YouTube could become a real music player on smartphones

Google is testing a new feature on YouTube to show full audio playback controls. An option is explicitly reserved for premium subscribers.

Logo YouTube // Source: Alexander Sadov

The Music streaming service The most used in the world is not Spodify or Apple Music, but actually YouTube. YouTube is not music, YouTube is a video site, often used to listen to music for free. Google understands this and wants to provide a closer experience than you might expect from an audio playback app.

YouTube is trying its hand at reading music

9to5 According to Google, YouTube offers some users a “new feature displayed in form”Show listening restrictions»(Show listening restrictionsFrench (in French) in music videos. When the user clicks this button, the interface changes to display controls (play, pause, previous / next path). A button is also used to manage the reading speed from 0.25x to 2x. Nothing new except a brief presentation.

Lean YouTubeSubscribe to Frontroid

As is already the case on YouTube, the previous track button directly … leads to the previous track. If this sounds normal, keep in mind that most musicians (if not all) go to the beginning of the current song when you press this button and only return to the previous song by pressing a second time.

A / B test for premium members

For now, the number of subscribers who can access this new design seems too small and the experience could not be recreated. However, 9to5Google indicates that the person who viewed this interface was able to access the same account on both sites but only on iOS and not on Android. It should also be noted that the “Premium” reference states that only users who have subscribed to the subscription can benefit from it.

The merging of YouTube and YouTube Music can be considered as a way for Google to manage its services and allow smooth transition. In particular, Google will allow its music streaming service to advertise more to users of its video streaming service.