort icon and choosing one of the following:

• Release Date (Old New)
• Release Date (New Old)
• Duration (Long Short)
• Duration (Short Long)

Editing a Playlist’s Settings

You can access options for a Playlist in the mobile app by tapping on the three dot menu ( or ) and tapping Playlist Options. From there you can access the following:

• Change the Playlist’s name.
• Enable Auto Download for the Playlist.
• Delete the Playlist.
• On iOS you can add Siri Shortcuts for the Playlist — Play the top episode, Play all episodes, or Open Playlist.

From the web and desktop apps, you can change the name of the Playlist by clicking on the three dot menu ( or ) next to its current name and selecting Edit playlist.

Multi-Select Option

You can use multi-select mode within a Playlist. On Android (as of version 8.5), you can also use multi-select to add multiple episodes to a Playlist at once — select the episodes and tap Add to Playlist in the action bar. To learn more, please refer to Using Multi-Select.

Deleting a Playlist

Android and iOS

On the mobile app, follow these steps to delete a Playlist:

1. Navigate to the Playlists tab.
2. Select the Playlist you wish to delete.
3. Tap three dot menu ( or ) in the upper-right.
4. Tap Playlist Options.
5. Tap Delete Playlist.

You can also delete a Playlist from the Playlist tab by swiping on the Playlist you’d like to delete and tapping the Delete option that appears. You’ll be asked to confirm before the action is completed.

Web and Desktop Player

On the web and desktop app, follow these steps to delete a Playlist:

1. Navigate to the Playlists tab.
2. Select the Playlist you wish to delete.
3. Click on the three dot menu  in the upper-right.
4. Select Delete Playlist.

You can also delete a Playlist from the list of Playlists by hovering your mouse cursor over the Playlist and clicking the trash icon . You’ll be asked to confirm before the action is completed.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens to my existing Up Next queue if I tap “Play All” when viewing a Playlist?

If you have multiple episodes in your Up Next queue and attempt to start playback of a Playlist, you’ll be asked if you’d like to save your existing Up Next queue as a new Playlist or discard your existing queue and replace it with the episodes from the chosen Playlist.

If you choose to save the Up Next queue, it will be saved as a new Playlist with the title “Up Next” followed by the current date.

How do I reorder my Playlists?

To reorder playlists in the mobile apps, long press a playlist, and drag & drop it to a different position.

When viewing the list of Playlists on the web or desktop player, each playlist has a drag handle next to it, which can be used to drag and drop to adjust the order to your liking.

I tapped “Play All”, but not all episodes from my Playlist was added to my Up Next queue. Why is that?

On mobile, the number of episodes added to the Up Next queue is controlled by a setting in Profile > Settings > Auto add to Up Next > Auto Add Limit.

Is there an episode limit for Playlists?

Yes, a Playlist can contain up to 1,000 episodes.

I see an episode in my Playlist that is “unavailable”, what does this mean?

This can occur when an episode that you’ve added to a Playlist has been removed by the show’s creator.

How is artwork generated for my Playlist?

The artwork is generated using the top four unique podcasts in the Playlist to create a collage. If there are no available or non-archived episodes, a placeholder image is shown and if the playlist contains fewer than four podcasts, it uses the top podcast instead.

Can I add items from my Files to a Playlist?

No, it is not possible to add items stored in Files, such as audio and video files, to a Playlist.

Does the Playlists feature require a paid account?

The Playlists feature does not require a paid plan — it is available to all Pocket Casts users, including those with a free account.

What version of Pocket Casts is required to access the Playlists feature?

Playlists is available on Android and iOS with Pocket Casts app version 8.0 or later. It is also available on the web and using the latest version of the Pocket Casts desktop app.

Can I add episodes from podcasts I don’t follow to my playlist?

Yes, you can add individual episodes from shows you don’t follow to a manual playlist. However, it is not possible to add podcast episodes from shows you don’t follow to Smart Playlists.

To add a one-off episode from a show you don’t follow yet try the following steps: While viewing a list of episodes, swipe left on an episode and tap the plus button , you can then select which Playlist you’d like to add the episode to or create a new Playlist. Tap Done to confirm the change.

Can I save my Up Next queue as a Playlist?

No, it is not possible to convert the items from the Up Next queue into a new Playlist. However, you can move individual episodes from Up Next to a manual Playlist. When viewing the list of episodes in Up Next, swipe left on an episode and tap the plus button , you can then select which Playlist you’d like to add the episode to or create a new Playlist. Tap Done to confirm the change. Tap View to see the episode listed in the Playlist. It is not possible to add an episode to a Smart Playlist.

As a workaround, you can create a new Playlist or open an existing Playlist and tap “Play All”. This is will show you an option to “Replace your Up Next?” queue with the episodes in the playlist selected. Toggle on “Save your current Up Next queue as a playlist”, Then tap “Replace and play”. Tap “View” to return to the list of Playlists. The Up Next queue will be saved as a Playlist called “Up Next” followed by the date.