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Playlists 🆕


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What is a playlist?
Introduction Aviary playlists are a simple way for organizations to enhance access to audiovisual content. Playlists are created by grouping related resources, media files, or clips of media files together into curated lists that can be shared with users. Playlists also allow organizations to group and present content from separate collections together in the same place. Playlist uses Presenting resources and media files in playlists makes it easier for Aviary users to discover and access related content that may normally be part of separate collections. For example: Playlists can be used to group and share resources with different courses or class sections each semester. Playlists can also be used to curate and present related content for digital exhibits. Playlist metadata Aviary playlists display any metadata that is already associated with the source resources and media files (description, index, transcript, caption, and supplemental files). Additional names and descriptions can be included in a playlist to help provide more context for users viewing the content. Playlist restrictions Aviary playlists inherit any existing restrictions or permissions from the source resources and media files. The restrictions or permissions for resources and media files cannot be changed in a playlist. However, playlists may have further restrictions and only shared with users in specific permission groups. https://aviary.aviaryplatform.com/playlists/653/show/playlist_resource_id/12975/collection_resource_file_id/1003?embed=true&media_player=true
Creating playlists
https://aviary.aviaryplatform.com/embed/media/114210 Creating a playlist from the Playlists table 1. Click the Playlists link in the admin menu. Any existing playlists in the organization will be displayed in the Playlists table. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-05/7884e4fe-29ee-4e77-8390-efd2c3b168c7/ascreenshot_77703375979e4759a9b07b8de9affec7_text_export.jpeg 2. Click the Add Playlist button above the Playlists table to create a new playlist. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-05/5fca79a4-0eed-4062-8dc6-76a6916e1abe/ascreenshot_07d084b538ae4d958428a45adeaf554c_text_export.jpeg 3. The Create Playlist page will open. Use the fields on the Create Playlist page to update the new playlist. Click the Add Image button to add an optional thumbnail that will be displayed on the organization’s Playlists page. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-05/74ac51e9-9e40-4891-a4f8-0d02072084bb/ascreenshot_bbef047ff08f4ba4a2e085daf518087a_text_export.jpeg 4. Enter a name for the new playlist. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-05/22dcac7b-9498-417d-81d3-79ea34e0b001/ascreenshot_9fe88668d09a475b929fcef9afb967c1_text_export.jpeg 5. Enter a description with more information about the new playlist. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-05/33eded93-cbd8-470d-b9ea-5ebd0fe95bcb/ascreenshot_243c2fd067ee4f1bb8d7f5905da96a27_text_export.jpeg 6. Choose a visibility status for the playlist from the Public? dropdown menu. Selecting Yes will make the playlist visible and discoverable by all users. Selecting No will restrict the playlist’s visibility to users in the organization and any external users who have been granted permission to the playlist. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-05/75acb6a6-4394-49d1-847e-5190700ecd28/ascreenshot_23c46813df0c466cab9aa2ba83f0a6f6_text_export.jpeg 7. Choose a featured status from the Featured? dropdown menu. Selecting Yes will add a featured banner to the playlist’s card image and display the playlist at the top of the organization’s Playlists page. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-05/94ea0b40-b7d9-4c79-aab9-4eb195c3e3be/ascreenshot_728f803d6be74299aa9c445a1968d550_text_export.jpeg 8. Check the Render Media Player as Audio Player checkbox to display a thin audio player instead of a full video player for audio files in the playlist. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-05/947a05ce-11a3-46ec-8ff7-1ea5ab2660f6/ascreenshot_95a4fbfdc5824bbdb145a9072cf630ec_text_export.jpeg 9. Click the Save button to finish saving the new playlist. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-05/0237e141-02a5-435b-84f9-f8d9a06001d7/ascreenshot_f27713f26abe46019a7d9f1bb0025d4e_text_export.jpeg 10. After clicking Save, a confirmation message will be displayed on the Playlists page. The new playlist will also be displayed in the playlist management table. