- What YouTube Music is and who it's for
- Finding your way around the YouTube Music tabs
- Using the YouTube Music Home tab
- Searching in YouTube Music, including Sound Search
- Liking songs to train YouTube Music
- Saving music to your YouTube Music library
- Artist pages and the activity feed in YouTube Music
- Listening to podcasts in YouTube Music
- YouTube Music free tier or Premium: what changes
- If YouTube Music isn't behaving as you expect
- Frequently asked questions
To use YouTube Music, sign in with your Google Account and use the tabs: Home for recommendations, Explore to browse, and Library for saved songs. Search for a track, tap Menu, then Save to library to keep it. Liking songs shapes what the app suggests next.
YouTube Music looks a lot like YouTube, which is exactly why it confuses people. The tabs are different, the controls are different, and there's a whole library system sitting underneath. If you've opened the app, tapped around and wondered where everything went, this is for you.
I like it for working days. Plenty of freelancers and small business owners keep it running while they write, edit or answer emails. Below is how the main parts fit together, based on YouTube Music's own help pages.
What YouTube Music is and who it's for
YouTube Music's help centre describes it as an app for watching music videos, following artists and finding music and podcasts across your devices. It offers a free tier with adverts, and a Premium tier that adds extras such as background play and audio-only playback for music, plus music downloads. Features and availability vary by country and region, and some features aren't available on supervised accounts.
You sign in with your Google Account, which is the same one you use for YouTube. That matters because it ties your listening to your recommendations.
Finding your way around the YouTube Music tabs
The app runs on a few main areas, and learning them is most of the battle. Here's how YouTube's help pages describe them:
| Tab | What it's for |
|---|---|
| Home | Recommendations based on your mood, activity and listening history |
| Explore | Popular releases, genres, playlists, podcasts and episodes, for your country or by category |
| Library | Your saved songs, playlists, albums and podcasts |
| Samples | A personalised stream of short music video clips, found in the bottom menu |
The Library tab can show different options depending on your device or region, so don't worry if yours looks slightly different from a friend's.
Using the YouTube Music Home tab
Home is where the app tries to guess what you'd like. YouTube says that when you're signed in, it bases its suggestions on your mood, your activity and your listening history. Tap one of the categories along the top to filter, which is a quick way to get something suited to focus, a workout or a long drive.
If a suggestion is wrong, long-press it and choose Not interested. You can also choose Don't recommend artist or channel. An Undo option appears at the bottom of the screen if you tap the wrong thing.
Searching in YouTube Music, including Sound Search
Tap the search bar, type a song, artist or podcast, and use the category filters at the top of the results to narrow things down. That's the fastest way to play something specific.
YouTube Music also has Sound Search, which identifies a song using your microphone. The steps from the help page:
- Make sure the microphone is enabled for the app.
- Tap the search icon in the upper right.
- Tap the Sound Search icon.
- Play, sing or hum the song.
If there's a match, you can play it or save it to your library. If not, tap the Sound Search icon to try again.
Liking songs to train YouTube Music
Likes shape what the app plays next. YouTube says you can tap Like or Dislike on a song, and liked songs appear in a Liked Music playlist pinned to the top of your Library. They also influence your recommendations.
There are a few details worth knowing. Liking a video in the Samples tab automatically saves the full song to your library. Unliking a song doesn't remove it from your library, so you need to remove it separately. And Like and Dislike buttons aren't available for content made for kids.
Saving music to your YouTube Music library
YouTube gives these routes:
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- Songs: tap Menu, then Save to library.
- Albums: open the album, tap Menu, then Save.
- Podcasts: on the show's details page, tap Save to library.
To take something out, go to Library, find the song or album, tap More, then Remove from library. If you want to group songs into your own lists, my guide to making a playlist on YouTube covers the idea; YouTube says playlists you create in the app or on YouTube both appear in your Library.
Artist pages and the activity feed in YouTube Music
Tap an artist and you'll land on a page showing their top songs and new releases. YouTube says artist and channel pages also let you add content to your library or download it for offline listening, and they show a subscriber count.
The help page also describes an Activity Feed, reached from the icon at the top right of the home page. It shows new releases from artists you follow and playlists curated by friends.
Listening to podcasts in YouTube Music
Podcasts live in the same app. You can search for a show, browse them in Explore, and save a show with Save to library on its details page. YouTube's help centre says the free tier includes audio-only playback, background play and downloads for most podcasts, which suits a commute or a walk.
YouTube Music free tier or Premium: what changes
Rather than push you either way, here is the plain difference according to YouTube. The free tier gives on-demand songs, videos and podcasts with adverts. Premium adds background play and audio-only playback for music, no adverts on music and music downloads. Premium members can still see adverts on podcasts, and some content, such as live sports streams, can carry creator-embedded promotions.
If you only want to repeat one song while you work, my guide to looping a YouTube video explains a simple way to do it on regular YouTube.
If YouTube Music isn't behaving as you expect
- Close the app fully and open it again. YouTube's troubleshooting page suggests this first.
- Check you're signed in with the Google Account you meant to use.
- If a feature is missing, remember some are limited by country or region and on supervised accounts.
- If the Library tab looks different, it can vary by device or region.
- Use the feedback option in the app to contact YouTube Music if something still isn't right.
For the rest of the series, see the YouTube Help: 30 Guides to Channels, Subscribers, Monetisation, Thumbnails and Fixes.
Frequently asked questions
How do I start using YouTube Music?
Install the YouTube Music app, sign in with your Google Account and use Home, Explore and Library to find and save music. Search lets you play something specific.
What is the difference between Home and Explore in YouTube Music?
Home shows recommendations based on your mood, activity and listening history. Explore lets you browse popular releases, genres, playlists and podcasts for your country or by category.
How do I stop YouTube Music recommending something?
Long-press the suggestion and choose Not interested, or choose Don't recommend artist or channel. An Undo option appears at the bottom of the screen.
How do I save a song in YouTube Music?
Tap Menu on the song, then Save to library. To remove it, go to Library, tap More, then Remove from library.
Can YouTube Music name a song I can't remember?
Yes. Use Sound Search: tap the search icon, tap the Sound Search icon, then play, sing or hum the song.
