We all know the problem: All you want to do is grab some popcorn and watch a movie or catch up on your favorite Netflix series, but there are so many recommendations; decisions, decisions. The My List feature allows you to create a personalized Netflix playlist, but how does it work?
How to create a Netflix playlist
Note: Using the My List feature is the same on smartphones and browsers.
- Open up Netflix on your smartphone, television app, or browser.
- Select the movie or series you want to add to your watchlist.
- Tap on “Details and More” of the particular movie.
- Press the “+” icon to add the movie or series to your watchlist.
Tip: Tagging the “Remind Me Later” option to a movie or series will automatically add it to My List after it’s released.
To access the My List feature directly, look for the My List line. Using the mobile app or a smart TV application, you can access the My List feature through “Profiles & More”.
Using the My List feature will help Netflix’s Recommendation Engine identify relevant titles for you.
How the Netflix Recommendation Engine works
The most successful algorithm on Netflix is the Netflix Recommendation Engine (NRE), which filters content based on each individual user profile. The NRE filters over 3,000 titles at once and uses 1,300 recommendation clusters based on user preferences. It is extremely accurate and 80% of Netflix viewers’ activity can be attributed to the engine’s personalized recommendations.
The Netflix Recommendation Engine saves Netflix an estimated $1 billion per year.
Many companies like Spotify, Amazon, Instagram, and YouTube use recommendation engines to predict their users’ preferences and boost their business. Netflix has the most successful engine.
Approximately 47% of North Americans prefer Netflix and the company boasts a 93% retention rate. Amazon Prime is in second place with 14%.
Netflix has been so successful with its engine, in fact, it is estimated that nearly 25% of all US adults stream on Netflix daily, the highest share of any streaming service or channel by far. Nearly 40% of teens stream on Netflix every day.
Data points tracked by Netflix to make recommendations
Netflix tracks many different data points to develop recommendations, including:
- Profile information like age, gender, location, and favorite content selected at signup
- The device used to stream
- Time and date a user viewed a title
- Whether an entire TV series or movie was finished in a single sitting
- How long it takes a viewer to watch a complete TV series
- Whether the show was paused, rewound, or fast-forwarded
- Whether the viewer resumed the show after pausing it
- Scenes that users have watched repeatedly
- Whether the viewer gave the series or movie a “thumbs up” rating (this is very important)
- Browsing and scrolling behavior
- The number of searches and the content searched for
- Where a user watched the show (by zip code)
- Screenshots when the show was paused, when the user left the show, and when the user watched a scene more than once
When you use the My List feature on Netflix, it provides the company with additional data to filter recommendations based on your interests which will come in handy when you start streaming this weekend.
Final thoughts on a great Netflix playlist
As you can see, Netflix’s efforts to develop optimal recommendations for you are quite robust. However, you can create a killer Netflix playlist and help Netflix develop better recommendations by utilizing the My List feature when you find something you may be interested in.
For a step-by-step guide to accessing My List on all devices, check out Netflix’s self-help section.
Enjoy!
Related: Prime Video Hacks: Create A Playlist In 2 Easy Steps