At its Made On event on Tuesday, YouTube announced three new features for YouTube Music. These additions are designed to deepen the connection between artists and their most dedicated fans.
One of the new features allows users to initiate a countdown for upcoming releases and to pre-save their favorite tracks or albums in advance. The countdown timer will be displayed on the album detail page, the artist profile, and the album shelf. Set to launch later this year, this feature aims to create buzz leading up to a release date.
Starting early next year, artists will be able to engage with their most loyal fans by offering exclusive thank you videos. These will be similar to those delivered during rival Spotify’s year-end Wrapped experience. Artists can also share behind-the-scenes clips and other exclusive content. This approach aims to reward top supporters and build a more personal connection between fans and their favorite artists.
Additionally, YouTube Music is testing a pilot program for U.S. listeners that will allow them to access exclusive merchandise drops from artists. Spotify has also been teasing a program for super fans that would potentially include similar features.
Today’s announcement follows YouTube Music’s recent rollout of new features last month, which marked the music streaming platform’s 10th anniversary. Those previous updates included collaborative playlists that combine the overlapping interests of multiple users, badges, and the ability to comment directly on albums and playlists.