YouTube Music first impressions
YouTube has a larger music library than Spotify, Rdio, and even Apple Music. YouTube’s the easiest way to share and listen to music, but it’s been hard to find music and listen to the music without a music playing at the same time. On November 12, 2015 YouTube launched a new app: YouTube Music. With the music app, YouTube’s making discovering music easier, and a whole new experience with a large focus on music videos.
The app compared to industry leader Spotify, is vastly different. The apps missing some key features including playlist and a music library, all of which every other streaming service features. The experience is different and somewhat foreign when compared to anything you’ve used before, but once you do get a hang of the app, it’s a lot easier to sit back and enjoy your music.
The lack of playlist is surprising but Google’s using their technology to learn what music you enjoy and what you’re not the biggest fan of. When you’re listening to music like a video and it’s saved to a list, and if you go back to the list and play the song over YouTube knows it’s a song you love. YouTube also uses your search history to play songs you’ve previously search for, assuming your always signed in when you search. So pick a song, press play, and sit back and enjoy as YouTube creates a personalized station based on your tastes.
The app doesn’t need a YouTube Red subscription, but without a subscription features like background playing or playing music while the screen off aren’t available. Ads are also enabled on the free version of YouTube Music. A text or notification on the free version can interrupt the listening experience, not to mention no offline playback of mixtapes. Bassically, the free version of YouTube Music is a watered down experience pushing you to subscribe to YouTube Red to have a better listening experience.
So what exactly did YouTube create? Well they have created a beefed up Pandora Radio app. YouTube Music doesn’t allow you to create playlist, but it does let you go through and cheery pick a song and start a ‘station’ to listen to. The app is creating a personalized station just for you, and it won’t let you change preferences based on mood or when you’re working out or when you’re doing homework. The up sides to YouTube Music is how easy it’s to share a song with a friend, because everyone has access to YouTube. Most normals may not have Spotify installed or an iOS device to listen to a song from Apple Music. It’s the only cross-platform app which allows anyone and everyone to listen to music how they want.
The apps available for download on the iOS and Android app store now. The app includes a two-week free trial of YouTube Red, which you’ll really miss if you let it expire. So if you’re already listening to music on YouTube more than you’re listening to music on say Spotify or Rdio or even Apple Music, YouTube Music is an app geared towards you.
Tell us in the comments below what you think about YouTube Music, and if it would make you switch from Spotify or another streaming service!