Joe Hindy / Android Authority
TL;DR
- At least one YouTube Music user can now upload custom playlist thumbnails using the service’s web client.
- So far, there is seemingly only a single report demonstrating the feature, which suggests a very slow or limited rollout.
- YouTube Music currently lets its users personalize their playlists by picking from AI-generated thumbnails.
YouTube Music is the go-to music streaming app for millions of users around the world. Optionally bundled with YouTube Premium, the service offers unofficial tracks and covers that aren’t necessarily available elsewhere. Despite its popularity and exclusives, however, a key feature remains missing for most users: uploading custom playlist thumbnails. While rivals like Spotify and Apple Music let users freely personalize their playlists, YouTube Music limits its playlist thumbnails to AI-generated images. Fortunately, the Google-owned company could address this shortcoming soon, as a user reportedly got the feature to work.
A Reddit user has posted a screen recording showcasing the highly requested feature. Based on the video, the user was able to upload custom playlist thumbnails using the YouTube Music web client. The option appears to be linked to a new button with a pencil icon that lets users pick from images saved to their local storage. You can also use the same button to replace or remove a previously uploaded image altogether.
Based on a 9to5Google report and Reddit commenters’ statements, the feature doesn’t appear to be widely available yet. Beyond the original poster, seemingly no one has been able to replicate its functionality. Whether the addition will roll out to more users in the near future remains unclear. After all, Google is notorious for its limited tests that often don’t see the light of day.