# YouTube Music reviews: what users love, hate and want

> Loved for its catalog, hated for crashes, ads and AI-filled shuffle.

- App: YouTube Music by Google LLC (Music, iOS)
- App Store page: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/youtube-music/id1017492454?uo=4
- Source: Apple App Store, United States store. The 500 most recent public reviews, written Aug 22 – Oct 31, 2026.
- Satisfaction score: 42/100 (how happy recent reviewers are; 0 = unhappy, 100 = delighted)
- Recent average: 2.4 stars. 58% of these reviews gave 1 or 2 stars.
- App Store rating: 4.8 stars from 1,516,037 ratings
- First published: 2026-11-01. Last updated: 2026-11-01.
- Canonical page: https://synthiya.ai/r/youtube-music

## What users love

1. **Better than Spotify for many users** (12 mentions). Quote: "Still better than Spotify"
2. **Huge catalog, including obscure and independent music** (10 mentions). Quote: "it has literally every song ever"
3. **Recommendations surface music people like** (6 mentions). Quote: "has very good recommendations"
4. **Bundled with YouTube Premium value** (3 mentions). Quote: "YouTube premium carrying over to YT music is the greatest subscription ever"

## What users hate

1. **App crashes or freezes during playback** (30 mentions). Quote: "this app crashes on my daily"
2. **Ads between nearly every song** (18 mentions). Quote: "There is an add each time before and after a single song"
3. **Background play locked behind Premium** (18 mentions). Quote: "Why do I have to pay for it to be in the background?"
4. **Shuffle repeats the same songs** (18 mentions). Quote: "it starts over after a hundred songs or so"
5. **AI-generated music floods recommendations** (12 mentions). Quote: "It's flooded with garbage AI-generated music"

## What users want

1. **Real shuffle through entire playlists** (8 mentions). Quote: "make it so that the whole playlist is actually shuffled"
2. **Free background and screen-off playback** (6 mentions). Quote: "Just wish this was free to play in the background"
3. **Filter or label AI-generated music** (6 mentions). Quote: "there's no way to filter out AI music"
4. **Proper iPhone Duo support** (5 mentions). Quote: "App needs to be optimized for the iPhone Duo"
5. **Built-in equalizer** (4 mentions). Quote: "Should add the equaliser"

## Why people say they are leaving

- Switching to Spotify or Apple Music after crashes and bugs
- Canceling Premium because the free tier is unusable
- Deleting the app after playlists and downloads disappear

## What to fix first

Fix crashes and mid-song stops, then make shuffle play whole playlists.

## Opportunity for a competitor

A reliable, ad-light, free-background-play player with real shuffle and AI filtering; target unhappy Premium-paying crash victims.

## Rating by app version

| Version | Average stars | Reviews |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 9.38 | 2.50 | 26 |
| 9.39 | 2.55 | 71 |
| 9.40 | 2.41 | 54 |
| 9.41 | 2.69 | 59 |
| 9.42 | 2.17 | 53 |
| 9.43 | 2.20 | 46 |

## Quick answers

### What do users like most about YouTube Music?

Users like “Better than Spotify for many users” the most. 12 reviews mention it. They also praise “Huge catalog, including obscure and independent music” and “Recommendations surface music people like”.

### What are the biggest complaints about YouTube Music?

The top complaint is “App crashes or freezes during playback”. 30 reviews mention it. Users also complain about “Ads between nearly every song” and “Background play locked behind Premium”. Of the 500 reviews we read, 58% gave 1 or 2 stars.

### What features do YouTube Music users want?

The top request is “Real shuffle through entire playlists”. 8 reviews mention it. Users also ask for “Free background and screen-off playback” and “Filter or label AI-generated music”.

### Why do people stop using YouTube Music?

The main reason people give is “Switching to Spotify or Apple Music after crashes and bugs”. Others point to “Canceling Premium because the free tier is unusable” and “Deleting the app after playlists and downloads disappear”.

### Is YouTube Music worth it, according to reviews?

Many recent users say no. Recent reviews give it 2.4 stars on average, and it scores 42 out of 100 for satisfaction. Check the top complaint, “App crashes or freezes during playback”, before you decide. Its overall App Store rating is 4.8 stars from 1,516,037 ratings.

### What should YouTube Music fix first?

Based on the reviews, our teardown says: Fix crashes and mid-song stops, then make shuffle play whole playlists.

## About this teardown

Synthiya read the 500 newest public reviews of YouTube Music on the App Store in the United States and summed up what people say. Each point comes with a real quote. Mention counts are estimates. How we make teardowns: https://synthiya.ai/methodology

Cite as: Synthiya. “YouTube Music reviews: what users love, hate and want.” Updated Nov 1, 2026. https://synthiya.ai/r/youtube-music