How to Flip Your Video Collection in a Flash

If you have ever created a playlist on YouTube, you may have noticed that the order of the videos is automatically set and based on when they were added to the list. However, it would help if you played them in reverse order.

Surprisingly, there is no built-in way to do this on YouTube. However, four simple workarounds only take a few minutes to complete.

So, keep reading to learn how to reverse a YouTube playlist so you can watch the videos in the order you want!

How to Reverse a YouTube Playlist?

Below we’ve provided four different solutions to help you reverse your YouTube playlist on your computer:

Using Chrome Web Extension

One of the most straightforward and convenient methods of reversing the YouTube playlist is to install a Chrome browser extension that will let you play any playlist in the opposite order.

The “Iridium for YouTube” and “Improve YouTube” extensions on your Google Chrome can play any YouTube video queue or playlist in reverse.

Here’s how to install the “Iridium for YouTube” extension on your Chrome browser to reverse the playlist:
Step 1: In the first step, launch a browser on your computer and click the three dots (ellipsis icon) in the top-right corner of the screen. Scroll down, select “More Tools,” and click Extensions.”

Click here

Step 2:

• Now, click the three horizontal-line”Menu”icon.
• Click the”Open Chrome Web Store”option.
• Search for theIridium for YouTubeextension using the search bar.

Step 3:

• Open the extension page.
• Click”Add to Chrome.”
• Click the”Add Extension”option in the pop-up menu.

Step 4:Open a new page, visit YouTube , and a pop-up window will appear. Select”Close”to terminate it, and clickthe”Menu”(hamburger) icon in the top left corner of the screen. Next, scroll down and open your savedPlaylistthat you want to reverse.

Step 5: Click the “Play All” option in the details section of the playlist and click the Iridium button on the right side of the screen. This will open a new tab with different settings for your playlist. Go to the Video tab, and under the “Playlist” header, toggle the button next to “Enable reverse playlist control” to change the settings.

That’s about it. You will now be able to watch a YouTube playlist in reverse order.

Using The Third Website

Several trusted and reliable third-party websites, such as “Playlist. tools,” can help you reverse your YouTube playlists quickly. The platform is free and fully dedicated to instantly changing the order of your Playlist.

Here’s how you can use the Playlist.tools to reverse your videos’ order in a playlist on YouTube:

Step 1: Launch a browser on your laptop or desktop, head to theYouTube website, and click the three-line “Menu” icon. Now, scroll down to access the playlist you want to reverse, click the “Share” icon, and click “Copy” to save the URL to your clipboard.

Step 2: In the next step, open a new tab and visit the “Playlist.Tools” website. Now, paste the copied playlist URL in the provided text box, and the platform will start retrieving it.

Step 3: Finally, click the “Sort” icon and select descending order to reverse your playlist. You can always return to the original sequence by clicking the “Original Sequence” option in the top right corner of the screen.

Changing the Ordering in Settings

If you are a content creator on YouTube and want to reverse the videos’ order in a playlist on your channel, do the following steps in sequence:

Step 1: In the first step, launch the YouTube app on your device or visit the YouTube website on a browser. Go to “Library” and open the playlist of your choice.

Step 2: Hover over the video, and you will see two horizontal lines next to it. Click/tap & hold the video and drag it to a new location to change its order.

You can also utilize the “Sort” option to reverse the playlist. To do so, click “Sort” at the top of the playlist above the videos and select “Date Published (Oldest)” to change the order.

A Bonus Tip for YouTube Creator: Make Your Own YouTube Channel Trailer

As a YouTube content creator, you need to set your videos’ order in your Playlist. Besides, the video’s trailer also influences your audiences’ browsing and watching experience. To help you with this part in case you are in need, we have prepared a video tutorial for you - How To Make Your Own YouTube Channel Trailer. If you have any interests, please don’t miss it, and see how to make a fantastic video trailer with a user-friendly video editor Wondershare Filmora :

Adding Playlist to Your Private Playlist

If you want to reverse a YouTube playlist order, you can create a new private playlist. This quick and easy method will help you get the desired results.

