Image Credit: YouTube Music

Did YouTube Music wrap up your year just like you wanted? YouTube makes a case for why their 2022 roundup was the best of the bunch.

Were you pleased with your YouTube Music Recap? The end of year recap showed users their top songs of the year as well as the playlists and albums they’d streamed the most in 2022. YouTube Music’s Director of Product Management, T. Jay Fowler, was happy with his year round-up, and has given us a bit of behind-the-scenes background information about how YouTube Music wrapped his year in a neat bow.

Fowler compared the Recap to “a collection of patches or buttons on a jean jacket” – a proud display of the music you love, in a form you’re proud to show off.

Not seen your 2022 Recap yet? Here’s how to find it:

Each 2022 Recap matched a music personality, which Fowler sees as a reminder of what the music you listened to this year says about your mood throughout the year. The eight personality types were:

  • The Alt Party Starter
  • The Vibe Diver
  • The Party Pioneer
  • The Alt Explorer
  • The Vibe Setter
  • The Beat Boss
  • The Mellow Mixologist
  • The Deep Wanderer

Which personality did you end up with?

If you were assigned Alt Explorer, like Fowler, that means you know “what’s new and what’s next.” So, you might end up down a rabbit hole from collaborator to collaborator or from researching the backing band to your favourite performer. Sound familiar?

Fowler compared YouTube Music to a mixtape from a friend, but better, because whilst a mixtape is static YouTube Music users can update playlists – the modern mixtape – in a “public and constantly evolving way”.

YouTube’s music discovery capabilities were also praised. YouTube, Fowler claimed, is a “Smithsonian of music history,” a museum made up of DJ sets, remixes, acoustic covers, live shows, you name it; that other music platforms lack. The recap shows which exclusive content you stumbled across in 2022 for the first time.

In conclusion, Fowler said: “Our hope is that our music recaps give you an insight into not only how you’ve progressed musically, but also into who you are.”

Tell us about your 2022 YouTube Music Recap in the comments!


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