YouTube is rolling out a new AI-powered playlist creation feature that lets Premium users on iOS and Android use text messages to create playlists.
Users can go to the Library tab, tap the “New” button, and select the “AI Playlist” option to get started. They can then use text or voice to enter a prompt of their choice, such as “Raging death metal”, “sad post rock”, “progressive house mix for a laid-back party”, “indie pop” or “90s classic hits”, to create a playlist.
YouTube has been toying with using artificial intelligence to create playlists for a while. As of July 2024, the company was testing a feature that allowed users to create custom radio stations using prompts in the US
Other rival streaming services such as Spotify, Amazon Music and Deezer have also developed AI-powered playlist or radio capabilities.
YouTube is trying to make the Premium plan more attractive to users. Earlier this week, the company began cutting back free users from viewing song lyrics in the YouTube Music app. The company told TechCrunch that the restriction was an experiment it was running “with a small percentage of ad-supported users” and that song lyrics are available to the vast majority of free users.
Google has seen growth in its subscription business, and YouTube is a key part of that segment. Earlier this month, the company said it now has 325 million paying users on Google One and YouTube Premium.
Techcrunch event
Boston, MA
|
June 23, 2026