For this method to work, you don’t need to download any third-party app or use a website; all you have to do is open YouTube on any browser or use the YouTube app in the following way:

Step 1: In the first step, launch the YouTube app on your device or visit the YouTube website (if you are logged out, sign into your account using your credentials).

Step 2: In the next step, click your Profile at the top right of the screen and select the “Your Channel” option from the drop-down menu to access your YouTube channel.

Step 3: Scroll down on your channel’s dashboard, select a video, and click the three dots next to it. Next, click “Add to Playlist” from the drop-down list and select the “Create a New Playlist” option to make a new one.

Next, provide a name, set the privacy settings to “Private,” and click “Create.”

Step 4: In the final step, head to the Playlist tab, click “View Full Playlist” to open the new playlist, and click the “three dots” in the details area on the left. Next, select “Playlist Settings” and toggle the button next to “Add new videos to top of playlist” to enable it.

You can now add more videos to your playlist, and each one will be added to the top. This method helps you arrange the YouTube playlist as you desire.

The Bottom Line

In this article, we’ve provided four different step-by-step solutions to show you how to reverse a YouTube playlist on your PC and mobile device using Chrome extension, a third-party website, changing settings, and adding videos to a new private playlist.

Hopefully, you’ve found this article helpful and can now watch your favorite playlist in the order you like without any issues.

If you have ever created a playlist on YouTube, you may have noticed that the order of the videos is automatically set and based on when they were added to the list. However, it would help if you played them in reverse order.

Surprisingly, there is no built-in way to do this on YouTube. However, four simple workarounds only take a few minutes to complete.

So, keep reading to learn how to reverse a YouTube playlist so you can watch the videos in the order you want!

How to Reverse a YouTube Playlist?

Below we’ve provided four different solutions to help you reverse your YouTube playlist on your computer:

Using Chrome Web Extension

One of the most straightforward and convenient methods of reversing the YouTube playlist is to install a Chrome browser extension that will let you play any playlist in the opposite order.

The “Iridium for YouTube” and “Improve YouTube” extensions on your Google Chrome can play any YouTube video queue or playlist in reverse.

Here’s how to install the “Iridium for YouTube” extension on your Chrome browser to reverse the playlist:
Step 1: In the first step, launch a browser on your computer and click the three dots (ellipsis icon) in the top-right corner of the screen. Scroll down, select “More Tools,” and click Extensions.”

Step 2:

• Now, click the three horizontal-line”Menu”icon.
• Click the”Open Chrome Web Store”option.
• Search for theIridium for YouTubeextension using the search bar.

Step 3:

• Open the extension page.
• Click”Add to Chrome.”
• Click the”Add Extension”option in the pop-up menu.

Step 4:Open a new page, visit YouTube , and a pop-up window will appear. Select”Close”to terminate it, and clickthe”Menu”(hamburger) icon in the top left corner of the screen. Next, scroll down and open your savedPlaylistthat you want to reverse.

Step 5: Click the “Play All” option in the details section of the playlist and click the Iridium button on the right side of the screen. This will open a new tab with different settings for your playlist. Go to the Video tab, and under the “Playlist” header, toggle the button next to “Enable reverse playlist control” to change the settings.

That’s about it. You will now be able to watch a YouTube playlist in reverse order.

Using The Third Website

Several trusted and reliable third-party websites, such as “Playlist. tools,” can help you reverse your YouTube playlists quickly. The platform is free and fully dedicated to instantly changing the order of your Playlist.

Here’s how you can use the Playlist.tools to reverse your videos’ order in a playlist on YouTube:

Step 1: Launch a browser on your laptop or desktop, head to theYouTube website, and click the three-line “Menu” icon. Now, scroll down to access the playlist you want to reverse, click the “Share” icon, and click “Copy” to save the URL to your clipboard.

Step 2: In the next step, open a new tab and visit the “Playlist.Tools” website. Now, paste the copied playlist URL in the provided text box, and the platform will start retrieving it.

