I ditched Spotify for YouTube Music last year and I don't regret it

For many years, I balanced life with two subscriptions — Spotify Premium for my music needs and YouTube Premium for ad-free video streaming. While YouTube Music was included with my YouTube Premium, I honestly never paid much attention to it. Spotify was my tried-and-true app for music, and I didn’t see any reason to switch — but then, things started changing.

It began subtly enough. Occasionally, I found myself using YouTube Music to listen to the audio versions of my YouTube playlists, sparing my mobile data by avoiding video streaming. However, as I kept reaching for it during road trips, something started to click. Over time, I noticed I was opening YouTube Music more and more when I felt like listening to music.

And it wasn’t just about saving data anymore. Every time I opened the app, I was genuinely surprised by how much I enjoyed the experience. The recommendations were spot-on, a perfect blend of songs I already loved and new music that I instantly connected with. The whole experience felt fresh and exciting, unlike the somewhat stagnant feeling I was starting to get with Spotify.

By the start of this year, I made a symbolic move. I took the Spotify icon off my home screen — a spot it had occupied for six uninterrupted years — and replaced it with YouTube Music. The switch was official, and here’s why I haven’t looked back.

YouTube Music knows how to get the party started

I’ve got a wide-ranging taste in music, and that means two things: I’m often unsure of what I want to listen to, and when I do know, it’s never confined to one genre. The home screen on YouTube Music greets me with a selection of 12-15 “Quick picks.” These aren’t just songs from my last listening session, and they’re definitely not all from the same genre or mood.

It’s an incredibly accurate and diverse collection of songs based on my listening history. I might have the latest Bollywood hit next to a 90s pop song I haven’t heard in ages, followed by a brand new track from an Indian rapper, and then my all-time favorite EDM anthem.

Having that curated selection of songs across all my favorite genres and moods makes it so easy to pick something and get started. Once I choose a song, YouTube Music’s autoplay feature can then keep the vibe going.

In comparison, Spotify’s homepage feels downright stale. It’s a grid of things I recently listened to, things I’ve heard in the past, new releases, or what’s popular with other users. All of these recommendations are either playlists or albums. This means I’m forced to commit to a specific genre or mood right from the start, which isn’t ideal when I’m feeling musically indecisive.

In hindsight, I can say that with Spotify, I felt like I was stuck in a loop, listening to the same playlists over and over again. The “Release radar” and “Top charts” playlists rarely aligned with my taste, so I hardly ventured beyond my own curated playlists. And that brings me to my second problem: Spotify’s rigid genre-based organization.

Don’t get me wrong, genres are helpful, but they can also be limiting. In comparison, there’s the YouTube Supermix. I actually wrote a separate article about how YouTube Music’s Supermix opened my eyes to how much fun I was missing out on by sticking to Spotify’s genre-based playlists. It’s especially fun on road trips when I can just let the Supermix play and enjoy the unexpected twists and turns.

Hitting all the right notes

Another reason I switched is YouTube Music’s superior song radio feature. I also wrote about this earlier, and a lot of people agreed — Spotify’s song radio is clunky.

When you hit “Go to song radio” on Spotify, it generates a playlist, but then it just sits there, waiting for you to hit play. It even starts by replaying the original song you just listened to. Meanwhile, YouTube Music nails this experience. Hit “Start radio,” and the related tracks seamlessly flow into your queue with no interruptions. The music just keeps playing.

But here’s what really impressed me: the level of control I have over the autoplay queue in YouTube Music. With a single tap, I can adjust it to focus on familiar tracks, explore new music, go for a more upbeat vibe, or switch to something more relaxed. This level of customization is something Spotify just doesn’t offer, and it adds a personal touch that I absolutely love.

YouTube Music is an all-in-one music solution

One of the things I love most about YouTube Music is that it’s a one-stop shop for all my music needs. I don’t have to switch between different apps anymore. YouTube Music has all the official albums and discographies I could ever want, plus a massive collection of unofficial remixes, bootlegs, cover songs, and live sets. I can add all of these to playlists, and if I want to watch the music video for any song, I can access it instantly.

And can we talk about music libraries for a second? It’s 2024, Spotify. Why can’t I have a simple, straightforward list of all the songs in my library? I know there’s a “Liked songs” playlist, but why do I have to reach for this specific playlist to see all the songs I’ve liked?

YouTube Music makes this so much easier. It allows me to view and listen to my entire library of liked songs with a single tap. It’s a small thing, but it makes a big difference. It reminds me of the good ol’ days when I could just shuffle through all the 1500 downloaded songs on my phone’s memory card. Simpler times!

Bye bye, Spotify

I’m not saying Spotify is all bad. It’s the most popular music app in the world for a reason, and it clearly works for a lot of people. Music is such a personal thing, and I know my experience might be totally different from yours.

Some people might actually prefer Spotify’s way of doing things. For example, Spotify’s curated playlists might be better for discovering new music, whereas YouTube Music seems to stick a bit closer to what I already know. However, I could argue that even if that’s the case, I can easily tweak the autoplay settings in YouTube Music to show me more new stuff.

Switching from Spotify to YouTube Music was a decision I haven’t regretted for a single second. The only real downside is having to rebuild all my curated playlists. It has been a bit of a pain, but honestly, it was a small price to pay for what I consider a superior music streaming experience.

So, if you’re feeling stuck in a musical rut or if you’re craving something fresh, I highly recommend giving YouTube Music a try. It might surprise you — just like it surprised me.