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Google expanded the offline listening feature of YouTube Music as part of its latest update for the popular Android app. As of a few days ago, users are able to listen to any song, album, or a playlist without an Internet connection, as the Alphabet-owned company provided them with the ability to specify which tracks and collections they want to download for offline use. The update introducing this feature officially started rolling out on the Google Play Store on Monday and should now be available for download in all territories supported by the service.
Up until recently, YouTube Music users were only able to listen to music without an Internet connection by relying on the Offline Mixtape functionality. Just like its name suggests, this feature would automatically create a playlist which you were then able to access without being connected to the World Wide Web. While the algorithms powering that solution were populating an offline playlist based on your listening history and general preferences, the fact that you were unable to manually select songs, albums, and playlists that you wanted to access offline was still an inconvenience that the latest update for the app eliminates in its entirety. The Offline Mixtape feature is still present in the app and can be used if you don’t have enough time or willpower to manually create an offline playlist and it’s unlikely that Google will be removing this particular capability of YouTube Music in the future.
Recent reports indicate that the functionality may have been part of YouTube Music since late June and the rollout of the 1.82.10 build, though the Mountain View, California-based tech giant only confirmed its addition in the changelog accompanying the late July update for the app. Anyone looking to take advantage of the new feature can do so with the “Save to offline songs” command that’s now present in the three-dot menu accompanying every song, album, and playlist listing within YouTube Music. Google has recently been in the process of optimizing its streaming services while simultaneously pleading with the music industry for patience in regards to how long the company takes to monetize its offerings.