Step 3: Finally, click the “Sort” icon and select descending order to reverse your playlist. You can always return to the original sequence by clicking the “Original Sequence” option in the top right corner of the screen.

Changing the Ordering in Settings

If you are a content creator on YouTube and want to reverse the videos’ order in a playlist on your channel, do the following steps in sequence:

Step 1: In the first step, launch the YouTube app on your device or visit the YouTube website on a browser. Go to “Library” and open the playlist of your choice.

Step 2: Hover over the video, and you will see two horizontal lines next to it. Click/tap & hold the video and drag it to a new location to change its order.

You can also utilize the “Sort” option to reverse the playlist. To do so, click “Sort” at the top of the playlist above the videos and select “Date Published (Oldest)” to change the order.

A Bonus Tip for YouTube Creator: Make Your Own YouTube Channel Trailer

As a YouTube content creator, you need to set your videos’ order in your Playlist. Besides, the video’s trailer also influences your audiences’ browsing and watching experience. To help you with this part in case you are in need, we have prepared a video tutorial for you - How To Make Your Own YouTube Channel Trailer. If you have any interests, please don’t miss it, and see how to make a fantastic video trailer with a user-friendly video editor Wondershare Filmora :

Adding Playlist to Your Private Playlist

If you want to reverse a YouTube playlist order, you can create a new private playlist. This quick and easy method will help you get the desired results.

For this method to work, you don’t need to download any third-party app or use a website; all you have to do is open YouTube on any browser or use the YouTube app in the following way:

Step 1: In the first step, launch the YouTube app on your device or visit the YouTube website (if you are logged out, sign into your account using your credentials).

Step 2: In the next step, click your Profile at the top right of the screen and select the “Your Channel” option from the drop-down menu to access your YouTube channel.

Step 3: Scroll down on your channel’s dashboard, select a video, and click the three dots next to it. Next, click “Add to Playlist” from the drop-down list and select the “Create a New Playlist” option to make a new one.

Next, provide a name, set the privacy settings to “Private,” and click “Create.”

Step 4: In the final step, head to the Playlist tab, click “View Full Playlist” to open the new playlist, and click the “three dots” in the details area on the left. Next, select “Playlist Settings” and toggle the button next to “Add new videos to top of playlist” to enable it.

You can now add more videos to your playlist, and each one will be added to the top. This method helps you arrange the YouTube playlist as you desire.

The Bottom Line

In this article, we’ve provided four different step-by-step solutions to show you how to reverse a YouTube playlist on your PC and mobile device using Chrome extension, a third-party website, changing settings, and adding videos to a new private playlist.

Hopefully, you’ve found this article helpful and can now watch your favorite playlist in the order you like without any issues.

If you have ever created a playlist on YouTube, you may have noticed that the order of the videos is automatically set and based on when they were added to the list. However, it would help if you played them in reverse order.

Surprisingly, there is no built-in way to do this on YouTube. However, four simple workarounds only take a few minutes to complete.

So, keep reading to learn how to reverse a YouTube playlist so you can watch the videos in the order you want!

How to Reverse a YouTube Playlist?

Below we’ve provided four different solutions to help you reverse your YouTube playlist on your computer:

Using Chrome Web Extension

One of the most straightforward and convenient methods of reversing the YouTube playlist is to install a Chrome browser extension that will let you play any playlist in the opposite order.

The “Iridium for YouTube” and “Improve YouTube” extensions on your Google Chrome can play any YouTube video queue or playlist in reverse.

Here’s how to install the “Iridium for YouTube” extension on your Chrome browser to reverse the playlist:
Step 1: In the first step, launch a browser on your computer and click the three dots (ellipsis icon) in the top-right corner of the screen. Scroll down, select “More Tools,” and click Extensions.”

Step 2:

• Now, click the three horizontal-line”Menu”icon.
• Click the”Open Chrome Web Store”option.
• Search for theIridium for YouTubeextension using the search bar.

Step 3:

• Open the extension page.
• Click”Add to Chrome.”
• Click the”Add Extension”option in the pop-up menu.

