Google Gemini now lets you control YouTube Music using commands
Google has announced a wider rollout of YouTube Music's Gemini extension, as revealed at I/O 2024. This latest development brings basic phone assistant functionality to mobile devices. Users can activate this extension by navigating to gemini.google.com/extensions and connecting their YouTube Music account. Once linked, Gemini can access the streaming service and users' music libraries for music commands.
Functionality and language limitations
The Gemini extension enables users to issue commands such as "Play [song]" or "Play [artist]" on Android devices, triggering background playback. However, Google has clarified that this feature currently only supports English prompts. On iOS devices, the same command will launch the YouTube Music app to complete the request. When a command is given, Gemini presents a card with cover art, artist details, duration, and play count.
Advanced commands and support for podcast playback
The Gemini extension accommodates more specific commands such as "Find [song name] by [artist name]," "Find the album [album title] by [artist name]," and "Start a radio based on the song [song name]." It also supports more conversational commands like "Show some rock music" or "Play rock music radio." Additionally, the extension facilitates the playback of podcasts that are already hosted on YouTube.
Critics' perspective and upcoming Gemini extensions
Critics suggest that this basic phone assistant functionality should have been a part of Gemini from its inception, if it was intended to replace Google Assistant. They call for a more fundamental integration that enables users to employ more media apps on their devices. In the foreseeable future, new Gemini extensions for Calendar, Keep, Tasks, and Utilities (akin to Android's Clock app) are anticipated to accompany YouTube Music.