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-05/ce2a3ad0-e747-4c22-9edd-bd9d968fc132/ascreenshot_f1cccb2f335342c491653a48e1519e9c_text_export.jpeg Creating a playlist from the Resource Detail page 1. To create a new playlist when viewing a resource on a Resource Detail page, hover over the media player and click the Playlist link. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-06/e98fa7a0-d03b-4b98-9806-5de390c0cb48/ascreenshot_b16db36a804a4304a609ec733558c68a_text_export.jpeg 2. The Add To Playlists modal window will open. Enter a name for the new playlist in the Create Playlist text field. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-06/46baa1ae-1004-48ca-a982-e5bfdfb4ce65/ascreenshot_03e4f4661b21432fa7ff9613673c2829_text_export.jpeg 3. Click the Create Playlist button after entering a name for the new playlist. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-06/28d899fe-e0cf-4de4-b1e8-adef2d801f76/ascreenshot_204dbf1744cb477389ee9dd90522c1ab_text_export.jpeg 4. A confirmation message will be displayed when the playlist has been created. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-06/d44a2c38-df8b-4bd2-970a-02937ce7bac4/ascreenshot_c1e184fd81014fd1833273728926358c_text_export.jpeg 5. The new playlist will be listed in the Add To Playlists modal window. Click the Add button beside the new playlist to finish adding the resource to it. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-06/3b6162dc-49a5-489a-bf1d-b87273cfbc23/ascreenshot_6ce26c478e4d438eab1bc567bbbdbb1f_text_export.jpeg
Adding content to playlists
There are a number of ways to add resources and media files to an Aviary playlist. Organization users can add content to playlists from the Edit Playlist page, when viewing a resource on its Resource Detail page, or by selecting resources from a list of search results. Organization users can also add resources to a playlist using the Bulk Edit action button in the Resources table. Organizations may also choose to only display selected media files from a resource or shortened clips of media files in a playlist. See below for more details about each of these ways to add content to Aviary playlists. Adding resources from the Edit Playlist tab 1. Organization users can add resources to a playlist on the Edit Playlist tab. Click the Edit button beside a playlist in the Playlists table to open the Edit Playlist tab. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-06/5daea500-0454-4377-93fb-e9fa370dee3e/ascreenshot_41209ed0cbec46ed8bfbf3b4f886497a_text_export.jpeg 2. The Edit Playlist tab will open on the playlist page. Click the Add Resources button. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-06/a4a862dc-2de2-4dd9-abd5-243db39e6a8f/ascreenshot_ce37e3bcb35540a4949701631a656898_text_export.jpeg 3. The Preview Resources modal window will open. Use the Search field to find specific resources or browse the list of resources that may be added to the playlist. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-06/5dbb26bd-2d03-43f6-b68b-246f7abd1793/ascreenshot_b2a68bd7d625401babe21520e541a157_text_export.jpeg 4. Click the Add button beside a resource to add it to the playlist. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-06/5d4f0bbc-a9cf-4546-a107-0be0729c4491/ascreenshot_074956f9033e45c49c26d1d4adfca7fd_text_export.jpeg Adding resources from the Resource Detail page 1. Organization users can add a resource to playlists from its Resource Detail page. Hover over the media player on the Resource Detail page and click the Playlist link. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-06/e98fa7a0-d03b-4b98-9806-5de390c0cb48/ascreenshot_b16db36a804a4304a609ec733558c68a_text_export.jpeg 2. The Add To Playlists modal window will open. Use the Search Playlist field to find a specific playlist or browse the list of playlists in the table. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-06/4ddd508b-f210-409c-b0b0-6f2bef6599f5/ascreenshot_6edcfdcb979e4a1f9ffcd536803a797b_text_export.jpeg 3. Click the Add button next to a playlist to add the resource to an existing playlist, or use the Create Playlist field to create a new playlist. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-06/b340dbf2-b19c-4228-bff4-908a11914245/ascreenshot_56b296d784e743928b4ed8c1498ae3ce_text_export.jpeg 4. The Add To Playlists modal window will close and a confirmation message will be displayed on the Resource Detail page. