X

YouTube Music rolls out 2021 Recap feature to rival Spotify Wrapped

Users of the Google-owned music streaming service can now listen to personalized playlists and share their music stats from this year.

Abrar Al-Heeti Technology Reporter
Abrar Al-Heeti is a technology reporter for CNET, with an interest in phones, streaming, internet trends, entertainment, pop culture and digital accessibility. She's also worked for CNET's video, culture and news teams. She graduated with bachelor's and master's degrees in journalism from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Though Illinois is home, she now loves San Francisco -- steep inclines and all.
Expertise Abrar has spent her career at CNET analyzing tech trends while also writing news, reviews and commentaries across mobile, streaming and online culture. Credentials
  • Named a Tech Media Trailblazer by the Consumer Technology Association in 2019, a winner of SPJ NorCal's Excellence in Journalism Awards in 2022 and has three times been a finalist in the LA Press Club's National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards.
Abrar Al-Heeti
2 min read
YouTube Music logo on phone

YouTube Music is rolling out a 2021 Recap feature for people to revisit their favorite tracks, podcasts and artists of the year.

Getty Images

Spotify Wrapped season is admittedly a lonely time of year for people like me who use other music streaming services like YouTube Music . While everyone else is sharing fun stats about their top artists and songs of the year, I can't help but feel a slight sense of envy. I like to console myself by saying, "Hey, you already know your number one artist is Taylor Swift and that the most listened to song is probably the 10-minute version of All Too Well." But it's still not the same as being able to share listening habits no one asked about on every social platform.

Our time has finally come, though. YouTube Music on Monday launched a feature called 2021 Recap, which shows users their top artists, songs, music videos and playlists from this year. 

The Recap landing page appears on the YouTube Music app, where users can scroll to see personalized stats. You'll also see your recent music discoveries and have the option to listen to your favorite picks of the year in a personalized playlist. And yes, you'll be able to share that playlist and those stats by tapping the arrow at the bottom of the stats card.

In previous years, YouTube Music has rolled out a Year in Review playlist highlighting users' most-streamed songs and artists, but it wasn't available to everyone. This year, the company has also created playlists featuring the year's overall biggest hits and the top tracks from genres including rock, country, hip-hop and Latin. 

Last week, YouTube shared its list of the top 10 music videos of the year, which includes The Weeknd's Save Your Tears and Olivia Rodrigo's Drivers License.

So, fellow YouTube Music fans, now's your chance to bombard other people's social media feeds for once. That is, if you dare to admit to using anything other than Spotify. (Being different is cool, right?)