YouTube Music rolls out major features for fans and artists in 10th anniversary update

YouTube Music is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a fresh set of features aimed at making the platform more social, interactive, and fan-focused. The update was announced by T. Jay Fowler, Senior Director of Product at YouTube Music, in an official blog post on Thursday.

YouTube Music already hosts over 4 billion playlists created by fans, including 1.8 billion public ones. Now, the platform is leaning deeper into community engagement. Soon, listeners will be able to comment directly on albums and playlists, opening up conversations around music tastes, moods, and shared discoveries.

Taste Match Playlists

Taking inspiration from the success of Spotify Blend, YouTube Music is introducing taste match playlists. These are daily updated collaborative playlists built from the combined listening habits of members. The feature is designed to help friends discover new tracks together while highlighting their overlapping favorites.

Front Row Access to Artists

With a catalog of more than 300 million tracks, including live performances, remixes, and covers, YouTube Music continues to expand artist access. Fans will be able to enjoy everything from polished studio albums to raw early covers, plus exclusive concert integrations.

Through a new partnership with Bandsintown, the app will now show nearby and upcoming concerts while fans browse videos, Shorts, or artist pages. Notifications will also alert users about album drops, event dates, and even merchandise releases.

Show Off Your Fandom

To reward loyalty, YouTube Music is rolling out fan badges such as First to Watch and Top Listener. These badges give listeners a chance to showcase their dedication, with more categories coming soon.

Additionally, artist video milestone highlights will spotlight videos approaching key view counts – whether it’s 100K, 1M, or 1B views – encouraging fans to be part of an artist’s big moments.

Commenting on the launch, Fowler said, “These updates mark the beginning of our next chapter at YouTube Music, where we’re focused on bringing fans even closer to the artists they love. We look forward to seeing listeners dive in and explore.”

Many of these features have already started rolling out, with wider availability in the coming weeks.