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-06/69327edf-18d9-4e7d-a6cb-eaecfa0152ca/ascreenshot_eefddf3652444032b73875e7dd5b3489_text_export.jpeg Adding resources from search results 1. Enter a search term on the Resources search page. Resources with matching terms will be listed in the results. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-06/29701b6e-c3c3-4439-92f4-f665b214c31e/ascreenshot_338064e7e41b45a5839a5d1fbd06b267_text_export.jpeg 2. To add a resource from the search results, hover over a thumbnail and click the Add to playlist button. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-06/a5fd8951-474e-44e3-ade3-8ad18fd3b682/ascreenshot_641a5f73c55c407d9574c1c9eda011e2_text_export.jpeg 3. The Add To Playlists modal window will open. Use the Search Playlist field to find a specific playlist or browse the list of playlists in the table. Click the Add button next to a playlist to add the resource to an existing playlist, or use the Create Playlist field to create a new playlist. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-06/545ac2f0-7d7f-4dff-8aec-75309fe58c9d/ascreenshot_d97970de69e244e68ced69b910c362ee_text_export.jpeg 4. A confirmation message will be displayed when the resource is added to the playlist. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-06/5e928008-00f2-40c6-ac33-8cac6bb9828b/ascreenshot_859627f5fbe64163a6ba550d1cf26a5b_text_export.jpeg 5. To add multiple resources from the search results to a playlist, select the checkboxes beside the resources. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-06/f249c9a2-dc32-415b-9d1d-bc1b86d7ed26/ascreenshot_b29c944bb23e4a7192b93a9d0b8b306e_text_export.jpeg 6. After selecting the checkboxes, click the Add Selected Resource to Playlist button at the top of the search results. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-06/10752195-9736-4287-af79-77144937113d/ascreenshot_4d483d273af24e55bd0e25169f5f79ae_text_export.jpeg 7. The Bulk Review modal window will open. Choose which playlist the resources will be added to from the Select Playlist dropdown menu. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-06/f02d3e96-8d58-47c1-b418-b421580bb1aa/ascreenshot_ed01224fca3045eca8b84e271db1bcf1_text_export.jpeg 8. Review the resources that were selected from the search results in the Selected Resources table. Click the Apply button to finish adding the resources to the playlist. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-06/b8efdbc2-5c5e-4503-826b-d65a9bba8bdf/ascreenshot_ebdb51ebbb1f48d4b631a7f1cb0706b3_text_export.jpeg 9. A confirmation message will be displayed when the resources are added to the playlist. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-06/c6fded10-c771-4326-a4b1-a2f306f36929/ascreenshot_d662d6da422c4179b4d3743cf26b5aa9_text_export.jpeg Adding resources in bulk 1. Click the Resources link in the admin menu to open the organization’s Resources table, or navigate to the resources table for a specific collection. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-09/0d9fc087-6098-4c94-8d4d-5a858bb1a862/ascreenshot_2928cbc863dd4992ae2f6a4e79fff6d5_text_export.jpeg 2. To add multiple resources to a playlist, select the checkboxes beside the resources in the table. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-09/0ac3d1ff-fa1c-4dbc-af6f-7425c773fbfe/ascreenshot_a21d87fc65514380bd028ac20c9cae3d_text_export.jpeg 3. After selecting the resources, choose Bulk Edit Options from the Table Options dropdown menu. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-09/c04b0c63-cb8c-4dc9-886b-d7bed9e947ef/ascreenshot_2abefc641e1240ec82be490386a6ff24_text_export.jpeg 4. The Bulk Edit modal window will open. Choose Assign to Playlist from the dropdown menu. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-09/dc53891a-ad5e-4bb0-a063-8c9f6a4f00c4/ascreenshot_2e66128773714aac9bbdd92a3e1b5c79_text_export.jpeg 5. The Select Playlist dropdown menu will be displayed. Choose which playlist the resources will be added to from the Select Playlist dropdown menu. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-09/fae5759a-3e0b-4224-a216-abb103a4f237/ascreenshot_5e434a9087d749e39478e71332dc4779_text_export.jpeg 6. Click the Apply button. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-09/03c9a8a3-4087-4d42-a88a-4166bdd9b44a/ascreenshot_9e735b063bf34cfb99c0806fc9b5858b_text_export.jpeg 7. The Bulk Edit Review window will be displayed. Review the resources that will be added to the playlist. Click the Apply button to finish adding the resources to the playlist. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-09/2533d3b4-3192-4f28-a639-51aeca3066c9/ascreenshot_2113bfb8278b4fc7abde529e295e5ccb_text_export.jpeg 8. A confirmation message will be displayed when the resources are added to the playlist. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-09/076f459e-3407-4b0a-8eb0-bfe3fc5f9dcf/ascreenshot_3e0a811f78ed4fc4add810db89ebc2fa_text_export.jpeg Displaying selected media files from a resource 1. To only display specific media files in a playlist, open the Edit Playlist tab and click a resource that contains multiple media files. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-06/6a2cd0aa-2883-4d56-b2ad-b6a6462e4ad5/ascreenshot_b533f307916145ffa16bd04c77f261c5_text_export.jpeg 2. If the resource has more than one media file, multiple media files will be displayed in the Media Files carousel. Click the checkboxes to update the display settings for each media file. If a checkbox is selected, the media file will be included in the playlist. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-06/36a87a1b-dee4-43d5-a076-8dffba160c1e/ascreenshot_cdce855291b54b77b74472cfdeaebcc4_text_export.jpeg 3. If the checkbox is unselected, the media file will be removed from the playlist. A confirmation message will be displayed when the media file is removed from the playlist. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-06/0ff44cf5-ff0f-45fd-b43e-d1a3facd664b/ascreenshot_8e1a2f8cdfa1420a80736b667b03a6da_text_export.jpeg 4. Click the View Playlist tab to review the updated media files. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-06/ad0c877f-df10-42d1-8ded-469db2d96578/ascreenshot_69af4c6a0e954ae897cf88a483e9cd4f_text_export.jpeg 5. Only the media files that were selected will be displayed to users in the playlist. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-06/dd112e5a-e69b-4b94-929c-a5476c42c170/ascreenshot_a250a71f34c448198b3f100e09380583_text_export.jpeg Displaying clips of media files 1. To only display a short clip of a longer media file in a playlist, open the Edit Playlist tab and select a resource to edit. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-13/0a32090c-0449-4a90-88d5-3103fb1d9946/ascreenshot_c535365dd86d4016bdd5f380b3b1e2f2_text_export.jpeg 2. The clipping tool will be displayed under the media player. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-13/d2e2fb8c-ffd2-4ef0-9561-06468d4f10e6/ascreenshot_140280f4c0c24bd6a715ca1eb7011f32_text_export.jpeg 3. Review the media file in the media player. Select a start time for the beginning of the clip by clicking the Set Start button. The start time can also be set by dragging the toolbar in the clipping timeline or typing a time into the Time range text box. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-13/84328e66-4156-4d8f-94f8-64716154b4a0/ascreenshot_d3c6dedac13e4a3e89b5d910c9a92b1a_text_export.jpeg 4. Continuing reviewing the media file and select an end time for the clip by clicking the Set End button. The end time can also be set by dragging the toolbar in the clipping timeline or typing a time in the Time range text box. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-13/a154b08c-96aa-4fa7-bfbb-32f09197ddfc/ascreenshot_612ece6099ab48259d2ac1cc29796377_text_export.jpeg 5. The updated start and end times will be displayed in the clipping toolbar and the Time range text box. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-13/d776967a-90bc-4824-9b40-cfd7ee213cc3/ascreenshot_00e93c1387b940d3b6146fdf0d64d8be_text_export.jpeg 6. Click the Add Clip button to finish updating the clip times in the playlist. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-13/039fdc17-aa82-466c-9586-f2a4bd63c009/ascreenshot_1639256082604950a15459f4d8327c3a_text_export.jpeg 7. A confirmation message will be displayed when the clip times are updated. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-13/71bd1ab9-bddd-43bc-a826-e184453280a9/ascreenshot_9a1d8d0e0c0f477ca2b3fddef8d6de79_text_export.jpeg 8. When users view the playlist, the media file will automatically begin playing at the start time and will only play until the clip’s end. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-13/b9cb8dcf-9998-43ae-90c3-eac1f0426e74/ascreenshot_e94a281b221d4be194bd2be773bafc6d_text_export.jpeg
Editing playlists
