YouTube Unveils New Features Including Collaborative Playlists, Fan Badges, And A Sleep Timer

On Tuesday (October 15), YouTube released a huge platform upgrade that included over two dozen new features for its online, mobile, TV, and YouTube Music apps, such as collaborative playlists, fan badges, and a much-anticipated sleep timer.

One of the most notable additions is the upgraded collaborative playlist tool for YouTube Music, which enables users to create, share, and vote on playlists with friends and family via shareable links or QR codes.

This new functionality appears to directly compete with Spotify’s collaborative playlist feature, particularly its Jam feature, which debuted last year. Jam built on Spotify’s Collaborative Playlist feature, which launched in 2020, and the 2022 Blend option, which curates shared playlists based on many users’ music preferences.

Beyond collaboration, YouTube Music is upping its personalisation game. Users will now have more options for customising their playlist thumbnails, including the opportunity to utilise personal photos or develop AI-based images to give their playlists a distinct look.

YouTube also aims to launch a voting mechanism for videos within playlists later this year, “facilitating community interaction and content curation,” according to a blog post.

Additionally, YouTube users will gain finer control over video playback speeds, now adjustable in 0.05x increments—a significant upgrade from the previous 0.25x adjustments.

Mobile users can also expect improved functionality with the mini-player, which will allow viewers to resize and reposition the player while browsing. For Android users, visual improvements are being rolled out for landscape mode, including larger thumbnails and clearer text. iOS users can look forward to these enhancements later in the year.

A long-awaited feature making its way to all users is the Sleep Timer, which was initially tested with Premium subscribers back in August. The Sleep Timer will allow users to set a specific time for video playback to pause, mirroring a feature Spotify implemented in August 2022.

YouTube is also introducing a badge system to YouTube and YouTube Music, letting users earn and display badges for milestones like being a top listener or a paid channel member. These badges will appear in users’ profiles under the “You” tab.

“We’re starting with just a few at launch, with badges that celebrate unique-to-YouTube milestones, such as being one of the first set of paid members of a creator’s channel, or correctly completing quizzes,” YouTube explained.

This fan badge system follows YouTube’s introduction of Communities, a space where creators can engage directly with their fans.

TV viewers haven’t been left out, either. YouTube is making improvements to the cinematic experience on its TV interface, adding better Shorts viewing and a redesigned UI that lets viewers read comments and browse products without interrupting their video. Channel pages will now also feature automatic video previews, making the browsing experience more seamless.

“Whether it was greater control, richer personalization, or useful features, we’ve been hearing from our users that they wanted to get the most out of YouTube in a way that’s unique to them. These updates are a direct result of that valuable feedback, and they represent just the beginning of our ongoing effort to make YouTube better for everyone,” YouTube stated.

These updates are part of YouTube’s broader strategy to stay ahead in the streaming wars, competing with platforms like Spotify and TikTok. While Spotify is expanding its video features—having launched full-length music videos in beta earlier this year—YouTube is doubling down on its music and video offerings to keep users hooked.

As YouTube Music continues to evolve, including its new search function that allows users to find songs by humming or singing, these latest updates show the platform’s commitment to innovation and maintaining its competitive edge in a crowded streaming market.