YouTube Music wants to make it easier for you to discover new music with a new Explore tab

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YouTube Musics Explore Tab
YouTube Musics Explore Tab (Image credit: Google)

What you need to know

  • Google is adding a new Explore tab to the YouTube Music apps.
  • The tab will replace the now-defunct Hotlist app as the one-stop-shop for music discovery.
  • New music will be divided between new releases and further broken down by genre.

Having already added a Lyrics section to the Now Playing tab and reorganized the library to make listening to your existing library a more pleasant experience, Google is now turning its attention to making discovering new music a little easier in the YouTube Music app. It's aggregating music discovery into a new 'Explore' tab and sunsetting the previous 'Hotlist' section.

The tab will divide music into two categories: one dedicated to highlighting the latest releases and another that further breaks the options down by moods and genre.

New Releases will feature the latest popular albums, tracks and music videos, as well as brand new content suggested based on your listening history.Moods & Genres will help users find the perfect playlist or genre for any moment, whether you are relaxing, working out, or in the mood for some feel-good music.

The change should start rolling out to both Android and iOS users with the latest versions of the app on each platform. That's not all, though, as the web player is slated to receive the same makeover soon, all while the YouTube Music team promises to follow up with even more improvements in the coming days. Given the rate at which they've been releasing new features, we're inclined to believe them.

YouTube Music: Everything you need to know

Muhammad Jarir Kanji
Muhammad Jarir Kanji
5 Comments
  • I still don't have the new player and library is the same as it always has been.. so I'll probably never see the explore tab either. I really want to like YouTube Music, but.. I just don't understand this. These staged rollouts are getting a little too tedious at this point.
  • They are slow. The Manufacturers & Google should know that there is more money to be made by getting things together & figuring out a method of proper competition. I'm disappointed in the folks who should know better.
  • Same. You think they would make sure their paid subscribers would get the new features. I have a free subscription to Spotify premium until July. If YTM doesn't get their act together by then, I'll be moving on to Spotify.
  • Yeah no thanks... Started using YouTube music when I first heard they were switching over. Had issues a few days ago with not being able to add music to newly made playlists. Switched back to play music, forgot how much better it is as a music player. Oddly enough there is even more content. I'm hoping this is another super slow or forgotten about rollout from Google. Play music is far superior.
  • As others have commented, I still haven't seen the "new" UI from months ago. I'm not holding my breath for this either. Staged rollouts are one thing, but taking months is ridiculous.