Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
Like millions of other people, I’ve been an avid Spotify fan for years. Lately, however, I’ve been having a bit of a music app midlife crisis, and I’ve found myself leaning towards YouTube Music. Most music streaming services offer virtually the same songs, features, and prices, but how do you choose “the one”? For me, it all comes down to how well the app plays with my music. It all depends on being able to read minds.
As you know, my taste in music is far from simple. I enjoy a wide range of genres, from lyrical rap to 90’s Bollywood to 140 BPM techno bangers and everything in between. This creates some challenges when it comes to music streaming. First, I often don’t know what I’m feeling. Second, I almost always want to mix different things at once.
As long as you know exactly what you want to hear, you’ll be fine. Just choose the song and mood and let the app do the rest. In such cases, both Spotify and YouTube Music will work. However, I still found YouTube Music’s “Song Radio” feature to be more effective for me. And many people seem to agree.
Are you satisfied with your music streaming service Song Radio?2335 votes
I use Spotify and love the song radio feature
19%
I use Spotify and don’t like the song radio feature
12%
I use YouTube Music and song radio works fine
48%
I use YouTube Music, but I don’t like the song radio feature
7%
I use another service, but song radio is great
3%
I’m using another service, but the song radio doesn’t work.
1%
I don’t use the song radio function at all.
11%
The real struggle begins when you feel lost musically. You want to hear something great, but you have no idea what it is. Spotify is trying to solve this problem with its “Daily Mix” playlist. Get separate playlists for rap, EDM, and other interests. They’re not bad, but I feel like these playlists often keep me in a box.
Spotify also generates “personalized” playlists based on my listening habits, such as “Upbeat Mixes,” “Rap Mixes,” and “2010s Mixes.” However, these mixes are also genre-based and, in my subjective opinion, contain more “popular” songs than the tracks that resonated with me.
YouTube Music also has a “My Mix” playlist that works similarly to Spotify’s genre-based service. But then there’s the “super mix” and that’s where the magic happens. It’s chaotic, unpredictable, and exactly what I never thought I needed.
YouTube Music’s Supermix is chaotic, unpredictable, and exactly what I never thought I needed.
Supermix is like a musical roller coaster, a beautiful chaotic song that perfectly reflects my eclectic tastes. It’s an automatically updated playlist, and it’s not just a collection of what you’ve listened to recently. It also digs deep into my listening history and reminds me of forgotten favorite songs I haven’t heard in years. And the best part? Throw genre out the window.
As you can see, my Supermix playlist is wild. Case in point: The playlist section you see in the last screenshot starts with the song “Calm Down” and ends with “Melt ur Brain.” It’s like being a DJ without rules, but everything works out because I have exactly my tastes.
Sure, you might want to maintain a consistent mood in your playlist. For example, keeping a cool vibe or keeping a groovy vibe. But I’ve found that there’s something really liberating about surprising me with a supermix. My wife and I recently had the best road trip ever with Supermix. Every few songs, we looked at each other and were like, “Oh, is this on there too?” A constant shuffle of surprises keeps things fun.
Supermix is just one of the many features that made me consider making the permanent switch to YouTube Music. What’s your experience with Spotify, YouTube Music, and other streaming apps? Write a comment and compare notes.
