YouTube Music can now auto-download your recently played songs

Abner Li | Mar 17 2023 - 10:01 pm PT

YouTube Music on Android can now “automatically download recently played songs” with a new setting.

Those with a Premium subscription can find the new “Recently played songs” toggle in Settings > Downloads & storage. On devices we checked, it was already enabled and is independent of the existing “Smart downloads” feature, which goes up to 500 songs and is based on music that the app deems to be “favorites.”

“We’ll download up to 200 of your recently played songs.”

There does not appear to be a dedicated playlist for Recently played songs in the Library tab. They presumably appear when you use the “Downloads” app shortcut by long-pressing the homescreen icon.

This feature was mentioned in YouTube Music’s February 2023 New Features Highlights. Google said it was introduced in mid-January, but we’re only now seeing wide availability on Android.

The Recently played songs setting has yet to be announced for YouTube Music on iOS. However, that same list of New Features touts the launch of Smart Downloads for iPhone and iPad earlier this year, as well as “bug fixes” on Android:

If you explicitly delete a Smart Downloads recommended playlist, our systems should make note of this feedback so that we do not recommend the same music to you in future playlists.

Google also confirmed the launch of Live, Cover, and Remix labels under Other Performances in the Related tab of Now Playing and in search results.