The future of radio? YouTube Music experiments with AI-curated stations
YouTube Music is currently testing an artificial intelligence-based feature that creates custom radio stations based on user prompts. Once activated, a card titled "Ask for music any way you like" appears in the Home feed. This new feature, marked with an "Experiment" badge, presents a chat-based interface where users can enter prompts either by typing or voice. YouTube Music has stated that the responses generated by this AI feature are experimental, and that their quality and accuracy may vary.
Customized music experience
The feature offers a double-line carousel of suggested prompts such as "Catchy pop choruses," "Epic soundtracks," and "Upbeat pop anthems." Users can also opt for a "Surprise me!" option. After entering a prompt, YouTube Music generates a radio station using the existing playlist card to display the result. The user's prompt is used as the station name, labeled with "Created for you," and accompanied by a description.
Functionality and user experience
For instance, when a user prompted "Queer Hip Hop Beats," YouTube Music generated a station named "Rhymes and flows from the heart, a celebration of queer pride in hip hop's art." The first three songs are displayed with choices for play/pause, save to your library, and an overflow menu. This feature is designed to provide users with a personalized music experience based on their unique prompts.
Limited availability and future
YouTube Music's AI radio feature is currently limited to select users. Its future availability, including whether it will require a YouTube Premium subscription for access, remains unclear at this point.
