YouTube is using AI to create custom playlists for users, but there’s a catch
YouTube is launching AI-generated playlists. Users can seamlessly create custom playlists with simple prompts and the AI will do the rest for you. However, there is a catch.
YouTube is releasing AI-generated playlists for users. This means users can now create custom playlists using simple prompts and the AI will do the rest for you. However, one catch is that these AI-generated playlists are only available to paying customers, i.e. those who are subscribed to YouTube Premium.
If you’re a YouTube Premium – or Google One – subscriber, you can now use AI to curate playlists across video (YouTube) and audio (YouTube Music). This feature is available for both Android and iPhone users. The update rollout is part of Google’s broader plan to move toward more AI-powered tools to provide users with more personalized content.
YouTube AI-generated playlists: how to use
Users who have a premium subscription to YouTube can access the feature by going to the Library tab in the YouTube app, tapping the “New” button, and selecting “AI Playlist.” The app then prompts users to enter a request using text or voice.
Users can ask for playlists like “Death Metal,” “Sad Post-Rock,” “House Mix for a Chill Party,” “Indie Pop,” or even “90s Bollywood Classic Hits.” In a matter of seconds, the AI creates a personalized playlist based on the signal.
Competing players like Amazon Music and Spotify already have AI-based playlists or radios. YouTube is also joining this bandwagon.
This isn’t YouTube’s first attempt at using AI. In July 2024, Google’s video streaming platform tested a tool that allows users to create custom radio stations using signals. The new playlist generator builds on that idea, providing a more sophisticated experience that is now being offered to a broader group of paying customers.
The update for premium YouTube users comes at a time when the platform is working hard to make its premium subscriptions more attractive to its users. This week, it was seen testing a new way to make YouTube Premium more useful by removing songs for some non-subscribers, hinting that it may soon be turned into a paid feature.
Earlier this month, the company said it had reached 325 million paying subscribers across all its platforms, including Google One and YouTube Premium.
