While there’s some confusion going on now over at Google Play Music, Google’s other and newer music streaming app is continually evolving. The latest udpate to the mobile app brings a minor but important change. Instead of the previous Hotlist, you now get an Explore tab which is a better way to find new music and artists to listen to. This follows the Explore tab which came to the main YouTube app just last month. Not all of the Play Music features have been exported to YouTube Music, but we’re slowly getting there.
The Explore tab will let users find new musical content in case they want to be more adventurous in their musical tastes. You can find new music based on genres and “moods” and themes like Focus or Commute. You can also see here new releases, popular tracks and albums, and all this is based on your listening history. The previous Hotlist section featured trending and new content, so it’s just slightly different.
The Explore tab also has recommendations for music videos but specifically for the YouTube Music app. Last month, the main YouTube app also got an Explore tab where users can see trending videos as well as for other categories like Music, Gaming, Movies, News, and Fashion & Beauty. For the music version, you have different moods like Energy, Feel-good, Party, etc. Tapping on one of them will give you curated playlists.
The Explore tab can be found in the free YouTube Music app. Those who want ad-free music and videos as well as other exclusive features can also upgrade to YouTube Music Premium which is at $9.99 per month. With the subscription, you’ll also be able to download music for offline listening among other things. But if you’re okay with being interrupted every once in a while by ads, then the free version should be good enough.
If you already have YouTube Music, update it to the latest version or wait for the update to roll out to you. Google is hoping that Google Play Music subscribers will eventually move here, but maybe canceling grandfathered accounts without notice is not the best way to do so.
