Even though I stream most of my music on Spotify, I renew my YouTube Music subscription every month. It still has one feature that I can’t get anywhere else.
YouTube Lets Me Listen to Live Performances of My Favorite Songs
I live in one of those countries that’s perpetually skipped over when it’s time for “world tours.” This means that, short of traveling, there’s little chance of me ever seeing my favorite artists live. The closest I can get are concert videos on YouTube and live albums.
However, the problem with that second option is that most artists don’t bother with live albums. They’ll upload the official song, maybe an acoustic version or a slowed-down or sped-up version if it’s popular on TikTok. But usually, that’s it.
This is where YouTube Music comes to my rescue. Unlike other music streaming services, it isn’t limited to what artists upload. Instead, it can pull from YouTube to augment its library.
For example, the other day, I was in the mood for some Billie Eilish, so I searched for my favorite song of hers: “Birds of a Feather.”
First, I tried Spotify, which returned the official version and some covers. Then, I tried YouTube Music, and it returned the official version and two different live performances that it pulled from YouTube.
My Playlists Have Never Been So Niche
One of my favorite songs right now is “Worth It” by Raye, but very specifically, the version she performed on SNL. That rendition doesn’t exist on other streaming platforms, but I added it to my playlist on YouTube Music with just a few clicks.
There are tons more examples of music like this that you can only get on YouTube and YouTube Music. I’ve started collecting them, and my playlists are starting to look incredibly niche.
So long as it’s musical, you can add practically any YouTube video to your YouTube Music library, and if you have Premium, you can even switch to audio-only to save data.
I’ve been taking advantage of this, and so far, I’ve collected music performances from talent shows, award ceremonies, late-night TV shows, and even Tiny Desk.
How to Find Fresh Versions of Your Favorite Songs
There are a couple of ways to find new renditions of your favorite songs on YouTube Music.
The first and easiest way is just to use the search bar. Once you’ve entered your song, you should see the official version as the top result. Below that, in the section titled “More From YouTube,” there will be other performances. Look for the ones with the “Live” tag. There are usually one or two for most songs.
Sometimes, the live performances are not tagged correctly, so you have to go digging to find them. On the same search page, scroll until you get to the “Videos” section. Tap “More” and browse the offerings until you find one that matches.
Another way to find alternative versions of your song is to open it in the music player and tap the “Related” button.
Scroll down to “Other performances.” Here, you’ll find new versions of the same song.
Finally, if you’re browsing on YouTube and come across a live performance you like, you can open it on YouTube Music by clicking the YouTube Music button at the top of your screen.
YouTube Music spoils me for choice. I don’t have to settle for the official versions of songs, but I can also enjoy any variations that exist on YouTube. This, combined with its pretty cool features, makes it a given that I’ll be renewing my subscription next month, too.
