YouTube Music might inherit most unlikeable part of YouTube

The competition between YouTube, Spotify, and other well-known entertainment apps like Apple Music and Deezer has been fierce. However, Google still seems to be looking for a competitive edge, experimenting with novel services like podcasts on YouTube Music to differentiate itself from the competition. YouTube Music appears to be prepared to add a social component to the user experience now that it has learned from the main YouTube platform. Although it is a distinctive addition, we question if it will be of any utility.

Sharing music has typically been a one-sided activity, whether it be through playlists, shared listening sessions, or social media. Including comments in the mix might expose listeners to various viewpoints, lyric interpretations, and other discussions regarding the subject matter. The recent discovery of a new comments button on YouTube Music by 9to5Google, which is buried between the Like/Dislike and Save buttons in the new actions carousel immediately above the seek bar, may be intended to encourage this.

The comments section is hidden unless you specifically select to show it by tapping the comments button, which exposes an interface like the one on the main YouTube app. The most recent change, which is available for the majority of YouTube Music app content, should be especially helpful for podcasters who frequently engage with their audience. Artists and podcasters can, however, turn off comments on their music.

But if the YouTube comment sections for music videos are any indication, there’s a chance that listeners will engage in bad behavior like bullying, spamming, and brigading. The issue is all too apparent on YouTube, and it doesn’t appear that Google is taking any additional actions to stop toxic cesspools of language from appearing on YouTube Music.

We question if the novelty of this item justifies the moderating issues it introduces. Despite this, not many people can currently see the comments area.

The new swipe gestures for the small player, which have replaced the swipe down motions to remove your queued music, are among the other dubious changes coming to YouTube Music in the meantime.