Google Play Music updated with notification panel rating

Whether you own a gargantuan music library or just like to browse through the latest releases, you will probably be pleased to note that Google Play Music has just been updated with a new feature that allows listeners to give a track a thumbs up or down straight from the notification panel.

The little rating icons had previously been tucked away just on the “now playing” screen inside the app, but this update will make it easier for listeners to quickly rate the current track they are listening to. As usual, the rating system applies to both your local and online music, as well as radio stations streamed through the service.

Google appears to have tried rolling out this feature over two updates. The first positioned the rate up icon in place of the back button in the notification bar, which was clearly less than ideal. The latest update, and the one that you should hopefully see applied in the near future, keeps both of the track skip buttons and moves the rating buttons off to the sides. There don’t appear to be any other notable improvements or changes included with the update.

You can sit tight and wait for the update to roll out to you, or you can grab the signed 18MB APK from the big orange button below.