Step 4:Open a new page, visit YouTube , and a pop-up window will appear. Select”Close”to terminate it, and clickthe”Menu”(hamburger) icon in the top left corner of the screen. Next, scroll down and open your savedPlaylistthat you want to reverse.

Step 5: Click the “Play All” option in the details section of the playlist and click the Iridium button on the right side of the screen. This will open a new tab with different settings for your playlist. Go to the Video tab, and under the “Playlist” header, toggle the button next to “Enable reverse playlist control” to change the settings.

That’s about it. You will now be able to watch a YouTube playlist in reverse order.

Using The Third Website

Several trusted and reliable third-party websites, such as “Playlist. tools,” can help you reverse your YouTube playlists quickly. The platform is free and fully dedicated to instantly changing the order of your Playlist.

Here’s how you can use the Playlist.tools to reverse your videos’ order in a playlist on YouTube:

Step 1: Launch a browser on your laptop or desktop, head to theYouTube website, and click the three-line “Menu” icon. Now, scroll down to access the playlist you want to reverse, click the “Share” icon, and click “Copy” to save the URL to your clipboard.

Step 2: In the next step, open a new tab and visit the “Playlist.Tools” website. Now, paste the copied playlist URL in the provided text box, and the platform will start retrieving it.

Step 3: Finally, click the “Sort” icon and select descending order to reverse your playlist. You can always return to the original sequence by clicking the “Original Sequence” option in the top right corner of the screen.

Changing the Ordering in Settings

If you are a content creator on YouTube and want to reverse the videos’ order in a playlist on your channel, do the following steps in sequence:

Step 1: In the first step, launch the YouTube app on your device or visit the YouTube website on a browser. Go to “Library” and open the playlist of your choice.

Step 2: Hover over the video, and you will see two horizontal lines next to it. Click/tap & hold the video and drag it to a new location to change its order.

You can also utilize the “Sort” option to reverse the playlist. To do so, click “Sort” at the top of the playlist above the videos and select “Date Published (Oldest)” to change the order.

A Bonus Tip for YouTube Creator: Make Your Own YouTube Channel Trailer

As a YouTube content creator, you need to set your videos’ order in your Playlist. Besides, the video’s trailer also influences your audiences’ browsing and watching experience. To help you with this part in case you are in need, we have prepared a video tutorial for you - How To Make Your Own YouTube Channel Trailer. If you have any interests, please don’t miss it, and see how to make a fantastic video trailer with a user-friendly video editor Wondershare Filmora :

Adding Playlist to Your Private Playlist

If you want to reverse a YouTube playlist order, you can create a new private playlist. This quick and easy method will help you get the desired results.

For this method to work, you don’t need to download any third-party app or use a website; all you have to do is open YouTube on any browser or use the YouTube app in the following way:

Step 1: In the first step, launch the YouTube app on your device or visit the YouTube website (if you are logged out, sign into your account using your credentials).

Step 2: In the next step, click your Profile at the top right of the screen and select the “Your Channel” option from the drop-down menu to access your YouTube channel.

Step 3: Scroll down on your channel’s dashboard, select a video, and click the three dots next to it. Next, click “Add to Playlist” from the drop-down list and select the “Create a New Playlist” option to make a new one.

Next, provide a name, set the privacy settings to “Private,” and click “Create.”

Step 4: In the final step, head to the Playlist tab, click “View Full Playlist” to open the new playlist, and click the “three dots” in the details area on the left. Next, select “Playlist Settings” and toggle the button next to “Add new videos to top of playlist” to enable it.

You can now add more videos to your playlist, and each one will be added to the top. This method helps you arrange the YouTube playlist as you desire.

The Bottom Line

In this article, we’ve provided four different step-by-step solutions to show you how to reverse a YouTube playlist on your PC and mobile device using Chrome extension, a third-party website, changing settings, and adding videos to a new private playlist.

Hopefully, you’ve found this article helpful and can now watch your favorite playlist in the order you like without any issues.

If you have ever created a playlist on YouTube, you may have noticed that the order of the videos is automatically set and based on when they were added to the list. However, it would help if you played them in reverse order.

