When you think about streaming music, you are spoiled for choice. The market leader is probably Spotify, with Apple Music coming in second. Then they give way to platforms like Pandora. What about YouTube?
Illegal uploading of music to YouTube is not new. But these days, all major artists and business-savvy bands create their own official YouTube channels with their music that anyone can hear. This not only helps them find new fans, but it also monetizes their videos with YouTube ads, which helps them generate additional income.
YouTube has seized on that and now has a dedicated YouTube music video site and a mobile app with free and paid options (the $ 12.99 / month paid option removes all YouTube video ads, but $ 12.99 for skipping ads after 5 seconds is outrageous). You can download YouTube Music here and also on iOS and Android.
YouTube Music Videos pulls all the music you’ve already listened to
If you are like me, then you listen to music a lot on YouTube. Therefore, you can have your own specially selected music playlists, as well as music in your favorites lists.
So YouTube probably already has a good idea of ??what you want to listen to by studying your track record. When you launch YouTube Music for the first time, all this music history is saved in the app.
You can refine your music choices by specifying which artists you like. You can return to this screen at any time using the link in the settings.
Once you return to the main Music screen, it will start filling up with your favorite music, your favorite artists, and what YouTube Music thinks is “similar†to your preferences.
You can listen to automatically generated playlists based on the artist you like or the genre you prefer to listen to. Many of the things I love about YouTube date back to the 1980s, so some of this I discovered when I was researching YouTube playlists.
You also get a mixtape of “endless personalized music†that you have liked in the past, or a similar one that YouTube is sure you will love.
Playlists like these are perfect for when you are working or traveling and need background music. Just hit “Play” and the song will jump from one song to the next without your input (unless you need to skip the ad).
Listen to a song on YouTube Music
If you click on a playlist or artist, the screen changes to a playlist on the right, and a YouTube music video to the song currently playing on the left.
Here are the features to watch out for:
- The two horizontal lines to the right of each song title will allow you to drag songs in a different order in the playlist.
- If you put your thumb up on a song, YouTube will suggest you more of these songs.
- If you place your thumb up on a song, it will tell YouTube to avoid further music of this kind, and it will also direct you to the next song in the playlist immediately. Like Spotify and Apple Music, YouTube’s algorithms only know what you like if you teach them.
- Clicking the three vertical dots below the video opens up even more options. However, remember that any changes you make using these options will be reflected immediately in your regular YouTube account.
Is it a Spotify killer?
In short, no.
As much as YouTube would like to think they’re as good as Spotify or Apple Music, they just don’t exist yet. The videos depend on the person who uploaded them, and that person can easily delete the videos. Videos can also be of very low quality, or even mislabeled as something else. This is why $ 12.99 a month without ads is a little annoying.
But if you’re using it as a free user and aren’t afraid to skip ads, it’s a great way to listen to YouTube music. Endless playlists are a great addition if you have favorite YouTube music like mine.
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