# The Scrubber Now Reflects the Main YouTube App: An Overview of YouTube Music’s Recent Redesign
YouTube Music is experiencing a substantial overhaul of its Now Playing interface, aligning its design and functionality more closely with the primary YouTube app. This update, undergoing trials with a limited group of users, features a refreshed layout and new enhancements intended to boost usability and modernize the overall look. Here’s all you need to know about the updates and their implications for YouTube Music users.
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## **What’s Different in the Redesign?**
### **1. Consolidated Playback Controls**
One of the most striking alterations in the redesign is the relocation of the main playback buttons. Previously situated at the bottom of the display, the play/pause, forward/rewind, and shuffle/loop options have now been advanced just below the song title and artist information. This central positioning brings these vital controls nearer to the screen’s center, enhancing their accessibility when examining song specifics.
While this change fits well with the design principles of competing music streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music, it presents a unique challenge. The relocation moves the controls farther from the screen’s bottom edge, which may hinder one-handed use for users with larger devices. This modification might require some adjustment, especially for users who have been with YouTube Music for a long time.
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### **2. Overhauled Timeline Scrubber**
The timeline scrubber has been redesigned, taking substantial cues from the main YouTube app’s layout. Instead of a circular marker to show the current playback status, the scrubber is now represented as a sleek rectangular bar. The scrubber becomes visible only upon interaction with the timeline, resulting in a tidier and less crowded visual experience.
This design transition echoes the timeline scrubber found in other Google applications, including YouTube and Google Podcasts. It’s a nuanced change, but one that enhances coherence across Google’s suite of apps.
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### **3. Actions Carousel Relocated**
The actions carousel, which encompasses options to like, dislike, share, and comment on tracks, has been moved. Instead of being directly beneath the song title and album cover, it now appears below the primary playback controls. This relocation fosters a more intuitive arrangement, differentiating playback functionalities from secondary options.
However, the new positioning brings the carousel closer to the screen’s bottom, placing it just above the upcoming tracks, lyrics, and related content sections. While this may lead to better overall organization, it could feel constricted for users who frequently engage with the actions carousel.
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## **Why Implement These Changes?**
The redesign follows closely on the heels of YouTube Music’s last update to its Now Playing screen in September 2023. The new layout is part of YouTube’s continuous efforts to enhance user experience and maintain competitiveness in a saturated market.
By reflecting aspects of the primary YouTube app, YouTube Music seeks to offer a more unified experience across its platforms. The sleek timeline scrubber, for instance, aligns with YouTube’s design style, allowing users to shift seamlessly between the two apps.
Furthermore, the adjustments address longstanding critiques regarding YouTube Music’s interface. The former layout, while functional, seemed overly busy and less user-friendly compared to rivals such as Spotify and Apple Music. The new design streamlines navigation and emphasizes the most-utilized features, including playback controls and the timeline scrubber.
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## **Possible Downsides**
While the redesign brings numerous enhancements, it also introduces certain challenges:
1. **Access Issues:** The new positioning of playback controls higher on the screen may create difficulties for users with larger devices, particularly when operating the app with one hand.
2. **Adjustment Period:** Long-term YouTube Music users might require time to familiarize themselves with the updated layout, especially regarding the moved actions carousel and reworked scrubber.
3. **Limited Availability:** Currently, the redesign is being trialed with a small user base. It’s uncertain when, or if, these modifications will be available to everyone, leaving many users in suspense.
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## **How Does It Stack Up Against Competitors?**
YouTube Music’s redesign aligns it more closely with competitors like Spotify and Apple Music, both of which emphasize simplicity and user-friendliness in their Now Playing displays. Nevertheless, YouTube Music’s distinct features, such as the actions carousel, differentiate it from these platforms.
For example, Spotify favors a more minimalistic interface without a specialized carousel for actions like commenting or disliking songs. Similarly, Apple Music prioritizes simplicity, placing playback controls and song information front and center. YouTube Music’s addition of an actions carousel enhances interactivity but also complicates the overall layout.
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## **What Lies Ahead?**
As with any testing phase, the final iteration of the redesign might diverge from what is currently being assessed. YouTube Music is likely collecting feedback