Surprisingly, there is no built-in way to do this on YouTube. However, four simple workarounds only take a few minutes to complete.

So, keep reading to learn how to reverse a YouTube playlist so you can watch the videos in the order you want!

How to Reverse a YouTube Playlist?

Below we’ve provided four different solutions to help you reverse your YouTube playlist on your computer:

Using Chrome Web Extension

One of the most straightforward and convenient methods of reversing the YouTube playlist is to install a Chrome browser extension that will let you play any playlist in the opposite order.

The “Iridium for YouTube” and “Improve YouTube” extensions on your Google Chrome can play any YouTube video queue or playlist in reverse.

Here’s how to install the “Iridium for YouTube” extension on your Chrome browser to reverse the playlist:
Step 1: In the first step, launch a browser on your computer and click the three dots (ellipsis icon) in the top-right corner of the screen. Scroll down, select “More Tools,” and click Extensions.”

Step 2:

• Now, click the three horizontal-line”Menu”icon.
• Click the”Open Chrome Web Store”option.
• Search for theIridium for YouTubeextension using the search bar.

Step 3:

• Open the extension page.
• Click”Add to Chrome.”
• Click the”Add Extension”option in the pop-up menu.

Step 4:Open a new page, visit YouTube , and a pop-up window will appear. Select”Close”to terminate it, and clickthe”Menu”(hamburger) icon in the top left corner of the screen. Next, scroll down and open your savedPlaylistthat you want to reverse.

Step 5: Click the “Play All” option in the details section of the playlist and click the Iridium button on the right side of the screen. This will open a new tab with different settings for your playlist. Go to the Video tab, and under the “Playlist” header, toggle the button next to “Enable reverse playlist control” to change the settings.

That’s about it. You will now be able to watch a YouTube playlist in reverse order.

Using The Third Website

Several trusted and reliable third-party websites, such as “Playlist. tools,” can help you reverse your YouTube playlists quickly. The platform is free and fully dedicated to instantly changing the order of your Playlist.

Here’s how you can use the Playlist.tools to reverse your videos’ order in a playlist on YouTube:

Step 1: Launch a browser on your laptop or desktop, head to theYouTube website, and click the three-line “Menu” icon. Now, scroll down to access the playlist you want to reverse, click the “Share” icon, and click “Copy” to save the URL to your clipboard.

Step 2: In the next step, open a new tab and visit the “Playlist.Tools” website. Now, paste the copied playlist URL in the provided text box, and the platform will start retrieving it.

Step 3: Finally, click the “Sort” icon and select descending order to reverse your playlist. You can always return to the original sequence by clicking the “Original Sequence” option in the top right corner of the screen.

Changing the Ordering in Settings

If you are a content creator on YouTube and want to reverse the videos’ order in a playlist on your channel, do the following steps in sequence:

Step 1: In the first step, launch the YouTube app on your device or visit the YouTube website on a browser. Go to “Library” and open the playlist of your choice.

Step 2: Hover over the video, and you will see two horizontal lines next to it. Click/tap & hold the video and drag it to a new location to change its order.

You can also utilize the “Sort” option to reverse the playlist. To do so, click “Sort” at the top of the playlist above the videos and select “Date Published (Oldest)” to change the order.

A Bonus Tip for YouTube Creator: Make Your Own YouTube Channel Trailer

As a YouTube content creator, you need to set your videos’ order in your Playlist. Besides, the video’s trailer also influences your audiences’ browsing and watching experience. To help you with this part in case you are in need, we have prepared a video tutorial for you - How To Make Your Own YouTube Channel Trailer. If you have any interests, please don’t miss it, and see how to make a fantastic video trailer with a user-friendly video editor Wondershare Filmora :

Adding Playlist to Your Private Playlist

If you want to reverse a YouTube playlist order, you can create a new private playlist. This quick and easy method will help you get the desired results.

For this method to work, you don’t need to download any third-party app or use a website; all you have to do is open YouTube on any browser or use the YouTube app in the following way:

Step 1: In the first step, launch the YouTube app on your device or visit the YouTube website (if you are logged out, sign into your account using your credentials).

