YouTube Music Samples is a swipeable feed of short music video clips in the YouTube Music app, built for finding new songs fast. Tap Samples in the bottom menu, swipe down for the next clip, tap Like to save a song, and press Play to hear the full track.
Think of Samples as YouTube Music's answer to scrolling short videos, but every clip is a song. It's the quickest way out of a listening rut, because instead of committing to a whole album you hear a few seconds of each track and keep only what grabs you.
How to find Samples
- Open the YouTube Music app and tap Samples in the bottom menu for your personalised feed.
- Or open any artist, album, playlist or mix page and tap the Samples icon to preview that collection in clips.
The second option is the one most people miss, and it's the most useful. Before you play a long playlist someone shared, preview it in Samples and you'll know in a minute whether it's your kind of thing.
How to use Samples
| To do this | Do this |
|---|---|
| Play or pause a clip | Tap the clip |
| Next clip | Swipe down |
| Previous clip | Swipe up |
| Save the song to your library | Tap Like |
| Add the song to a playlist | Tap Save, then Change to pick a different playlist |
| Hear the whole song | Press Play to open the full video in YouTube Music |
| Share it | Tap Share, then send the link or post it |
| See more options | Tap More to start a mix, play it next, add it to your queue, or go to the album or artist |
Everything you like in Samples goes into your library, so after a session of swiping you'll find the new songs waiting in Liked Music, ready to sort into a playlist later. That makes it a low-effort habit: five minutes of swiping on the bus, and your library grows without you searching for anything.
Notice the swipe direction. Swiping down moves you on to the next clip, which feels backwards if you're used to other short-video apps. If you keep landing on the clip you just heard, you're swiping the wrong way.
Samples and Shorts
Samples connects straight into YouTube Shorts. From any clip, tap Shorts to see Shorts other people have made with that song, which opens in the YouTube app. Tap Use this sound to start your own Short with it. YouTube notes that some songs can't be used in Shorts, so if the option isn't there, that track isn't available for it.
Some upcoming songs also have a Notify me option on their Shorts preview page, if the label or distributor has allowed it. You'll get a notification on release day.
How to get better Samples
The feed is personalised, so it learns from what you do. A few habits make it better quickly:
- Like the clips you enjoy, so YouTube Music learns your taste.
- Swipe past quickly when something isn't for you, rather than letting clips you don't enjoy play out.
- Use the Samples icon on playlists and artists you trust, which gives the feed better signals than random browsing.
- Start a mix from a sample you love, using More, then start a mix, to get a whole station built around it.
For what the free app does and doesn't include, see whether YouTube Music is free.
Samples vs mixes vs your library
| Feature | Best for | How it feels |
|---|---|---|
| Samples | Finding songs you've never heard | A few seconds per track, swipe to move on |
| Mixes and radio | Hours of music in a style you already like | Full songs, chosen for you, no swiping |
| Your library and Liked Music | Songs you already know you love | Full songs you picked yourself |
The three work best together. Use Samples to find a handful of new tracks, like them so they land in your library, then start a mix from one of them when you want to listen for an hour without thinking about it. That's a far quicker way to refresh a stale playlist than scrolling an album list and guessing from the cover art.
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Comments on Samples
Each clip has a comments section. Tap Comments, then Add a comment to post, or switch between Top and Newest to read what others think. It's a handy way to find out the name of a remix, or which film a track came from.
Samples not showing?
- Update the YouTube Music app. Samples is a newer feature and older versions may not show the tab.
- Make sure you're in the YouTube Music app, not the main YouTube app.
- Check you're signed in, as the feed is personalised to your account.
- If a single song won't play as a sample, try the full video with Play.
If you'd like to build a playlist from what you find, my guide on making a playlist on YouTube covers the basics, and here's how to share a YouTube playlist once it's ready.
Samples for artists and marketers
For musicians, Samples is a discovery shelf as much as a feature. Clips come from music videos, so a strong opening few seconds matters more than ever, and every sample links to Shorts using the song. If you promote music on social media, the same thinking applies across platforms, which I cover in how to promote your music on Instagram.
My verdict
Samples is the fastest way to find new music in YouTube Music, and the preview icon on playlists and albums is its best trick. Like what you enjoy, swipe past what you don't, and remember that down means next.
Frequently asked questions
What is Samples on YouTube Music?
A feed of short music video clips in the YouTube Music app for discovering songs. Tap Samples in the bottom menu to open it.
How do I save a song from Samples?
Tap Like to save it to your library, or Save to add it to a playlist.
Can I use a Samples song in a YouTube Short?
Often, yes. Tap Use this sound on the clip. Some songs can't be used in Shorts.
Why can't I see Samples in YouTube Music?
Update the app, check you're in YouTube Music rather than YouTube, and make sure you're signed in.
