How to turn a YouTube playlist into a course
A good YouTube playlist can teach you as much as a paid course. What it can't do is behave like one: it doesn't remember which videos you finished, your notes live somewhere else, and nothing checks whether you understood. This guide shows how to turn any playlist, or one long video, into a proper course in a couple of minutes, for free.
What a course adds to a playlist
- Chapters with a status. Each video becomes a chapter marked Not started, Watched or Completed, and the course shows how far you are.
- Your place, saved. Close the tab in the middle of a video and it opens at the same second next time.
- Notes next to the video, one page per chapter, with timestamps that jump back to the moment.
- A short quiz after every chapter, plus flashcards for revision later.
- A certificate when every chapter is done.
Step 1: copy the playlist link
Open the playlist on YouTube and copy the address from the browser bar, or use YouTube's Share button. A playlist link contains list=, for example youtube.com/playlist?list=PL…. A link to a video that is playing inside a playlist works too: the playlist wins.
Personal lists such as Watch later and Liked videos, and YouTube's automatic mixes, can't be used, because nobody else can see them. If the course you want is a playlist on someone's channel, it will work as long as it is public or unlisted.
Step 2: paste it and check the course
Paste the link into the box on the Studyio home page and press Make my course. You see the course's chapters and total length before anything is saved. If someone has already added the same playlist, it comes straight from the library, ready to go.
Step 3: one long video? Divide it into chapters
Many of the best courses on YouTube are a single 6, 10 or 24-hour video. Paste its link and switch on Divide into chapters. If the creator listed timestamps in the description, they become the chapters (short ones are combined so each chapter is a sensible length); otherwise the video is cut into equal parts. You can switch between the whole video and the divided version later without losing your progress or notes.
Step 4: sign in and add it
Sign in with Google or with a one-time code sent to your email, and the course is yours. Give it a deadline if you like: your dashboard then puts it first and can remind you on days you're behind.
Step 5: study it like a course
- Open the first chapter. The video plays on the left and your notes are on the right.
- Write as you watch, pressing T to drop a timestamp into your notes.
- When the chapter ends, answer the short quiz. The chapter becomes Completed.
- Next day, open the course and continue exactly where you stopped.
That is the whole loop. The full guide explains every feature, including what happens if the creator later changes or removes a video.
Courses other students have made from playlists
Not sure where to start? These came from YouTube playlists and videos and are the most studied in the library right now.
More guides
- YouTube's algorithm isn't built for studying. Here's how to learn from it anyway
- How to actually finish a YouTube course
- How to take notes from YouTube videos (with timestamps)
- Best free Python courses on YouTube, with quizzes
- How to study for exams from YouTube without getting distracted
- The full Studyio guide: every feature and FAQ