Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
For a few years, I balanced life with two subscriptions — Spotify Premium for my music wants and YouTube Premium for ad-free video streaming. Whereas YouTube Music was included with my YouTube Premium, I truthfully by no means paid a lot consideration to it. Spotify was my tried-and-true app for music, and I didn’t see any motive to modify — however then, issues began altering.
It started subtly sufficient. Sometimes, I discovered myself utilizing YouTube Music to take heed to the audio variations of my YouTube playlists, sparing my cell information by avoiding video streaming. Nonetheless, as I stored reaching for it throughout highway journeys, one thing began to click on. Over time, I seen I used to be opening YouTube Music increasingly after I felt like listening to music.
And it wasn’t nearly saving information anymore. Each time I opened the app, I used to be genuinely shocked by how a lot I loved the expertise. The suggestions had been spot-on, an ideal mix of songs I already liked and new music that I immediately linked with. The entire expertise felt recent and thrilling, in contrast to the considerably stagnant feeling I used to be beginning to get with Spotify.
By the beginning of this 12 months, I made a symbolic transfer. I took the Spotify icon off my dwelling display — a spot it had occupied for six uninterrupted years — and changed it with YouTube Music. The change was official, and right here’s why I haven’t seemed again.
YouTube Music is aware of the best way to get the social gathering began
I’ve received a wide-ranging style in music, and meaning two issues: I’m typically not sure of what I need to take heed to, and after I do know, it’s by no means confined to at least one style. The house display on YouTube Music greets me with a choice of 12-15 “Fast picks.” These aren’t simply songs from my final listening session, they usually’re undoubtedly not all from the identical style or temper.
It’s an extremely correct and numerous assortment of songs primarily based on my listening historical past. I might need the most recent Bollywood hit subsequent to a 90s pop track I haven’t heard in ages, adopted by a model new observe from an Indian rapper, after which my all-time favourite EDM anthem.
Having that curated choice of songs throughout all my favourite genres and moods makes it really easy to select one thing and get began. As soon as I select a track, YouTube Music’s autoplay characteristic can then hold the vibe going.
YouTube Music’s dwelling display is sort of a musical buffet that caters to all my cravings.
As compared, Spotify’s homepage feels downright stale. It’s a grid of issues I not too long ago listened to, issues I’ve heard up to now, new releases, or what’s common with different customers. All of those suggestions are both playlists or albums. This implies I’m compelled to decide to a particular style or temper proper from the beginning, which isn’t preferrred after I’m feeling musically indecisive.
In hindsight, I can say that with Spotify, I felt like I used to be caught in a loop, listening to the identical playlists over and over. The “Launch radar” and “Prime charts” playlists not often aligned with my style, so I hardly ventured past my very own curated playlists. And that brings me to my second downside: Spotify’s inflexible genre-based group.
Don’t get me flawed, genres are useful, however they will also be limiting. As compared, there’s the YouTube Supermix. I really wrote a separate article about how YouTube Music’s Supermix opened my eyes to how a lot enjoyable I used to be lacking out on by sticking to Spotify’s genre-based playlists. It’s particularly enjoyable on highway journeys after I can simply let the Supermix play and benefit from the sudden twists and turns.
If you hit “Go to track radio” on Spotify, it generates a playlist, however then it simply sits there, ready so that you can hit play. It even begins by replaying the unique track you simply listened to. In the meantime, YouTube Music nails this expertise. Hit “Begin radio,” and the associated tracks seamlessly movement into your queue with no interruptions. The music simply retains taking part in.
However right here’s what actually impressed me: the extent of management I’ve over the autoplay queue in YouTube Music. With a single faucet, I can alter it to deal with acquainted tracks, discover new music, go for a extra upbeat vibe, or change to one thing extra relaxed. This degree of customization is one thing Spotify simply doesn’t supply, and it provides a private contact that I completely love.
YouTube Music is an all-in-one music answer
One of many issues I really like most about YouTube Music is that it’s a one-stop store for all my music wants. I don’t have to modify between totally different apps anymore. YouTube Music has all of the official albums and discographies I may ever need, plus an enormous assortment of unofficial remixes, bootlegs, cowl songs, and stay units. I can add all of those to playlists, and if I need to watch the music video for any track, I can entry it immediately.
In case you’ve heard it, it is most likely on YouTube.
And might we discuss music libraries for a second? It’s 2024, Spotify. Why can’t I’ve a easy, easy checklist of all of the songs in my library? I do know there’s a “Favored songs” playlist, however why do I’ve to succeed in for this particular playlist to see all of the songs I’ve favored?
YouTube Music makes this a lot simpler. It permits me to view and take heed to my whole library of favored songs with a single faucet. It’s a small factor, but it surely makes an enormous distinction. It jogs my memory of the nice ol’ days after I may simply shuffle by all of the 1500 downloaded songs on my telephone’s reminiscence card. Easier instances!
Bye bye, Spotify
I’m not saying Spotify is all dangerous. It’s the most well-liked music app on this planet for a motive, and it clearly works for lots of people. Music is such a private factor, and I do know my expertise is perhaps completely totally different from yours.
Some folks may really favor Spotify’s approach of doing issues. For instance, Spotify’s curated playlists is perhaps higher for locating new music, whereas YouTube Music appears to stay a bit nearer to what I already know. Nonetheless, I may argue that even when that’s the case, I can simply tweak the autoplay settings in YouTube Music to point out me extra new stuff.
It simply seems like YouTube Music can do every little thing Spotify can do, but it surely’s not true the opposite approach round.
Switching from Spotify to YouTube Music was a choice I haven’t regretted for a single second. The one actual draw back is having to rebuild all my curated playlists. It has been a little bit of a ache, however truthfully, it was a small worth to pay for what I contemplate a superior music streaming expertise.
So, when you’re feeling caught in a musical rut or when you’re craving one thing recent, I extremely advocate giving YouTube Music a attempt. It’d shock you — similar to it shocked me.