Last year I gave up Spotify in favor of YouTube Music and I don’t regret it.

For many years I balanced my life with two subscriptions – Spotify Premium for my music needs and YouTube Premium for streaming video without ads. Although YouTube Music was included in my YouTube Premium, I honestly never paid much attention to it. Spotify was my go-to music app and I saw no reason to switch, but then things started to change.

It all started quietly enough. I’ve used YouTube Music from time to time to listen to audio versions of my YouTube playlists, saving my mobile data and avoiding streaming videos. However, when I kept reaching for it during trips, something started to click. Over time, I noticed that I open YouTube Music more and more often when I want to listen to music.

And it was no longer just about saving data. Every time I opened the app, I was genuinely surprised by how much I liked it. The recommendations were spot on: the perfect mix of songs I already liked and new music I immediately liked. The whole experience felt fresh and exciting, as opposed to the somewhat stagnant feeling I started to experience when using Spotify.

By the beginning of this year, I took a symbolic step. I removed the Spotify icon from the home screen—a spot it occupied for six straight years—and replaced it with YouTube Music. The switch was official and that’s why I haven’t looked back.

YouTube Music knows how to get the party started

I have a wide range of musical tastes, which means two things: I’m often unsure of what I want to listen to, and when I am, it’s never limited to one genre. The YouTube Music home screen greets me with a selection of 12 to 15 “Quick Picks.” These aren’t just songs from the last time I listened to them, and they’re definitely not all 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 years, followed by a brand new track by an Indian rapper, and then my all-time favorite EDM anthem.

With a curated selection of songs from all my favorite genres and moods, it’s easy to pick something and get started. Once I select a song, YouTube Music’s autoplay feature can capture its vibe.

Spotify’s home page seems downright dated in comparison. This is a table of what I’ve recently listened to, what I’ve heard before, new releases, or what’s popular among other users. All of these recommendations are either playlists or albums. This means I’m forced to stick to a certain genre or mood from the start, which isn’t ideal when I’m feeling musically indecisive.

Looking back, with Spotify I felt like I was stuck in a loop, listening to the same playlists over and over again. Release Radar and Top Charts playlists rarely matched my tastes, so I rarely ventured beyond my own playlists. Which brings me to the second problem: Spotify’s rigid genre organization.

Don’t get me wrong, genres are useful, but they can also be limiting. For comparison, there is YouTube Supermix. In fact, I wrote a separate article on how YouTube Music’s Supermix opened my eyes how much fun I missed out on by sticking to genre-specific Spotify playlists. It’s especially fun on trips when I can just let Supermix play and enjoy the unexpected turns.

When you click “Go to Song Radio” in Spotify, it generates a playlist, but then just sits there waiting for you to click “Play.” It even starts with a repeat of the original song you just listened to. Meanwhile, YouTube Music brings this experience to life. Click “Start Radio” and the relevant tracks will flow into your queue smoothly and without interruption. The music just keeps playing.

But here’s what really impressed me: the level of control over the autoplay queue in YouTube Music. With one touch, I can customize it to focus on familiar tracks, explore new music, create a more upbeat atmosphere, or switch to something more relaxed. Spotify just doesn’t offer that level of customization, and it adds a personal touch that I really like.

One of the things I love most about YouTube Music is that it is a one-stop shop for all my music needs. I no longer have to switch between different apps. YouTube Music has every official album and discography I could ever want, plus a huge collection of unofficial remixes, bootlegs, covers, and live sets. I can add it all to playlists, and if I want to watch a 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, clear list of all the songs in my library? I know there is a “Liked Songs” playlist, but why do I need to go to that specific playlist to see all the songs I liked?

YouTube Music makes this much easier. This allows me to browse and listen to my entire library of favorite songs with one click. It’s a small thing, but it makes a big difference. It reminds me of the good old days when I could just browse through all 1,500 downloaded songs on my phone’s memory card. Simpler times!

Bye, Spotify

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

Some people may actually prefer the way Spotify works. For example, Spotify’s curated playlists may be better for discovering new music, whereas YouTube Music seems to be a little closer to what I already know. However, I can argue that even in this case, I can easily configure the autoplay settings in YouTube Music to show me more new things.

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

So, if you feel like you’re stuck in a music rut or are craving something fresh, I highly recommend giving YouTube Music a try. This may surprise you, just as it surprised me.