YouTube Music App Gets Explore Tab To Replace Hotlist Feature

YouTube's music platform is rolling out a new feature called Explore that replaces the service's current 'Hotlist' feature. With Explore, users will be better equipped to find new music and artists to enjoy, including new releases, playlists, and more. The feature is arriving on the service's mobile apps first with a planned release on the desktop website in the coming weeks.

YouTube Music is Google's main music service at this point in time; through it, users can find popular and obscure music, subscribe to artists' channels, find content grouped based on moods, playlists, and more. In its present form, the service features Hotlist, which shows trending and new content.

YouTube is replacing Hotlist with Explore, which will function in a similar manner. With Explore, users can find content based on genres and different 'moods,' as well as new releases that include popular tracks and albums. The latter content will include new music that is also recommended based on the user's listening history.

The Explore tab includes recommendations for music videos, but unlike Hotlist, it expands beyond them to help users find new music they'll like. As with many other services, users can use this tab to find mood music like 'Focus' and 'Commute.' This follows the arrival of the Explore tab in the main YoubTube app last month.

The feature is deploying on the YouTube Music apps initially, but it will eventually make its way to the desktop website, as well. YouTube Music is free to use, but fans who want the most features will need to sign up for the YouTube Music Premium subscription, which is priced at $9.99/month. With this, users get access to offline downloads and ad-free content.