These days, many of us listen to music through streaming services. I’ve found myself mostly using YouTube Music, paying little attention to my actual music library. It feels like I no longer have a real music collection.
Back in the day, when the iPod was popular, we had to carefully select the songs we wanted to carry with us. This process of choosing and managing our music carried over to services like Google Play Music, where I could save my favorites in a cloud locker. I enjoyed spending time in the app, especially on the “Music library” page.
However, my music habits changed when Google fully embraced YouTube Music. This platform allows you to “Save to library,” which adds playlists, songs, albums, and artists to a specific section. At first, I often used this feature to find music to listen to. But now, songs only make it to my Library if I like them.
Today, I mostly rely on the “Speed dial,” which is a grid of album artwork that shows what I’ve recently listened to. If I don’t see anything appealing there, I check the “Quick picks” section that features 20 recommended songs. Instead of having a well-curated collection, I often find myself following the recommendations from the app’s algorithms.
My use of playlists has shifted dramatically, too. Now, the main playlists I keep in YouTube Music are “Liked Music” and My Mixes. The playlists I do create usually come from a single song that generates a nice queue for what I could listen to next. This is quite different from when I made themed playlists, sorting through songs that I had personally chosen for my library.
It’s clear that we’ve moved from the era of having “a thousand songs in your pocket” to accessing every song imaginable with a monthly subscription. This new access is great because it allows listeners to discover so much more music. However, the downside is that I no longer actively manage a library. This change has affected how connected I feel to the artists and albums I love, making music feel more like just another YouTube video instead of something special.
I might be one of the few who miss that personal touch when it comes to music libraries. Many people, especially those who have only used these modern apps, seem to crave a deeper connection with their music. This is reflected in practices like getting excited over yearly recaps or earning badges for listening habits.
It’s interesting how tapping “Save to library” doesn’t feel quite the same as ripping a CD or purchasing a song on iTunes. Those actions had a certain physicality, unlike today’s digital world where everything feels more abstract. It makes me think that sometimes having limitations can actually mean something. Even in a world where music is practically limitless, there is value in curating our own collections and fostering a connection to the music we hold dear.