YouTube Music needs a proper Gemini integration

I use both YouTube Music and Gemini regularly and really want to see them work together on a deeper level. Sure, some basic integration between the two exists, but it’s very limited and doesn’t work flawlessly.

I need more, Google. I’m kind of surprised that we haven’t seen this yet considering that an integration like this would give YouTube Music a leg up on Spotify, helping it close the market share gap that’s huge at the moment. A flawless AI experience within YouTube Music would help me find what I’m looking for faster and would just create a better experience overall.

As already mentioned, YouTube Music and Gemini have some basic integration set up, so let’s start here.

The first thing to point out is that there’s no Gemini text box within YouTube Music’s app; you have to access it through the Gemini app, whether with a written or a voice prompt. Here’s a list of a few main things you can do according to Google:

• Play a specific song, album, or music video.
• See your playlists and find new ones you’re interested in.
• Find similar songs to the one you like.
• Start a radio based on a song or artist.

It’s pretty basic stuff, really. However, the funny thing is that even these don’t work exactly as advertised. For example, whenever I ask Gemini to show me my playlists, it says it can’t do it because it doesn’t have access to it.

Additionally, there are other features Gemini doesn’t support, like the ability to like a song or add it to a playlist of choice. It seems weird that the tool can create a 7-day itinerary for my trip to London, complete with flight and hotel recommendations, but can’t like a song on a service owned by the same company.

The first thing I’d like to see is that Gemini is baked right into the YouTube Music app. So if I want to give it a text prompt, I don’t need to open the Gemini app separately. I should just be able to type in my prompt in the search field or tap a Gemini button next to it to perform a voice prompt. It’s simple and efficient.

The main reason I want to see a deep integration between the two is that it would save me time and allow me to do things that currently aren’t possible. For example, when I’m in the mood for some rock music, I have to find a radio, playlist, or mix for the genre I’m looking for and then press play. And even then, the songs they contain may not be up to standard.

I’d much rather just type in a prompt saying, “Play some rock music from the 90s from bands like Red Hot Chili Peppers, Papa Roach, and similar bands,” and actually get a playlist that I can save or modify. It’s faster, easier, and more precise.

I also tend to listen to specific songs over and over again. I’d like the ability to tell Gemini to play my 10 or 20 most played songs in general or from a specific genre like EDM, rock, or hip hop. No more scrolling through my playlists to find what I want to hear.

Additionally, I’d like to prompt Gemini to play a few songs similar to, let’s say, “Beat It” by Michael Jackson performed by other artists. This should technically already work, but it doesn’t, since Gemini just pulls up the exact same song or a Michael Jackson mix. Not really what I asked for, Gemini.

Playing music is one thing, data is another. I’d love to prompt Gemini to show me a list of my most played songs this month. Or my most played artists over the last quarter. I also want the AI to pull up data like how long I’ve used the app daily over the last month, how many songs I listened to, and which genre was my favorite.

These are just some examples that would make my life easier, but the possibilities here are more or less endless with a proper, deep integration between YouTube Music and Gemini.

I think so. Eventually. It’s hard to say when exactly, but I think we’re in for a wait. Considering even the most basic integration between the two services is not set up or doesn’t work as good as it should, this likely won’t happen soon.

It will be a gradual process, though, with more and more features added over the course of weeks, months, and perhaps even years. I think we could get to a point where users will be able to customize the entire homepage with Gemini. For example, the home page is quite cluttered, showing all sorts of playlists, radios, and even weird stuff like “most commented tracks.” I really don’t care for the last one.

With Gemini, I could just customize my home page — my feed. So I could prompt it to show me a list of my most listened to artists, the top 20 songs I listen to, playlists for specific genres, and more. The possibilities are endless on paper, but let’s just hope Google realizes this and gets to work.

Would you like to see a deeper integration between YouTube Music and Gemini? Cast your vote in the poll above and let me know your thoughts in the comments.