You can finally ask Google Gemini to play music on your phone from YouTube!
After a slightly bumpy transition from Google Assistant to Gemini on Android devices, key features like YouTube Music integration are gradually returning. Google has officially rolled out the YouTube Music Gemini Extension, first teased at Google I/O 2024.
This means you can now control your YouTube Music experience directly through Gemini, Google’s next-generation AI assistant.
The absence of seamless YouTube Music integration was a notable gap in Gemini’s capabilities since its launch. This feature was highly anticipated, and its arrival marks an important step in Gemini’s development. While Gemini has shown promise in various areas, such as providing real-time information and assisting with planning, the lack of music control was a drawback for many users.
With this update, Gemini is catching up to its predecessor, Google Assistant, and offering a more complete user experience.
How to use Gemini to play music from YouTube
By default, the YouTube Music extension is disabled. To activate it, you can visit gemini.google.com/extensions or simply ask Gemini on your Android device to play music. A pop-up will appear, prompting you to enable the extension. It’s worth noting that enabling this extension will allow Gemini to access your YouTube Music preferences, playlists, and playback history. Currently, this feature only supports English language prompts.
Once the extension is enabled, you can interact with YouTube Music using natural language commands. For example, you can ask Gemini to “play music by [artist name],” “find the album [album title],” or “play my Discover Weekly playlist”.
Gemini will then access your YouTube Music library and execute your request, providing a seamless and intuitive way to control your music.
Gemini finds its rhythm
This update is not entirely unexpected. The YouTube Music Gemini Extension was spotted earlier this month, and its existence was hinted at during Google I/O. However, it is now officially available for all users. This marks a significant milestone in Gemini’s journey, as it brings back a beloved feature from Google Assistant and further enhances Gemini’s capabilities.
The integration of YouTube Music into Gemini also showcases the growing importance of AI assistants in our daily lives. As these assistants become more sophisticated, they are taking on an increasing number of tasks, from answering questions to controlling smart home devices. With the ability to play music, Gemini is now even more versatile and useful.
How accurate is it?
The YouTube Music extension allows you to control your YouTube Music experience using voice commands. You can ask Gemini to play specific songs, albums, or playlists, as well as control playback, adjust volume, and more. This hands-free approach to music control is particularly convenient when you’re on the go or multitasking.
But how accurate is it? Well in my case, it failed to give me a good playlist for my taste. The algorithm definitely needs to improve a bit.
While this is a significant update for Gemini, it’s important to note that it’s currently limited to English language prompts. This may be a temporary limitation, as Google is likely working on expanding language support in the future. However, for now, users who prefer to interact with Gemini in other languages will have to wait.
As Gemini continues to evolve, we can expect to see further enhancements and new features. Whether it’s improved language support, deeper integration with other Google services, or entirely new capabilities, Gemini is poised to become an even more valuable tool for users in the future. For now, music lovers can rejoice in the fact that they can finally ask Gemini to play their favorite tunes.
Featured image credit: Caleb George/Unsplash
