YouTube Music Introduces New Timestamp Sharing to Transform the Way You Share Audio

YouTube Music has launched a long-awaited feature that transforms how users share songs and podcasts with timestamp sharing. Following a similar update to YouTube’s mobile app earlier this year, the new feature is now available on YouTube Music for both Android and iOS, allowing users to share specific moments in a track by adding a timestamp to the link.

With the updated Share sheet, users can now toggle the “Start at x:xx” option, located in the top-right corner. This feature enables consumers to share a song or podcast commencing from a designated point, thereby ensuring that the recipient experiences precisely what the originator intended. The timestamp is effortlessly incorporated into the URL, denoted as “t=XX [seconds],” thereby facilitating immediate access to the specified instance within the audio.

Podcast fans will find this update especially handy for sharing certain portions of episodes, but it may also be used for songs or extended performance recordings to highlight a single section. The capability is important for maintaining the same look and feel of YouTube’s properties while also making it easy to distribute to YouTube Music, YouTube, and other Google services.

Timestamp sharing is now accessible to YouTube Music users on Android, iOS, and the web, thanks to an over-the-air upgrade. The function is one of the new features that have helped YouTube Music expand and become a stronger competitor to services like Spotify.

Aside from timestamp sharing, YouTube Songs recently introduced the “Speed Dial” feature, which displays user’s favorite songs on the homepage. The site has also debuted the 2024 Recap, a personalized end-of-year report based on users’ most-listened songs and artists, like Spotify’s Wrapped.

As YouTube Music continues to roll out these features, it is positioning itself as a strong player in the music streaming industry, offering users a more personalized and versatile experience.