Step 2: In the next step, click your Profile at the top right of the screen and select the “Your Channel” option from the drop-down menu to access your YouTube channel.

Step 3: Scroll down on your channel’s dashboard, select a video, and click the three dots next to it. Next, click “Add to Playlist” from the drop-down list and select the “Create a New Playlist” option to make a new one.

Next, provide a name, set the privacy settings to “Private,” and click “Create.”

Step 4: In the final step, head to the Playlist tab, click “View Full Playlist” to open the new playlist, and click the “three dots” in the details area on the left. Next, select “Playlist Settings” and toggle the button next to “Add new videos to top of playlist” to enable it.

You can now add more videos to your playlist, and each one will be added to the top. This method helps you arrange the YouTube playlist as you desire.

The Bottom Line

In this article, we’ve provided four different step-by-step solutions to show you how to reverse a YouTube playlist on your PC and mobile device using Chrome extension, a third-party website, changing settings, and adding videos to a new private playlist.

Hopefully, you’ve found this article helpful and can now watch your favorite playlist in the order you like without any issues.

Understanding YouTube Post-Upload Process

How Does YouTube Work After a Video Is Uploaded

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

You use YouTube to watch videos, post your own content, and build up a following. That is how YouTube works for you. This article is about how YouTube works technically. There are a lot of steps which occur between you clicking ‘upload’ and a viewer clicking ‘play’. Understanding this process can be useful to YouTubers because it can help shed light on where problems may be occurring when you have issues uploading or watching videos. Generally when there is a problem it is on your end and there are multiple simple things you can do to fix it.

This article will explain what goes on behind the scenes when you upload a video, where that video really goes, and what happens when somebody clicks play.

How Does YouTube Work

1. What Happens When You Upload?

When you upload a video your computer or device packages it into IP packets. Packets are fragments of information containing both data from your video and the address you are sending it to, in this case YouTube. The packets are encoded into radio signals which are sent through a wifi or cellular network. Your video travels through switches and routers on the internet until they reach YouTube’s servers. Your video is then reassembled and stored.

If uploading takes a long time for you it probably has nothing to do with YouTube; there is a lot that needs to happen for your video to even get there. How long the upload process takes depends on a number of factors including how many devices share your internet connection, how strong your wifi signal is, and the age of your router. If your uploads are taking too long consider compressing your videos before you upload them. You can also try uploading from your college campus or public libraries as institutions like these tend to have fast internet speeds.

2. Where is Your Video Stored?

As it is owned by Google YouTube uses Google’s ‘Bigtable’, a compressed data storage system which allows it to store the 500+ hours of video uploaded to its servers every minute. Bigtable is software, though, not hardware. YouTube and Google both have massive amounts of data and it needs to be physically housed somewhere.

Google has Modular Data Centers all over the world where it keeps its servers. These centers could cost as much as $600 million dollars each and consume huge amounts of electricity. There are six of them in the United States, three in Europe, two in Asia, and one is South America.

3. What Happens When Someone Watches Your Video?

When a viewer clicks on your video their computer sends an encoded request through the internet to YouTube’s servers. After YouTube receives the play request it chooses which format to play the video in based on the viewer’s browser. Your video is again turned into packets, which are again sent as radio signals over the internet to your viewer. Your viewer’s computer or device reforms the packets into your video and their browser plays it.

If videos take a long time to load for you then there are a few things you can do to speed them up. First, consider changing the channel of your wifi router. Most people stay on the channel their router was set to when they first got it and so there is a good chance you and your neighbors are all on the same channel. This causes your networks to interfere with each other. You can also delete the temporary files on your computer. Besides helping you stream video faster this will free up storage space. Another thing you can do is make sure there are as few devices connected to your network as possible while you are watching videos. Besides mobile phones and laptops you may have appliances, like coffee machines and refrigerators, which are wifi enabled. Disconnect them temporarily and it will help your videos to load faster.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

You use YouTube to watch videos, post your own content, and build up a following. That is how YouTube works for you. This article is about how YouTube works technically. There are a lot of steps which occur between you clicking ‘upload’ and a viewer clicking ‘play’. Understanding this process can be useful to YouTubers because it can help shed light on where problems may be occurring when you have issues uploading or watching videos. Generally when there is a problem it is on your end and there are multiple simple things you can do to fix it.

