Every few weeks, the fledgling YouTube Music gains new features that we assumed it already had. This week’s smorgasbord includes Google Maps integration, a dedicated YouTube Music app for Android TV, and personalized music suggestions on Nest smart speakers.
First off, subscribers to YouTube Music can now access a Music control panel during Google Maps navigation. You can pause, play, skip music, or pick through your collection of playlists without leaving the Maps app. YouTube Music is also available on Waze, which runs on the Maps API.
YouTube Music is also getting a dedicated Android TV app, although the it isn’t as fully-fledged as you may hope. The new YouTube Music app is just a shortcut to the Music section of the YouTube app, which can’t play music in the background while you search for TV shows or play games on Android TV. The Music section of the YouTube app’s Explore menu is better than it was a week or two ago, but it’s still a lame solution for YouTube Music fans.
Finally, you can ask your Nest smart speaker to “play recommended music from YouTube Music.” Your Nest speaker will suggest some of your favorite artists, albums, and genres based on your listening history. Sadly, this feature is only available on new Google Nest Speakers, not Google Home devices.