How to Save a Playlist in VLC on Windows 10

To save a playlist in VLC on Windows 10, open the Playlist view, add the media you want, then choose Media > Save Playlist to File. Give the playlist a name and save it as an XSPF file unless you specifically need another format offered by your VLC build. The saved playlist is a small file that points to your media; it does not copy the videos or music into the playlist itself.

These steps match VLC 3.x on Windows. VideoLAN's official desktop documentation confirms that the View menu can display the current playlist and that the Media menu includes the option to save a playlist to a file. See the VLC menu bar documentation for the current 3.0 interface.

How to save a playlist in VLC on Windows 10

1. Open the Playlist view. Launch VLC, open the View menu, and select Playlist. If Docked Playlist is enabled, the playlist appears inside the main VLC window rather than in a separate window.

2. Add the files you want to keep in the playlist. You can drag supported audio or video files from File Explorer into VLC's playlist. Add them in the order you want to play them, then review the list before saving.

3. Check the playlist contents. Remove any unwanted entries and make sure the list contains the actual local files, network items, or streams you intend to reopen later. Saving the playlist preserves references to those items, not separate copies of the media.
4. Choose Media > Save Playlist to File. With the playlist ready, open the Media menu and select Save Playlist to File.... In VLC 3.x, the keyboard shortcut shown for this command is Ctrl+Y.

5. Name and save the playlist. Choose a folder, enter a useful filename such as Work Mix.xspf, and click Save. XSPF is a good default when you plan to reopen the playlist in VLC. If your VLC installation offers other playlist formats, choose one only when you need compatibility with another player or workflow.

How to open the saved VLC playlist later

If Windows associates the playlist format with VLC, double-clicking the saved .xspf file should open it in VLC. You can also open VLC first and use Media > Open File to select the playlist file. VLC will then load the entries stored in that playlist.

Keeping several playlist files also solves a limitation of relying only on the current in-app queue: you can create separate files for work, movies, lessons, music, or any other collection, give each one a descriptive filename, and reopen the one you need.

Why a saved playlist can stop finding files

A VLC playlist generally stores references to where each item can be found. That means the playlist can fail to open an entry if the underlying media is no longer available at the expected location.

• Local files: renaming or moving a video or audio file can break the saved reference.
• External drives: the playlist may fail if a USB drive is disconnected or appears under a different drive letter.
• Network locations: the share must still be reachable and the path must remain valid.
• Online streams: a saved URL can stop working if the provider changes or removes it.

If you plan to reinstall Windows or move to another PC, back up both the playlist file and the media it references. Recreating the same folder structure and file paths gives an old playlist the best chance of working without edits. If paths have changed, add the files again in VLC and save a fresh playlist.

XSPF or M3U: which should you use?

For a playlist you primarily use in VLC, XSPF is the simplest default. If your installed version offers M3U and you want to share the list with another media player, M3U can be a practical compatibility choice. The important point is that either type is a playlist description, not a backup of the media itself.

Quick fixes when VLC will not reopen a playlist

• If VLC reports that an item cannot be opened, verify that the original file still exists at the same location.
• If double-clicking the playlist opens the wrong program, open the file from inside VLC or change the Windows file association.
• If a playlist contains outdated entries, remove them, add the current files, and save the playlist again.
• If you cannot find the save command, use the standard VLC interface and check the Media menu; VideoLAN's documentation lists playlist saving there.

For the official Windows build and current release information, use VideoLAN's VLC for Windows page.