YouTube’s Extensive Library Makes It Hard For Me To Switch To Any Other Music Streaming Platform
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Of all my online subscriptions, YouTube Premium offers the most value for the money. The subscription includes ad-free videos and access to YouTube Music. While I haven’t had issues with the app, I tried other platforms to see if I was missing out on something. I downloaded Spotify and Apple Music, two popular music streaming services. I also installed Tidal, a lesser-known music service that supports lossless audio streaming.
After spending a week on these platforms, I canceled my subscriptions and returned to YouTube Music. I save money because it’s free with my YouTube Premium subscription, and there are features I didn’t find on other platforms. While many people may favor Spotify due to its social elements, I returned to YouTube Music and won’t pay for another music streaming app. Here’s why.
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Originals, covers, instrumentals — it has them all
Don’t forget the remixes
The first thing I noticed after trying Spotify and Apple Music was that songs I listened to regularly were missing from the app. Since both platforms are popular, I thought the library would be as vast as YouTube Music. That’s when I realized the issue had more to do with my listening patterns than the services. I listen to music from lesser-known indie artists who publish their music on YouTube. YouTube indexes these tracks even on its music platform, so I can only listen to the track without the accompanying video.
These artists don’t have the resources to distribute their tracks on platforms like Spotify and Apple Music, and you may not find them outside of YouTube. Also, I’m in India, and there’s a lot of Indian classical music by old artists that has been reuploaded to YouTube by several users. These tracks are only available on YouTube Music.
Sometimes I get bored with the original track and look for covers or remixed versions. Spotify and Apple Music disappoint in this regard. I discover many new songs or versions of existing songs by unknown artists on YouTube Music. If you’re serendipitous, there’s no match for YouTube’s library. Tidal ranks last in this regard with a smaller collection.
The recommendation algorithm is miles ahead
Google knows exactly what I want to hear
The ability to find new music is one thing, but an algorithm that recommends it is where the charm lies. Spotify and Apple Music have inferior recommendation algorithms compared to YouTube Music. When I signed up for YouTube Premium, I fired up the accompanying music service and played a few songs. Since then, YouTube has recommended the type of tracks I love. It also determines which artists I prefer listening to and curates a playlist with their songs.
Spotify and Apple Music took a long time to figure out what I liked. Apple Music recommended songs from genres I’d never listened to before. While that’s understandable initially, I expected the algorithm to learn my preferences, depending on how quickly I skipped tracks. However, that wasn’t the case. The situation was slightly better on Spotify, but both were no match for YouTube.
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Some additional nifty features
Switch to videos or listen to smart downloads
I didn’t choose YouTube Music over other platforms because of pricing. Spotify’s monthly subscription is $11.99 per month, while Apple Music is slightly more affordable at $10.99. YouTube Premium is $13.99, which is around the same ballpark. For that price, you get access to a larger library, ad-free videos on YouTube, high-quality video streaming, background playback, the ability to watch videos with friends, and Continue Playing. The slight premium is worth it for these features.
Apple Music supports lossless audio, and Tidal’s subscription gives you FLAC files for around the same price. However, I couldn’t tell the difference between them, at least on my wireless earbuds. Unless you’re an audiophile and have a pair of IEMs with a superior DAC, pick the additional features YouTube offers. YouTube Music has features like the ability to switch to a song’s music video, or smart downloads that automatically save songs to your phone’s offline storage depending on your listening patterns.
It’s not perfect, though
Dear YouTube, please hire a UI designer
After using YouTube Music for several years, I cannot understand why YouTube hasn’t fixed the boring UI. YouTube Music has the worst UI of all the music streaming apps I’ve used. That alone is sufficient for many users to switch platforms. My friend switched to Apple Music because she couldn’t stand how cluttered and clunky YouTube Music looked.
Spotify looks more polished and fun to use. It has a desktop app with a consistent design language, so using the app on all platforms offers the same experience. Given Google’s resources, it should rework the YouTube Music UI and give it some character.
Spotify has the upper hand with its social media integration. Spotify Wrapped at the end of the year is a huge fad, and so is sharing playlists via the app. While YouTube has tried replicating some of these features, it hasn’t been successful. Apple Music has bells and whistles, like a superb UI and sing-along lyrics.
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I’m sticking with YouTube Music despite its shortcomings
Despite YouTube Music lagging behind the competition in terms of UI and social features, the service’s core functionality remains superior. What matters the most to me is discoverability and the availability of supplementary tracks like instrumentals and live performances. Those are available on YouTube Music, and that’s why competitors will have to work harder to convince me to switch away.
