Report: YouTube on Smart TVs to Get New Music Features and Shorts Support

Google is reportedly planning to improve support for its YouTube Music service on its YouTube app for Smart TVs. According to a report from Protocol, Google discussed upcoming updates for its YouTube Smart TV apps last month at an internal partner event with hardware manufacturers.

Two years ago, Google made YouTube Music available in its YouTube app on TVs, allowing users to access their saved playlists and liked songs. While the current YouTube Music experience on the big screen is probably lackluster compared to what a dedicated Smart TV app could offer, Google is apparently working on improving the basics on its YouTube Smart TV app.

According to the report, the upcoming updates include “the ability to browse playlists and albums, add them to one’s library directly from the TV screen and more.” YouTube Music on Android TV and Google TV already supports background playback (Premium subscription required) and personal music libraries, though it’s not clear yet if these features will also come to the YouTube app on other Smart TV platforms.

In addition to these YouTube Music improvements, Google is also planning to bring YouTube Shorts to the big screen. Support for YouTube’s short-form vertical videos is expected to arrive in the coming months, and it’s expected to help Google catch up with TikTok which already has a presence on smart TVs.

Lastly, Protocol reported that Google is also planning to bring a new “Mosaic Mode” to its YouTube TV app on smart TVs. YouTube TV is a separate streaming television service that’s currently exclusively available in the US, and the upcoming Mosaic Mode should look like picture-in-picture on steroids. By splitting the TV screen into 4 smaller screens, the feature will allow subscribers to watch up to four live feeds at the same time.