https://aviary.aviaryplatform.com/embed/media/114211 Editing playlist content 1. Click the Playlists link in the admin menu to open the Playlists page. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-16/900624eb-22a1-40f9-8377-7392f4e7f413/ascreenshot_62a5bc005ef4471d8ed3cc8e4c6ed6cb_text_export.jpeg 2. Click the Edit button beside the playlist to edit. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-16/d6752277-efbf-4acc-bd05-acbe9ad21b40/ascreenshot_a2e0b6b9abd34fda856b69d23eddd07d_text_export.jpeg 3. The playlist will open to the Edit Playlist tab. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-16/bc8ae4e0-d29c-495e-808b-b2f2ca2086d5/ascreenshot_38da4c21cf4d410abd2f0c0555ac5259_text_export.jpeg 4. To reorder a playlist, click the vertical ellipsis (⋮) beside an item and drag it to the preferred location. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-16/3e91efbb-87b3-4280-a85d-1aa96420b5a8/ascreenshot_9a1fb2cc2e66483098e94b14405069ec_text_export.jpeg 5. A confirmation message will be displayed when the playlist order is updated. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-16/63f04fa7-b146-4576-bad2-630519b2d657/ascreenshot_393b1084c9b64be7a59db0fc25c5469c_text_export.jpeg 6. To edit the title of a playlist item, click the pencil icon beside its current title. The edited title will be displayed to users viewing the playlist, while still maintaining the resource’s original title in Aviary. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-16/653befbf-2e9e-4925-8232-58dbc54d5926/ascreenshot_6577ea5f6f7a49e38e77cb162fee3b4e_text_export.jpeg 7. Edit the title in the text field. Click out of the text field or press Enter to finish editing. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-16/1e06d655-2d31-44af-b2d3-3eed38528879/ascreenshot_2981bf965e67440b9f9322aa823f146a_text_export.jpeg 8. The edited title will be displayed in the playlist. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-16/6e67f062-4ea4-4718-ab9f-98ca3978b2f4/ascreenshot_00c194e26f69404e8802b55501236771_text_export.jpeg 9. Click the Edit Description button to edit the description for an item in the playlist. The edited description will be displayed to users in the playlist, while still maintaining the resource’s original description in Aviary. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-16/0557648a-d798-4507-9b95-be25e018b9de/ascreenshot_d333e62c35294dd3b4ee3a3b48a09b22_text_export.jpeg 10. The Edit Description window will open. Add or edit the description, and click the Save button. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-16/f7a32876-3974-44a5-8c17-696b3a00d7dc/ascreenshot_d6ebcc74d0a84ea5ba3d14141348c2f8_text_export.jpeg 11. The edited description will be displayed when viewing the playlist. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-16/8d55724d-5c0c-4b64-b28d-2554e81e9c70/ascreenshot_7f2147054df841639470387fe4c4401d_text_export.jpeg 12. To delete an item from the playlist, click the Remove button. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-16/d8162a79-e66f-472f-8b89-8780cbc57023/ascreenshot_203870c3efa5469f8f742a6d8740f522_text_export.jpeg 13. A confirmation window will open. Click OK to delete the item from the playlist. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-16/b8b70f5c-ec4d-4d4f-8504-c9150ac3ea3d/ascreenshot_5a2a12de3b6747faa91e1d412660f616_text_export.jpeg 14. A confirmation message will be displayed when the item is deleted from the playlist. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-16/24fa9c8f-5898-41ca-96ba-107e681d80f2/ascreenshot_0cc2f00efc6843178a29995a85101354_text_export.jpeg 15. To bulk delete items from the playlist, click the checkboxes beside multiple items. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-16/a085e051-89eb-451b-bf4d-4e827e35c4ec/ascreenshot_6a79a3ce1c894954926587ccaa8978a4_text_export.jpeg 16. Click the Bulk Delete button. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-16/7461f173-c433-475f-a49e-0d5390db8cbb/ascreenshot_9f9427c1a4f3405294e3f83ec4a2ac53_text_export.jpeg 17. The Bulk Delete Review modal window will open. Review the items that will be deleted from the playlist, and click the Apply button to finish the bulk delete process. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-16/087f67f7-4308-40d6-981c-3a8f6d7546b4/ascreenshot_aa6717dc144647128738a1397963954e_text_export.jpeg Editing playlist metadata 1. Click the Playlist Info tab to edit playlist metadata and settings. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-16/041725c2-cee1-49c7-8b1b-24caa12cf092/ascreenshot_661baab05c7f49cd82f3554e4a0c1ef6_text_export.jpeg 2. Click the Change button to upload a thumbnail image for the playlist. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-16/8b90e1c9-f9be-4a5a-a29e-d1ddea3e869f/ascreenshot_4f9df54ce06249f1ad3c4964e1932918_text_export.jpeg 3. Edit the playlist’s name in the Playlist Name text field. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-16/ff689d91-b5de-4020-8bb8-017ee55bf223/ascreenshot_5b5e264908824e1283133656c56bd79c_text_export.jpeg 4. Add or edit a description of the playlist in the Playlist Description field. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-16/e5a4aedc-d93c-47b4-97f1-3a704c9176b9/ascreenshot_3bf71defd42742f989caf3bcb308034e_text_export.jpeg 5. Update the visibility status for the playlist using the Public? dropdown menu. Selecting Yes will make the playlist visible and discoverable by all users. Selecting No will restrict the playlist’s visibility to users in the organization and any external users who have been granted permission to access the playlist. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-16/8960a529-15c0-43dd-8dea-2caa82156a66/ascreenshot_0b2f630489db4048ad5579d538c6caf5_text_export.jpeg 6. Update the featured status using the Featured? dropdown menu. Selecting Yes will add a featured banner to the playlist’s card image and display the playlist at the top of the organization’s Playlists page. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-16/52c59ed4-c858-4a4d-9886-fed7fa4ea47b/ascreenshot_14c53644c5ef461ab7c6461456e8af86_text_export.jpeg 7. Check the Render Media Player as Audio Player checkbox to display a thin audio player instead of a full video player for audio files in the playlist. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-16/d7a102db-45ff-4bf0-998f-13bcf9e28c9c/ascreenshot_301c9e0f45df43f191a03dd5c6b67bac_text_export.jpeg 8. Check the Do not allow playlist to autoplay upon page load checkbox to prevent the playlist from autoplaying. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-16/ee815e8c-5006-4d88-8b9c-686d019fd4f1/ascreenshot_213f5f9a702d47c29cfe5058208fbb98_text_export.jpeg 9. Create or update an RSS feed for the playlist using the RSS/Podcast Settings. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-16/20adb263-0bca-431a-8c20-8d43b12b7f38/ascreenshot_f096e70a12b34a28b0545fb0a16e1ddc_text_export.jpeg Note: See the RSS feeds for collections section of the Collections page for more information about creating and updating RSS feeds for playlists. 10. Click the Update button to save changes to the playlist metadata. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-16/8f6a5731-84b4-4ba7-b713-02e1f504541c/ascreenshot_6512e6f313414262b98d5e8a2aaf265e_text_export.jpeg 11. A confirmation message will be displayed when the changes are saved. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-16/048487af-7892-46e4-8b79-5c837bd55249/ascreenshot_54b1172d948c46bcbd2b26a95afa1a58_text_export.jpeg
Sharing playlists
1. Public and Aviary organization users are able to share playlists based on specific user permissions and access restrictions. To share a playlist, hover over the media player and click the Share Playlist button. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-13/7577a26d-3def-4701-acd0-f2a48b1900e1/ascreenshot_8ef2cec7d284439a8671915e5921bf22_text_export.jpeg 2. A modal window will open and display the Share Link tab. Public and Aviary organization users can copy a share link that can be shared with other viewers who have access to the playlist. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-13/a5c92394-4dff-4fd6-b2f7-764dd4262213/ascreenshot_198dc251c1fa4159b5026dae6aaab0fe_text_export.jpeg 3. Public and Aviary organization users can also copy an embed link for the playlist. Click the Embed Playlist tab to copy an embed code that can be used to embed the playlist into other websites. The embedded playlist will be displayed to users according to the playlist’s access restrictions. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-13/5933a26e-ecd9-41d3-a432-48c8d7fc5b03/ascreenshot_9c52cf2d4a5d441c93c272499b9dea3c_text_export.jpeg 4. In addition to share links and embed codes, Aviary organization users can create Playlist Public Access URLs to share playlists with all external users for a fixed amount of time. To create a public access URL, select the Playlist Public Access URL tab, set the Access Duration, and click the Copy button to populate the Public Access URL field and copy the link. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-13/fd90a890-5aec-4f0c-95c9-6511829bc24b/ascreenshot_31bf39324c474d97899cc50cc620aab1_text_export.jpeg Note: See more details about each of these playlist sharing options on the Sharing Content from Aviary page.