This article will explain what goes on behind the scenes when you upload a video, where that video really goes, and what happens when somebody clicks play.

How Does YouTube Work

1. What Happens When You Upload?

When you upload a video your computer or device packages it into IP packets. Packets are fragments of information containing both data from your video and the address you are sending it to, in this case YouTube. The packets are encoded into radio signals which are sent through a wifi or cellular network. Your video travels through switches and routers on the internet until they reach YouTube’s servers. Your video is then reassembled and stored.

If uploading takes a long time for you it probably has nothing to do with YouTube; there is a lot that needs to happen for your video to even get there. How long the upload process takes depends on a number of factors including how many devices share your internet connection, how strong your wifi signal is, and the age of your router. If your uploads are taking too long consider compressing your videos before you upload them. You can also try uploading from your college campus or public libraries as institutions like these tend to have fast internet speeds.

2. Where is Your Video Stored?

As it is owned by Google YouTube uses Google’s ‘Bigtable’, a compressed data storage system which allows it to store the 500+ hours of video uploaded to its servers every minute. Bigtable is software, though, not hardware. YouTube and Google both have massive amounts of data and it needs to be physically housed somewhere.

Google has Modular Data Centers all over the world where it keeps its servers. These centers could cost as much as $600 million dollars each and consume huge amounts of electricity. There are six of them in the United States, three in Europe, two in Asia, and one is South America.

3. What Happens When Someone Watches Your Video?

When a viewer clicks on your video their computer sends an encoded request through the internet to YouTube’s servers. After YouTube receives the play request it chooses which format to play the video in based on the viewer’s browser. Your video is again turned into packets, which are again sent as radio signals over the internet to your viewer. Your viewer’s computer or device reforms the packets into your video and their browser plays it.

If videos take a long time to load for you then there are a few things you can do to speed them up. First, consider changing the channel of your wifi router. Most people stay on the channel their router was set to when they first got it and so there is a good chance you and your neighbors are all on the same channel. This causes your networks to interfere with each other. You can also delete the temporary files on your computer. Besides helping you stream video faster this will free up storage space. Another thing you can do is make sure there are as few devices connected to your network as possible while you are watching videos. Besides mobile phones and laptops you may have appliances, like coffee machines and refrigerators, which are wifi enabled. Disconnect them temporarily and it will help your videos to load faster.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

You use YouTube to watch videos, post your own content, and build up a following. That is how YouTube works for you. This article is about how YouTube works technically. There are a lot of steps which occur between you clicking ‘upload’ and a viewer clicking ‘play’. Understanding this process can be useful to YouTubers because it can help shed light on where problems may be occurring when you have issues uploading or watching videos. Generally when there is a problem it is on your end and there are multiple simple things you can do to fix it.

This article will explain what goes on behind the scenes when you upload a video, where that video really goes, and what happens when somebody clicks play.

How Does YouTube Work

1. What Happens When You Upload?

When you upload a video your computer or device packages it into IP packets. Packets are fragments of information containing both data from your video and the address you are sending it to, in this case YouTube. The packets are encoded into radio signals which are sent through a wifi or cellular network. Your video travels through switches and routers on the internet until they reach YouTube’s servers. Your video is then reassembled and stored.

If uploading takes a long time for you it probably has nothing to do with YouTube; there is a lot that needs to happen for your video to even get there. How long the upload process takes depends on a number of factors including how many devices share your internet connection, how strong your wifi signal is, and the age of your router. If your uploads are taking too long consider compressing your videos before you upload them. You can also try uploading from your college campus or public libraries as institutions like these tend to have fast internet speeds.

