How to Share a Queue by Exporting Its Data

Developed by Thomas Logan with funding from the Mozilla Foundation, Queue Music gives you an accessible way to search for, organise and play YouTube tracks without relying on a mouse. Exporting the queue creates a portable snapshot of the music you have lined up, so another person can receive the list and continue the session on their own device.

The shared item is queue data, not the audio itself and not control of your account. A recipient can use the saved track details to reconstruct the list, subject to YouTube availability and the player they choose. In practical terms, sharing works best as a short sequence: prepare the queue, export it, send the file, then rebuild the list.

Why exporting beats sending a list of names

A handwritten or typed song list loses the exact order and may introduce spelling mistakes. An exported queue keeps the sequence visible in one record, making it easier to move from a Sunday selection in Melbourne to a shared listening session in Sydney without turning the exchange into another round of searches.

The export describes what to play; it does not make local audio files or grant permission to view private videos. Some entries may depend on regional availability, and a track that works for one listener can still be unavailable for another. Treat the file as a handy reference rather than a guarantee that every song will start everywhere.

It is also better for privacy than sharing your login. Keep account credentials, recovery codes and personal details out of the file. If a queue contains songs connected with a private event or an old message, remove those entries before creating the copy you plan to send.

Prepare the queue before you export it

Open Queue Music, bring up the queue you want to share and listen through the order once. Check for duplicates, accidental additions and tracks you would rather keep private. A little editing here saves the recipient from having to identify omissions or corrections later.

Build the list using the search and keyboard controls, then use the app's spoken feedback to confirm additions. During practice runs, live-region announcements tell you when playback speed changes, so you can keep your attention on the queue without relying on visual cues.

Give the export a descriptive, neutral name, such as the date and “shared queue”. Avoid names that reveal private information. The filename also helps someone receiving several files recognise the right one, especially when a household or group chat is busy with photos, receipts and other attachments.

Create the export using keyboard controls

Find the export action in Queue Music's interface and activate it with the keyboard. The controls can behave differently across browsers, so consult the browser-specific keyboard map when a key does not appear to work. It also explains how to move between controls without accidentally starting or removing a track.

Depending on the browser and version, the result may be a downloaded text or JSON file, or a text copy placed on the clipboard. Save a downloaded file with its original extension. If the contents are on the clipboard, paste them into a plain-text editor promptly, because a later copy can replace them.

Open the saved export and check that it contains the tracks in the intended order. It should be readable as text rather than a screenshot, with no account credentials or unrelated information. If something is missing, return to the queue, make the correction and create a fresh export instead of editing the data by guesswork.

Send the saved data to your recipient

Attach the file to an email or share it in a private message. Gmail is a convenient route for many Australian households, while services such as Outlook or WhatsApp work well for quicker exchanges. Put the file in a direct chat or an email addressed to the intended person, rather than posting it on a public page.

Explain what the file is and which player you used. For instance, say that it is a Queue Music export for our listening session, and note that the recipient should check the track order before playing. This matters if they use a different music service, because they may need to search for the songs rather than import the file.

A saved file also crosses Australia's time zones neatly: someone in Perth can open it while the person who prepared the queue in Sydney is still asleep. Neither person needs to keep the other online. Use the service's access controls, and remove the file from a shared location once the recipient has it if the list is sensitive.

Rebuild the list on the receiving device

On the receiving device, open Queue Music and use the exported entries to find the same tracks and add them in the same order. If the available version includes a data import command, select the saved file; otherwise, treat the export as a checklist and search for each item. Keep the original file until the finished queue has been checked.

Check availability before promising a seamless start. YouTube results can vary by region, and an Australian favourite from Triple J or a new release moving through the ARIA charts may not have the same video for every listener. When a track cannot be played, agree on a replacement rather than leaving a dead entry at the front.

Finally, decide which browser tab will control playback. Queue Music's guide to multiple-tab playback explains why overlapping tabs can compete for sound, so close unnecessary tabs or agree on one source before starting. The recipient can then use pause, search and queue controls entirely from the keyboard while both people listen.