Searching playlists
Filtering playlists 1. Users can filter playlists according to the resource metadata in playlist entries. To filter a playlist, click the Filter playlist by resource metadata text field and type a search term into the text field. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-18/ffc6626b-fe49-4423-a1d5-7167314a2894/ascreenshot_2976f58f44554e048abe55ef6c257cf6_text_export.jpeg 2. The playlist entries will be filtered. Only resources with matching terms in the resource metadata will be displayed. The matching terms will also be highlighted in the playlist. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-18/e31ac5d2-0d3f-456a-94ed-da8b8539ce94/ascreenshot_768cc62a378e49e6bd9a24fca85064ad_text_export.jpeg Searching one resource in a playlist 1. To search the resource that is currently playing in a playlist, click the Now Playing Info button. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-18/3ad25490-d807-4607-a07a-929d3f5bc733/ascreenshot_b652800326484f2dbf082290ef6b2f1b_text_export.jpeg 2. Click the Search this Resource text field and type a search term. Press Enter to submit the search. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-18/68504986-e68f-491f-ac11-60ba6cdc1da3/ascreenshot_ba1e6d6391eb4973b0a30bb55cf10713_text_export.jpeg 3. The search term and results will be displayed below the Search this resource field. Matching search results will also be highlighted in the resource metadata. Use the arrow buttons to navigate between matching search results, or click the X button to clear the search results. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-18/5fd79dc6-a14f-4462-8eb5-93388d61bc77/ascreenshot_9c726e191694427cb373bbb89d83a03a_text_export.jpeg Searching all resources in a playlist 1. To search all of the resources in a playlist, click the Search all content in this playlist link on the Playlist tab. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-18/b0faff11-0f68-42d0-bdb8-6f12559b87de/ascreenshot_9101037448634c3080f33919f1813a7e_text_export.jpeg 2. The Resources search page will open in a new tab. The search will automatically be filtered to only display resources in the playlist. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-18/80bdf889-cf21-4419-b205-461018ec3303/ascreenshot_139ecae15ff7421bac55acfc94a115a4_text_export.jpeg 3. Type a search term into the Search Aviary text field. Press Enter or click the magnifying glass icon to submit the search. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-18/9895c8a1-55c2-4d9d-9914-0885c35dbc2a/ascreenshot_3789c631298245e487411441ec6885fb_text_export.jpeg 4. The search results will show resources in the playlist with matching terms. The number of matching search terms will also be listed in the Found In field. Click the resource to view its Resource Detail page, or return to the playlist to view the resource in the Now Playing Info tab. https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2026-02-18/ef889221-9447-45fb-9803-98a18d3edcc3/ascreenshot_c4bf6bcfaace4033b64fb66abee887b8_text_export.jpeg
What is a playlist?
02/19/2026

Introduction

Aviary playlists are a simple way for organizations to enhance access to audiovisual content. Playlists are created by grouping related resources, media files, or clips of media files together into curated lists that can be shared with users. Playlists also allow organizations to group and present content from separate collections together in the same place.

Playlist uses

Presenting resources and media files in playlists makes it easier for Aviary users to discover and access related content that may normally be part of separate collections. For example:
Playlists can be used to group and share resources with different courses or class sections each semester.
Playlists can also be used to curate and present related content for digital exhibits.

Playlist metadata

Aviary playlists display any metadata that is already associated with the source resources and media files (description, index, transcript, caption, and supplemental files). Additional names and descriptions can be included in a playlist to help provide more context for users viewing the content.

Playlist restrictions

Aviary playlists inherit any existing restrictions or permissions from the source resources and media files. The restrictions or permissions for resources and media files cannot be changed in a playlist. However, playlists may have further restrictions and only shared with users in specific permission groups.


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