I Switched to YouTube Music For 90 Days. Here’s How It Went

Product Reviewed

YouTube Music (paired in the video with YouTube Premium; creator also uses iPhone, AirPods, and Apple Watch).

Key Features Mentioned

Playlist transfer tools (migration ease)

• From Spotify: YouTube Music can transfer playlists using built-in tools.
• From Apple Music: export via Apple’s “Data and privacy” page.
  • Migration was imperfect (see cons).

Huge catalog via regular YouTube

• Tracks are those marked with a music note on YouTube.
• Includes official songs, plus game music, classics, original user tracks/covers, and more.
• Positioned as the largest purely musical catalog among major services.

Offline listening

• Used for travel.

“Samples” feature (TikTok-style music feed)

• Lets users scroll through/preview best moments quickly to discover music.
• Creator notes Spotify has a similar feature, but YouTube Music’s is less refined for genres/moods (Spotify is described as more refined).

Audio/video switching while playing

• Can rapidly switch between an audio track and its corresponding video without leaving the app.

Cross-device behavior

• Plays different tracks on different devices simultaneously (contrasted with Spotify’s more “shared session” behavior).

Connectivity / casting

• On iOS, supports AirPlay (contrasted with Android/other services using Google Cast).

Pros (User-Experience Wins)

• Catalog & discovery: “Best and worst of both worlds,” with discovery being excellent due to YouTube’s breadth.
• Recommendations: Creator claims YouTube Music recommendations are on par with or better than Spotify, and better than Apple Music.
• Fast discovery via “Samples”: quick access to song highlights.
• Convenient audio↔video switching: no need to open another app.
• Pricing/value:
  • Free version exists.
  • Individual/family pricing is competitive, especially when bundled with YouTube Premium.
• Offline travel workflow: downloads + reliable listening during trips (power bank mentioned).
• Sound quality: “more than adequate” for everyday listening for most people using common devices.

Cons (Downsides / Friction Points)

Audio quality limitations

• Lower audio bitrate vs competitors:
  • Not positioned as lossless like Spotify lossless or Apple Music lossless/Dolby Atmos.
  • Creator says it may not be obvious on AirPods during commuting, but it remains a drawback.

Dolby Atmos experience underwhelms

• Creator’s main “missing” feature vs Apple Music.
• In Dolby Atmos, Apple Music made backing vocals more audible and overall song volume felt larger.
• On YouTube Music, tracks sounded flatter, sometimes with muffled vocals.
• Results depend on the specific track—some mix well, others do not.

Platform/app limitations on non-mobile devices

• Computer: must use the website.
• Consoles (PS5/Xbox):
  • Access only through the regular YouTube app.
  • Music recommendations can include regular videos, less focused than dedicated music apps.
• Car support example (Rivian):
  • No YouTube Music integration; relies on Bluetooth only.
  • Over Bluetooth: can play/skip/pause, but cannot change playlists without using the phone.

Apple Watch limitations (creator-specific)

• Can control music on Apple Watch, but cannot download offline tracks to the watch.
• Cannot use YouTube Music directly on the watch—only as a remote.
• Requires a phone for mobile workouts.

Free-tier restrictions

• Ads on the free version.
• Screen lock isn’t possible without interrupting playback.

Privacy / data personalization concerns

• Uses web/search history plus YouTube/YouTube Music history to recommend content.
• Creator finds this unsettling.

Feed mixing / “brand entanglement” complaints

• YouTube watch history and YouTube Music history can get merged.
• After listening to music on YouTube Music, returning to regular YouTube can show a mix of videos and music recommendations.

Catalog can feel chaotic

• The sheer range of content formats (music videos, user content, podcasts, etc.) can overwhelm.

Comparisons Made (Explicit)

Versus Spotify

• Lossless: Spotify offers lossless (and is praised for social features and recommendations).
• Preview/discovery feature: Spotify has a similar preview feature, but more targeted with genres/moods.
• Device behavior: creator says Spotify treats sessions more similarly across devices, while YouTube Music can play different tracks per device.
• Recommendations: YouTube Music recommendations are claimed to be at least as good as Spotify, sometimes better.

Versus Apple Music

• Dolby Atmos: Apple Music offers Dolby Atmos and cleaner “immersive” mixing (example song described as having stronger backing vocals and perceived volume).
• Ecosystem integration: Apple Music fits Apple devices more smoothly; listening can feel simpler.
• Apple Watch/offline behavior: creator claims Apple Music performs better.
• Atmos example takeaway: Apple Music sounded stronger; YouTube Music felt flatter.

General statement across services

• All mainstream services provide “good enough” quality for most listening.
• The biggest quality differentiator is framed as Dolby Atmos, not just bitrate.
• No single service matches YouTube Music’s combination of content volume + niche availability.

Notable Numerical Detail / Factual Issue

• Playlist migration from Apple Music: one case showed 167 songs → 158 transferred (about 9 songs missing).

Verdict / Overall Recommendation (from the Video)

YouTube Music is strongly recommended if you value:

• massive catalog (including niche/game/classics/user-created covers),
• fast discovery (Samples),
• strong recommendations,
• and/or cost savings (especially via YouTube Premium bundle).

It’s less ideal if you strongly care about:

• Dolby Atmos quality in the car,
• tight platform integration (cars, consoles, Apple Watch offline use),
• or you dislike Google-driven data personalization and the way YouTube Music can mix into regular YouTube recommendations.

Unique Points Mentioned by the Speaker

Single creator viewpoint throughout, covering:

• migration/setup,
• audio quality vs Dolby Atmos,
• device/ecosystem compatibility (iOS, Apple Watch, consoles, cars),
• catalog/discovery features (Samples, audio/video switching),
• free-tier tradeoffs (ads, screen lock),
• privacy/data concerns,
• comparisons to Spotify and Apple Music,
• final recommendation, plus a note that streaming pays very little—suggesting artists may benefit more from merch/CD/vinyl.