Essential Information
- YouTube is introducing a new voting option for collaborative playlists.
- Users can now give songs a thumbs up or thumbs down, affecting the playlist sequence.
- Playlist creators determine who is eligible to vote: everyone, just collaborators, or nobody.
YouTube is amplifying collaborative music listening with an exciting new feature: playlist voting. This enhancement allows users to vote songs up or down in shared playlists, enabling everyone to participate in what gets played next. Whether gearing up for a road trip, hosting a gathering, or just chilling with friends, this feature makes group listening more engaging and participatory.
How It Functions
Collaborative playlists have existed on YouTube for some time, enabling multiple users to add tracks. Now, YouTube is upgrading that experience by allowing users to vote on songs within these playlists. As a member of a shared playlist, you can show your support for your favorite songs—or express disinterest in those you’d prefer to skip.
Songs that receive the highest number of upvotes move to the forefront, ensuring that the most favored tracks are played first. It’s a straightforward yet effective approach to crowdsource the atmosphere of any event.
How to Activate Playlist Voting
Interested in giving it a shot? Follow these steps to create a collaborative playlist with voting activated:
- Create a new playlist on YouTube and set the visibility to “Unlisted” or “Public.”
- Select the “Collaborate” option to permit others to add their songs.
- Tap the share icon, copy the link, and share it with your friends or family.
- In the settings of the playlist, decide who is allowed to vote:
- Everyone – Any YouTube account holder can cast a vote.
- Collaborators Only – Only invited users have voting privileges.
- Voting Off – Disable voting altogether.
YouTube has also published a Shorts video to guide users through the setup, featuring the Pixel Playhouse team.
Importance of This Feature
This feature offers more than just a fun addition—it truly revolutionizes group music gatherings. Rather than allowing a single person to dictate the playlist, everyone is given a voice. It’s ideal for:
- Road Trips – Allow everyone in the vehicle to vote on the next song.
- Parties – Maintain the lively atmosphere with tracks approved by the crowd.
- Workouts – Create an inspiring playlist collaboratively with your workout partners.
Nonetheless, the feature has its limitations. If group members don’t consistently vote, the playlist may not truly represent the group’s tastes. Moreover, without a good selection of songs to start, the playlist might appear chaotic until voting begins.
Currently Rolling Out
YouTube is slowly rolling out the playlist voting feature, so if it’s not available to you just yet, be patient—it will arrive soon. The company announced the update through a post on X (formerly Twitter) and even provided a sample playlist inspired by Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s “The Grand National” tour setlist to showcase the feature in real-time.
📣 We’re bringing even more enhancements to playlists! Now we’re slowly launching voting on playlists. You can experience this yourself by voting for your favorite track on this playlist we created from Kendrick Lamar & SZA.