Rita El Khoury / Android Authority
Music streaming services have become a part of our everyday routine, and for years, Spotify has been the go-to app for millions around the world. But lately, I’ve been questioning its dominance, especially when it comes to one crucial aspect: the “song radio” feature.
One key differentiator that can make or break a music streaming service is how well it recommends new songs based on what you like to listen to. That’s where the song radio feature comes in. The idea is simple: you pick a song you love, and the app generates a playlist of related tracks. These can be from the same artist, the same genre, or just songs that sound similar.
Both Spotify and YouTube Music have this feature — but my experience with them has been wildly different. Before sharing my experience, though, I’d love to hear your take on it. What’s your experience with song radios on Spotify, YouTube Music, or any other streaming service that you might use?
Are you happy with song radios on your music streaming service?
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Now, let’s dive into it. Spotify’s approach to song radios feels clunky and counterintuitive. While you’re listening to a song, you choose “go to song radio,” and then the app builds a playlist of related songs. But here’s the kicker: it doesn’t automatically start playing. You’re left staring at a list of songs that you have to manually queue up by hitting play, and when you do, it begins by replaying the original song you picked because, of course, it’s the first track on the radio playlist.
On the other hand, YouTube Music seems to understand that if you’re trying to start a song radio, you actually want to listen to music and not stare at a playlist. You hit “Start radio” on any song, and the related tracks are added to your queue without a single interruption. The song keeps playing, and you don’t have to hit play again or restart the whole thing.
And it gets better. YouTube Music has an autoplay feature that makes using the radio feature almost redundant. As soon as you start playing a song, it populates an autoplay playlist with similar tracks that you might enjoy next. Spotify has autoplay, too, but it only kicks in after your song ends, leaving you with a blank queue in the meantime.
What I find even more impressive about YouTube Music is the level of control you have over the autoplay playlist. With a single tap, you can adjust it to focus on “familiar” tracks, “discover” new tracks, suggest more upbeat or downtempo songs, and much more. This customization adds a personal touch that Spotify doesn’t even come close to offering.
Beyond the different ways these features work, I also find YouTube Music’s recommendation algorithm to be more in tune with what I want to hear. Spotify’s song radio and autoplay suggestions have a habit of drifting into random, unrelated tracks. YouTube Music, on the other hand, just gets me. Almost every time, its recommendations match the vibe I’m going for. Of course, this is subjective to my preferences, and your opinion and experience might differ completely.
If you’re using either of these apps — or any other music streaming service — and have a similar or totally different take on the song radio feature or recommendation algorithms, I’d love to hear from you. Please drop a comment below, and let’s dive into the conversation.
