Google is testing a new Daily Discover feed for YouTube Music with the aim of providing users with tailored track recommendations every day, and it’s the kind of discovery tool that Spotify is lacking.
Spotted by Reddit user One_Flow_8127, the feature appears as a carousel on the YouTube Music home screen and explains exactly why each song is being suggested, with a Play All button to add everything into a new playlist.
This is very different to Spotify’s approach to music discovery. The popular music streaming service focuses more on playlists such as Discover Weekly or Daylist, with playlists updated on a daily or weekly basis – but Spotify doesn’t provide reasons why that song in particular was added to your personal playlist.
YouTube Music, on the other hand, serves up individual tracks directly in the new Daily Discover feed alongside a short reason for the pick. It looks like it’s designed to nudge you towards new artists and songs similar to what you already listen to, with less friction than Spotify’s playlist-based alternative.
Early sightings from YouTube Music users claim that the carousel sits above the ‘Trending songs for you’ section in the Android app. Of course, placement may vary while Google is testing the new feature, with some users reporting the feature appearing and disappearing. This points towards a server test, or possibly some A/B testing, rather than the full rollout.
Daily Discover could replace the existing Discover Mix, which currently refreshes on a weekly basis. It’d make sense; Discover Mix is great the first time you use it, but by the seventh day, you’re usually bored with listening to the same tracks.
YouTube’s daily alternative, along with its unique approach of explaining exactly why a particular track has been suggested, could give Google’s music streaming service the edge for proactive music discovery.
For now, availability appears limited to a small number of YouTube Music members, with no comment from Google about the official rollout. It does look like it’s coming very soon, though.
