Taste in music is subjective, but the quality of music streaming platforms isn’t. There are only a few music streaming platforms you can rely on, and YouTube Music certainly qualifies as one of those.
While YouTube Music is one of the best music streaming services, users like it for different reasons.
Some users like it for being part of the YouTube Premium offering, while many others love its recommendation engine. Whatever works best on YouTube Music in your case is what makes it right for you.
But beyond the obvious ones, what works in its favor is that YouTube Music matches what people naturally expect from a service that carries the YouTube branding.
Not only does it do justice to the brand’s reputation, but it’s quietly become the best part of it. Here is why YouTube Music finally feels like the best part of YouTube.
The thrill of finding something you didn’t know you’d like
If you go back in history, YouTube Music wasn’t up to the mark when it came to recommending the right type of music at the right time. It was hard to believe, especially from Google, as the company has gazillions of users’ data.
Credit to Google, the recommendation engine of YouTube Music has improved a lot in the past couple of years. This is something a user may take a long time to notice.
You won’t notice it on day one because a smart recommendation engine isn’t something a user can measure directly that quickly. It can take weeks or even months of listening to spot the change.
This is true for any algorithm-based music streaming platform, including YouTube Music.
But in addition to that, it has solid features that you can tweak to increase the chances of finding new tracks or artists you didn’t know you’d like to listen to.
One of those capabilities I love about YouTube Music is the Deep Cuts filter when creating a radio. It plays less popular non-singles from artists in your queue. This is my way to discover a hidden gem.
When I discover something new and want to listen to that kind of music more, I tap the three-dot option in the upper-right corner of the playing screen and select Start a radio.
You can make more tweaks if you want those recommendations to be more specific. YouTube Music gets it right most of the time, thanks to its ability to quickly learn what the listeners might like.
In the last couple of months, YouTube Music recommended five new tracks I had never listened to, and they were all in different languages from my native tongue.
It may not happen the same way for you, because it also depends on the language you’ve set. Your music discovery journey will be different, but the joy of finding something new is perhaps the same among music lovers.
YouTube Music nails the social side of music discovery
While “Made for you” playlists are great, the algorithm doesn’t always recommend the best music that matches your taste.
Sometimes your next favorite is hidden in someone else’s playlists. This is where community playlists come in handy.
While this is a common feature across almost all music streaming platforms, nobody does it better than YouTube Music.
YouTube Music has a dedicated “Community” filter that will show playlists created by other listeners on the platform. After typing the genre in the search box, you only have to apply the filter.
It also features useful engagement metrics like the number of views. While the number of views doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll like it, it’s a solid indicator that you’ll find what you’re looking for.
YouTube Music’s Home page also features a “From the community” section, so you don’t always have to use the search feature to check out someone else’s playlists.
YouTube Music feels like YouTube in audio form
YouTube Music feels like an open platform for creators and listeners, just like YouTube. They both benefit from it, creating a virtuous cycle for the platform.
While you can use YouTube Music independently of YouTube after tweaking certain settings, it shares some of the core features with YouTube.
Google has done it cleverly. It perfectly blends uniqueness and the familiarity of YouTube.
So, even if you try its music streaming for the first time and are already using Google’s video streaming service, you’ll feel right at home.
You can find all YouTube’s music videos on YouTube Music, but unlike the former, Google’s music app lets you enjoy songs in both audio and video formats. It’s also easy to switch between them.
It’s the YouTube you know, but tailored to give you a rich music streaming experience. YouTube Music isn’t perfect, but it’s the best part of YouTube for music listeners.
