TL;DR
The author prefers YouTube Music for value and features but noticed a navigation shortcoming after watching a partner use Spotify: YouTube Music’s scrollbar is visible but not draggable. That limitation could slow down navigation in large libraries and may push some users back to Spotify unless Google addresses it.
What happened
The writer, who favors YouTube Music partly because it’s bundled with a standard YouTube Premium subscription, realized a practical navigation problem after watching their partner use Spotify. On Spotify, the partner used a visible, draggable scrollbar to jump quickly through a large saved-playlists library. YouTube Music shows a scrollbar on the right, but it cannot be dragged for fast navigation and its visibility is limited. The author didn’t notice the issue earlier because their own YouTube Music library is relatively small, but they say the limitation would become more problematic as playlists grow. Despite this quirk, the author still values several YouTube Music strengths — including its recommendation engine, Start Radio feature, broad library (including fan remixes), quick mood filters, and integration with YouTube viewing history — but warns the missing draggable scrollbar could influence whether they stick with the service.
Why it matters
- Navigation speed: lack of a draggable scrollbar makes reaching items deep in large playlists slower.
- Accessibility and usability: the current scrollbar’s limited visibility and non-draggable state can hinder efficient library management.
- User retention risk: frustrated users with growing libraries may return to or prefer platforms with faster navigation controls.
- Time cost: without quick-jump navigation, finding songs by browsing can take significantly longer for large collections.
Key facts
- YouTube Music is bundled with a standard YouTube Premium subscription, which the author cites as good value.
- The author recently returned to Spotify briefly because of a feature that lets users include/exclude individual songs from taste profiles, but still primarily uses YouTube Music.
- The author’s partner prefers Spotify and used a visible, draggable scrollbar to quickly jump through a large saved-playlists library.
- YouTube Music displays a scrollbar on the right side of lists but the author says it cannot be dragged for fast navigation and is not very visible.
- Spotify’s library navigation, as observed by the author, allows fast jumps via a draggable scrollbar and does not suffer the same issue.
- The author hasn’t been seriously affected yet because their YouTube Music library is relatively small, but expects the problem to grow as playlists expand.
- The author praises YouTube Music’s recommendation engine, Start Radio feature, large music catalog (including fan-made remixes), and quick mood selectors.
- YouTube Music can recommend songs based on both music preferences and viewing history on YouTube, according to the author.
What to watch next
- Whether Google adds a draggable scrollbar or other fast-navigation controls to YouTube Music — not confirmed in the source.
- If users with large libraries start switching back to Spotify or other services because of navigation limitations — not confirmed in the source.
- Any official response or accessibility improvements from Google addressing the scrollbar visibility and usability — not confirmed in the source.
Quick glossary
- Draggable scrollbar: A scrollbar that users can click and drag to move quickly to different parts of a long list or page.
- Playlist: A curated list of songs or tracks saved by a user for playback in a music streaming app.
- Recommendation engine: Software that suggests songs or content to users based on listening history, preferences, and other signals.
- YouTube Premium: A paid subscription service from YouTube that offers benefits such as ad-free viewing and certain integrated services.
- Start Radio: A feature that generates a radio-style queue of tracks based on a selected song, artist, or genre.
Reader FAQ
Does YouTube Music come with YouTube Premium?
Yes. The author notes YouTube Music is bundled with a standard YouTube Premium subscription.
Can you drag the scrollbar in YouTube Music to jump through long lists?
No. According to the author, YouTube Music shows a scrollbar but it cannot be dragged for fast navigation.
Does Spotify offer a draggable scrollbar for library navigation?
Yes. The author observed a draggable, visible scrollbar in Spotify that enabled large jumps through a saved-playlists library.
Will the author switch away from YouTube Music because of this?
The author says they may switch to Spotify if Google does not address the issue — not confirmed as a final decision in the source.
How does YouTube Music perform in other areas?
The author praises YouTube Music’s recommendation engine, Start Radio, large library including fan remixes, quick mood selectors, and YouTube integration.
This YouTube Music quirk never bothered me — until I watched my partner use Spotify Credit: Lucas Gouveia / Android Police By Rahul Naskar Published 4 minutes ago Rahul Naskar has…
Sources
- This YouTube Music quirk never bothered me — until I watched my partner use Spotify
- 5 reasons why YouTube Music is still a clunky app I won't …
- Can't consistently drag scroll bar
- I tried to replace Spotify with YouTube Music (again), and …
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