Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
Like millions of others, I was a die-hard Spotify fan for years. But lately, I’ve been having a bit of a music app mid-life crisis, and I’ve found myself straying toward YouTube Music. With most music streaming services offering practically the same songs, features, and price tag, how do you choose “the one?” For me, it all boils down to how well the app can read my mind.
You see, my musical taste is anything but simple. I enjoy a wide range of genres, from lyrical rap to 90s Bollywood to 140 BPM techno bangers and everything in between. This creates a couple of challenges when it comes to music streaming. First, I’m often unsure what I’m in the mood for. Second, I’m mostly in the mood for a mix of things at once.
It’s all good when I know exactly what I want to listen to; I can pick a song or mood and let the app handle the rest. In those instances, both Spotify and YouTube Music get the job done. But even then, I’ve noticed that YouTube Music’s “song radio” feature works better for me, and a lot of you seem to agree.
Are you happy with song radios on your music streaming service?
2329 votes
The real struggle starts when I’m in musical limbo, wanting to listen to something awesome but having no clue what that something is. Spotify tries to solve this with its “Daily Mix” playlists. You get individual playlists for rap, EDM, and whatever else you’re into. They’re not bad, but it feels like these playlists often put me in a box.
Spotify also generates “personalized” playlists based on my listening habits, like “upbeat mix,” “rap mix,” or “2010s mix.” But these mixes are again genre-based and, in my subjective opinion, include more “popular” songs than tracks I connect with.
YouTube Music also has “My Mix” playlists, which function similarly to Spotify’s genre-based offerings. But then, there’s the “Supermix” — and that’s where the magic happens. It’s chaotic, unpredictable, and precisely what I didn’t know I needed.
YouTube Music’s Supermix is chaotic, unpredictable, and precisely what I didn’t know I needed.
Supermix is like a musical rollercoaster, a beautiful chaos of songs that perfectly reflect my eclectic taste. It’s an automatically updated playlist that doesn’t just collect what I’ve been listening to lately; it also digs deep into my listening history, bringing back some forgotten favorites that I haven’t heard in ages. And the best part? It throws genre out the window.
As you can see, my Supermix playlist is wild. Case in point: the playlist section visible in the last screenshot starts with the song “Calm Down” and ends with “Melt ur Brain.” It’s like a DJ with no rules but with exactly my taste, and that’s why it all just works.
Sure, sometimes you want your playlists to stick to a consistent mood — like keeping it chill or staying groovy. But I’ve realized that there’s something really freeing about letting the Supermix surprise you. My wife and I have had the best road trips recently, just letting the Supermix do its thing. Every few songs, we’d look at each other like, “Wait, this is on here too?” It’s an endless shuffle of surprises, and it keeps things fun.
The Supermix is just one of the many features that are making me consider switching to YouTube Music for good. What’s your experience been like with Spotify, YouTube Music, or any other streaming apps? Please drop a comment, and let’s compare notes.
