diff --git a/src/playlist-maker.js b/src/playlist-maker.js
index 0c907c6..a9546c9 100644
--- a/src/playlist-maker.js
+++ b/src/playlist-maker.js
@@ -31,6 +31,10 @@ const isItemObject = (value) => {
  *         A new array with transformed items
  */
 const transformPrimitiveItems = (arr) => {
+  if (arr.filter(item => isItemObject(item)).length === arr.length) {
+    return arr;
+  }
+
   const list = [];
   let tempItem;
 
@@ -183,6 +187,20 @@ const randomize = (arr) => {
   return arr;
 };
 
+/**
+ * get the Copied playlist
+ *
+ * @private
+ * @param  {Array} arr
+ *         An array.
+ *
+ * @return {Array}
+ *         The copied array contains the same items.
+ */
+const cloneList = (arr) => {
+  return arr.map((item) => item.originalValue || item).slice();
+};
+
 /**
  * Factory function for creating new playlist implementation on the given player.
  *
@@ -247,12 +265,8 @@ export default function factory(player, initialList, initialIndex = 0) {
       const previousPlaylist = Array.isArray(list) ? list.slice() : null;
       const nextPlaylist = newList.slice();
 
-      list = nextPlaylist.slice();
-
       // Transform any primitive and null values in an input list to objects
-      if (list.filter(item => isItemObject(item)).length !== list.length) {
-        list = transformPrimitiveItems(list);
-      }
+      list = transformPrimitiveItems(nextPlaylist.slice());
 
       // Add unique id to each playlist item. This id will be used
       // to determine index in cases where there are more than one
@@ -294,7 +308,35 @@ export default function factory(player, initialList, initialIndex = 0) {
 
     // Always return a shallow clone of the playlist list.
     //  We also want to return originalValue if any item in the list has it.
-    return list.map((item) => item.originalValue || item).slice();
+    return cloneList(list);
+  };
+
+  playlist.updateList = function updateList(partialList, positionCb) {
+    if (changing) {
+      throw new Error('do not call updateList() during a playlist change');
+    }
+
+    if (!Array.isArray(partialList)) {
+      throw new Error('give first argument an array when calling updateList');
+    }
+
+    if (typeof positionCb !== 'function') {
+      throw new Error('give second argument a callback when calling updateList');
+    }
+
+    const formattedPartialList = transformPrimitiveItems(partialList);
+
+    formattedPartialList.forEach(item => {
+      const position = positionCb(item, list);
+
+      if (position < 0 || position >= list.length) {
+        return;
+      }
+
+      Object.assign(list[position], item);
+    });
+
+    return cloneList(list);
   };
 
   // On a new source, if there is no current item, disable auto-advance.
diff --git a/test/playlist-maker.test.js b/test/playlist-maker.test.js
index 17cf196..618a22f 100644
--- a/test/playlist-maker.test.js
+++ b/test/playlist-maker.test.js
@@ -36,6 +36,9 @@ const videoList = [{
   poster: 'http://media.w3.org/2010/05/video/poster.png'
 }];
 
+const videoInitialList = videoList.slice(0, 2).concat([null, null, null]);
+const videoPartialList = videoList.slice(2);
+
 QUnit.module('playlist-maker', {
 
   beforeEach() {
@@ -899,3 +902,42 @@ QUnit.test('playlist.shuffle({rest: true}) works as expected', function(assert)
   assert.notStrictEqual(list.indexOf(4), -1, '4 is in the list');
   assert.strictEqual(spy.callCount, 3, 'the "playlistsorted" event triggered');
 });
+
+QUnit.test('playlist.updateList() works as expected', function(assert) {
+  const player = playerProxyMaker();
+  const playlist = playlistMaker(player, videoInitialList);
+  const list = playlist();
+  const playlistItemIds = list.map(item => item.playlistItemId_);
+
+  const emptyIndexes = [];
+
+  list.forEach((item, index) => {
+    if (item.originalValue === null) {
+      emptyIndexes.push(index);
+    }
+  });
+
+  const modifiedPlaylist = playlist.updateList(videoPartialList, () => {
+    return emptyIndexes.shift();
+  });
+  const modifiedPlaylistItemIds = modifiedPlaylist.map(item => item.playlistItemId_);
+
+  assert.deepEqual(
+    playlistItemIds,
+    modifiedPlaylistItemIds,
+    'the value of playlistItemId_ remains the same as the original one'
+  );
+
+  function isItemEqual(src, dst, message) {
+    assert.equal(src.sources, dst.sources, message);
+    assert.equal(src.poster, dst.poster, message);
+  }
+
+  isItemEqual(modifiedPlaylist[2], videoPartialList[0], 'videoPartialList[0] is placed at position 2');
+  isItemEqual(modifiedPlaylist[3], videoPartialList[1], 'videoPartialList[1] is placed at position 3');
+  isItemEqual(modifiedPlaylist[4], videoPartialList[2], 'videoPartialList[2] is placed at position 4');
+
+  assert.equal(list[2], modifiedPlaylist[2], 'the updated item at position 2 is still the original item');
+  assert.equal(list[3], modifiedPlaylist[3], 'the updated item at position 3 is still the original item');
+  assert.equal(list[4], modifiedPlaylist[4], 'the updated item at position 4 is still the original item');
+});