2. Where is Your Video Stored?

As it is owned by Google YouTube uses Google’s ‘Bigtable’, a compressed data storage system which allows it to store the 500+ hours of video uploaded to its servers every minute. Bigtable is software, though, not hardware. YouTube and Google both have massive amounts of data and it needs to be physically housed somewhere.

Google has Modular Data Centers all over the world where it keeps its servers. These centers could cost as much as $600 million dollars each and consume huge amounts of electricity. There are six of them in the United States, three in Europe, two in Asia, and one is South America.

3. What Happens When Someone Watches Your Video?

When a viewer clicks on your video their computer sends an encoded request through the internet to YouTube’s servers. After YouTube receives the play request it chooses which format to play the video in based on the viewer’s browser. Your video is again turned into packets, which are again sent as radio signals over the internet to your viewer. Your viewer’s computer or device reforms the packets into your video and their browser plays it.

If videos take a long time to load for you then there are a few things you can do to speed them up. First, consider changing the channel of your wifi router. Most people stay on the channel their router was set to when they first got it and so there is a good chance you and your neighbors are all on the same channel. This causes your networks to interfere with each other. You can also delete the temporary files on your computer. Besides helping you stream video faster this will free up storage space. Another thing you can do is make sure there are as few devices connected to your network as possible while you are watching videos. Besides mobile phones and laptops you may have appliances, like coffee machines and refrigerators, which are wifi enabled. Disconnect them temporarily and it will help your videos to load faster.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

You use YouTube to watch videos, post your own content, and build up a following. That is how YouTube works for you. This article is about how YouTube works technically. There are a lot of steps which occur between you clicking ‘upload’ and a viewer clicking ‘play’. Understanding this process can be useful to YouTubers because it can help shed light on where problems may be occurring when you have issues uploading or watching videos. Generally when there is a problem it is on your end and there are multiple simple things you can do to fix it.

This article will explain what goes on behind the scenes when you upload a video, where that video really goes, and what happens when somebody clicks play.

How Does YouTube Work

1. What Happens When You Upload?

When you upload a video your computer or device packages it into IP packets. Packets are fragments of information containing both data from your video and the address you are sending it to, in this case YouTube. The packets are encoded into radio signals which are sent through a wifi or cellular network. Your video travels through switches and routers on the internet until they reach YouTube’s servers. Your video is then reassembled and stored.

If uploading takes a long time for you it probably has nothing to do with YouTube; there is a lot that needs to happen for your video to even get there. How long the upload process takes depends on a number of factors including how many devices share your internet connection, how strong your wifi signal is, and the age of your router. If your uploads are taking too long consider compressing your videos before you upload them. You can also try uploading from your college campus or public libraries as institutions like these tend to have fast internet speeds.

2. Where is Your Video Stored?

As it is owned by Google YouTube uses Google’s ‘Bigtable’, a compressed data storage system which allows it to store the 500+ hours of video uploaded to its servers every minute. Bigtable is software, though, not hardware. YouTube and Google both have massive amounts of data and it needs to be physically housed somewhere.

Google has Modular Data Centers all over the world where it keeps its servers. These centers could cost as much as $600 million dollars each and consume huge amounts of electricity. There are six of them in the United States, three in Europe, two in Asia, and one is South America.

3. What Happens When Someone Watches Your Video?

When a viewer clicks on your video their computer sends an encoded request through the internet to YouTube’s servers. After YouTube receives the play request it chooses which format to play the video in based on the viewer’s browser. Your video is again turned into packets, which are again sent as radio signals over the internet to your viewer. Your viewer’s computer or device reforms the packets into your video and their browser plays it.

If videos take a long time to load for you then there are a few things you can do to speed them up. First, consider changing the channel of your wifi router. Most people stay on the channel their router was set to when they first got it and so there is a good chance you and your neighbors are all on the same channel. This causes your networks to interfere with each other. You can also delete the temporary files on your computer. Besides helping you stream video faster this will free up storage space. Another thing you can do is make sure there are as few devices connected to your network as possible while you are watching videos. Besides mobile phones and laptops you may have appliances, like coffee machines and refrigerators, which are wifi enabled. Disconnect them temporarily and it will help your videos to load faster.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

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