YouTube Music rolls out filters to customize Autoplay queue [U: Web]

Abner Li | Sep 29 2022 - 8:46 am PT

After making it easy to “Save” your queue as a playlist, YouTube Music’s Autoplay is testing suggestion chips to customize the queue.

Update 9/29: Following Android and iOS, the Autoplay filters are now appearing on the web. Pills are used on music.youtube.com, though the scrolling carousel is a shame given the ample screen real estate.

Update 9/27: YouTube Music’s Autoplay filters are now more widely rolling out on Android and iOS. Filters vary based on what you’re listening to, and might include: Familiar, Discover, Popular, Deep cuts, Workout, Upbeat, Pump-up, Hip-hop, R&B, Pop, Instrumental, Alternatives, 2000s, and 2010s.

As such, you might get a dozen or just a handful. New queues are generated every time you select a filter, and you cannot return to one. For example, “All” changes if you go to “Familiar” and return. Meanwhile, there’s a nifty loading animation in the rounded rectangular button as new queues are generated.

Update 9/25: After first being spotted in May, more YouTube Music users in recent weeks have received the Autoplay filters. “All” is the default, and joined by “Familiar,” “Discover,” “Popular,” and “Deep cuts.”

For some — but not all, it’s coinciding with the Material You revamp that makes various button tweaks throughout the app.

Original 5/26: Just below the bar noting what radio you’re playing from, there’s a carousel of filters that you can tap to customize with plays next in Up next. “All” is the default and joined by “Familiar,” “Recommendation,” and “Instrumental.” According to one user on Reddit, the filter pills vary by song and they only mention it appearing for radio-generated queues.

Credit: u/RjHospe

This should let you find more songs to listen to without having to browse the Home feed. That can be ideal when your current radio queue is great, but you want more variety. Alternatively, if what’s in Up next is bad, there’s now a way to quickly find something more familiar.

Overall, it lets people stay in the Now Playing UI, which is the fastest way to start another song. This view is getting slightly more busy and cluttered, but it’s still pretty straightforward.

At the moment, there’s only one report of YouTube Music’s new ability to filter radio queues. We’re not seeing it live on several devices we checked this morning.