Looking to discover new artists? Here’s how to get started on YouTube Music (2025)

By Julia Lee Harter, Contributor, YouTube Official Blog

Jul 12, 2024 – [[read-time]] minute read

Whether it’s music videos in your recommendations, viral earworms, or the latest hits in your Shorts feed — there’s a good chance you’ve listened to music on YouTube. But do you know all the tips and tricks on exploring your favorite tunes on YouTube Music? Not only does the YouTube Music app offer over 100 million songs, covers, remixes, live performances, and content that is hard to find elsewhere, it also works seamlessly to carry over your preferences and recommendations from YouTube. Starting out is rarely starting from scratch! And, if you're a YouTube Premium subscriber, your subscription to YouTube Music is included!

Here’s an insider’s guide on how to make the most of YouTube Music starting from your very first log in.

Explore Recommendations

One of the best ways to familiarize yourself with a new site or app is to explore, and trust me, there is plenty to discover with YouTube Music. Because it’s linked to your YouTube account, you may find recommendations already waiting for you. If not, you’ll be asked to indicate some of your favorite artists. Once you do that, try going through the personalized home page to find custom recommendations for different moods, seasons or activities.

Just by selecting different chips in the top bar, you’ll find everything from workout playlists to podcasts to party mixes. And, the more you listen, the more fine-tuned your recommendations will be.

Create a custom station

Another good way to find the perfect music for any mood is with the radio builder.

Create your own radio station by scrolling to the “Your music tuner” section of the YouTube Music homepage and selecting up to 30 of your favorite artists. Then, you’ll decide how much variety you want, whether you want to listen to music that’s familiar or new, and whether you want to add filters like “popular” or “new releases.” Click “done”, and the result is an endless mix customized just for you!

Swipe through Samples

Branching out can be a lot of work. Our favorite playlists start to look like old sweatshirts — well-loved but becoming more dull and ill-fitting with each passing day — but who has the time to try new things? Cue the Samples tab.

With Samples, you can quickly scroll through a personalized stream of short song snippets. Not a fan of a recommendation? Just swipe up to see what else there is out there, and if you find a song you do like, you can easily pull up the whole music video and save it to your library. If you’re feeling creative, for some songs you can even pick out the perfect snippet and turn it into a Short!

Immerse yourself in your favorite sounds

Experience your favorite songs like never before with the YouTube Music player! Dive into the vibrant comments section to connect with fellow music lovers and share your thoughts on the latest hits. Show your appreciation with likes and see the share count soar as you spread the musical joy. Discover new tracks with radio steering, guiding your playlist based on your taste. And don't miss a beat with timed lyrics, making it easy to sing along to every word. Whether you're a casual listener or a hardcore fan, the YouTube Music player has something special for everyone!