Another big AI feature could be on the way for YouTube Music, but it has a long way to go before it can beat Spotify

AI features are increasingly cropping up in the best music streaming services, offering us more personalized listening experiences. And now YouTube Music could be joining the fray – with a new feature powered by Google Gemini. 

As first reported by Android Authority, it looks like a Gemini extension could be on its way to YouTube Music, which will let you command Gemini to play music through your YouTube Music account. It’ll also apparently improve discovery and search results when looking for music. Although the new feature isn’t out, it’s currently being tested and Android Authority found a way to activate it.  

In a demo video featured in its initial report, the Android Authority contributor and known leaker, Assemble Debug, set up the Gemini extension for YouTube Music in the Google app  v15.17.28.29.arm64. 

Once it was set up, the contributor used voice prompts to ask Gemini to play some music, and from there Gemini worked its magic to search YouTube Music for results. If you don’t have the YouTube Music app, Gemini will play music from the YouTube web app.  

The leaker also took to X (formerly Twitter) to reveal screenshots from the Gemini Apps Help page, which lists a number of prompts that can be used to launch YouTube through Gemini. 

Standard voice requests included ‘Show me some rock music’, ‘Find [song name] by [artist]’, and ‘Search for songs similar to [song name] by [artist]’. According to Android Authority, when the YouTube Music extension is enabled, Gemini will have access to your account data such as playlists and listening history, producing more refined results. 

With the upcoming Google I/O 2024 likely to unveil new Gemini updates, we’d expect it to be officially announced at the event. It could mark a new step for Google’s AI integration with its music apps, but it’s going to have to do a little more to catch up to Spotify.  

Analysis: Spotify still looks like the AI king (for now)

It’s clear that the AI battle between music streaming services is truly underway, with all the major platforms pushing for their own unique AI integrations. But Google’s speculated YouTube Music extension looks like another way to catch up to Spotify, whose AI integrations have set the gold standard for these features. 

As a loyal Spotify user, I firmly believe that its AI integrations and social features are the reasons as to why it’s so popular – despite still not launching its long-awaited Hi-Res audio tier. To me, there’s no beating Spotify, and Google’s next move seems like it’s just another way to spite Spotify’s success. 

What Spotify has nailed is its ability to give users personalized experiences, beginning its journey into AI with the Spotify AI DJ feature. Despite it not providing the service I was expecting, it’s a feature that was followed by the likes of Blend playlists and more recently its Daylist feature that's proved to be an incredibly popular feature shared through Instagram. 

Until YouTube Music launches a feature more iconic than Daylists, I’m afraid I’ll be sticking with Spotify. 

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