YouTube Music Still Fails To Win Me Over

I live comfortably inside Google’s ecosystem, but YouTube Music remains the one service I keep abandoning. I’ve tried to make it my daily driver, and each time I run into the same roadblocks. The competition has moved fast; YouTube Music has not moved where it matters to me.

Music Discovery On YouTube Music Still Feels Redundant

Music discovery is where streaming earns its keep. According to the IFPI’s Global Music Report, streaming now delivers well over 65% of recorded music revenue, and platforms differentiate themselves by what they help you find next. Yet YouTube Music’s Home feed mostly echoes what I already play, with only occasional bright spots like a New Release Mix buried beneath repeats.

Contrast that with the way editorial crates are front and center elsewhere. Apple’s new music hubs and Spotify’s Release Radar or Discover Weekly make “what’s next” a first-class citizen, not a sub-tile under a carousel. With Google’s unmatched understanding of my viewing and listening habits, surfacing timely, relevant new albums and scenes should be a layup—but it rarely is.

Podcasts And Videos Crowd The Music Stage On YouTube Music

Another friction point is the mixed library. Podcasts and standard YouTube videos bleed into the experience and clutter the recommendations. When I open a music app, I expect music—not a prompt to resume a creator video I half-watched in another app.

I’m not asking YouTube Music to abandon its all-in-one pitch; plenty of people like it. I’m asking for a persistent music-only mode that hides podcasts and non-music videos across Home, Search, and Library. A simple global filter would make the app dramatically easier to love.

Audio Quality And Atmos Are Still Missing

Even without audiophile gear, I notice a difference. Apple Music and Amazon Music Unlimited offer lossless across huge parts of their catalogs, plus Dolby Atmos for immersive mixes. Tidal made its name on premium tiers. YouTube Music still lacks a lossless option and doesn’t support Dolby Atmos, so the ceiling on sound quality is lower before the first note plays.

Yes, codecs and mastering vary by release, and yes, a great mix can outshine raw bitrate. But when rivals deliver cleaner transients, airier vocals, and immersive spatial versions on the same headphones, it’s hard to ignore. If YouTube Music introduced a true lossless tier and Atmos with consistent labeling, that alone would remove a major blocker.

Mobile App Design Undercuts The Experience

Design is subjective, but the app too often gets in my way. The TikTok-like Samples tab hogs attention while deeper discovery tools hide behind extra taps. The lack of a proper light theme and sparse use of modern Material Design language make the interface feel dated and heavy.

Small papercuts add up: inconsistent search filters, slow transitions when pivoting from an artist page to related albums, and jumbled context menus. The app should make it effortless to jump from a new single to back-catalog essentials, live sessions, and producer credits. Instead, it’s a lot of scrolling and backtracking.

Desktop Gap Keeps Me Using Rivals Over YouTube Music

Most serious listening and playlist curation happen on my computer. Spotify, Apple Music, and Tidal ship capable desktop apps with predictable offline behavior, reliable media controls, and performance tuned for long sessions. YouTube Music leans on the browser and a lightweight PWA, which still trails native apps for stability and responsiveness.

I’ve hit tab-throttling hiccups, awkward keyboard shortcuts, and occasional playback stutters that break focus. For a service under the YouTube banner—arguably the world’s biggest streaming platform—that gap is surprising. A full-featured desktop app with offline, robust library tools, and snappy navigation would remove another reason I keep switching back.

Value Is Not The Problem With YouTube Music Today

Bundling is YouTube Music’s ace. A single YouTube Premium subscription kills video ads, enables background play, and includes the music service. On paper, it’s an excellent value. The problem is priorities: I’ll gladly pay elsewhere if discovery, fidelity, and workflow are better.

That tension shows up in market data. MIDiA Research has consistently pegged YouTube Music’s global subscriber share in the single digits, despite YouTube’s massive reach. The product has momentum, but it’s not yet the default for listeners who prize curation, sound quality, and pro-level library management.

The Changes That Would Earn My Subscription

My wishlist is straightforward. First, a dedicated music-only mode that strips out podcasts and non-music videos across every surface. Second, a discovery overhaul that elevates editorial hubs and algorithms tuned for true exploration, not repetition. Third, a premium audio tier with lossless and Dolby Atmos, clearly labeled and broadly available.

Round it out with a modernized mobile app—less Shorts-style filler, more thoughtful navigation—and a full desktop client that matches rivals for reliability, offline control, and speed. None of this is exotic; competitors already do most of it. Deliver these upgrades, and YouTube Music won’t just keep me—it will win me.