Advancing within a playlist

[shdawson]

Hi,

I am a paying customer of YouTube Music. YouTube Music is not retrieving the latest episodes of some of my podcasts. YouTube blames Nest for the problem, while Nest blames YouTube Music for the problem.

So, I set up a new playlist in my YouTube Music account. I added my preferred episodes of the podcasts I want to hear. I then intended to use the playlist with my Google Nest Speaker while doing my morning routine to prepare for my day.

I am unable to advance to the next podcast episode within this playlist. I say next or next episode or next song, and it stays within the same podcast telling me I am at the end of the podcast. So, I say previous, and it stays in the same podcast instead of going to the episode of the different podcast.

Does anyone know how to advance to the next podcast channel listed in a YouTube Music playlist?

Thanks,
Stephen

[Ivan_R]

Hi shdawson,

Thanks for posting, I understand how frustrating this situation can be. Unfortunately, YouTube Music playlists currently don't have functionality to automatically switch between podcasts within the playlist. While it's a great way to organize your preferred episodes, navigating between podcasts requires some workarounds on your Google Nest speaker.

Here are a couple of options to try:

Manual Selection with Voice Commands:

• After finishing an episode, you can ask your Nest speaker to play the next specific episode title or podcast name. For example, "Hey Google, play [Name of next episode]".

Shuffling the Playlist:

• If you'd like a random order within your playlist, shuffle it before starting playback. Say "Hey Google, shuffle playlist" followed by the playlist name. This will mix up the podcasts and episodes, although it won't guarantee a specific order.

Creating Separate Playlists:

• For a more streamlined experience, consider creating individual playlists for each podcast. This allows you to easily switch between them using voice commands like "Hey Google, play [Podcast name] playlist."

While these aren't perfect solutions, they offer some control over navigating your podcast playlist on your Google Nest speaker. Hopefully, future updates to YouTube Music playlists will include functionality for automatic podcast switching within playlists.

Keep us posted.

Regards,

Ivan

[shdawson]

Thanks for reply.

The problem is there are several podcasts show up with the latest episode in YouTube Music but do not show up when I voice control my Google Nest Speaker to play the, "latest episode of the YADAYADA podcast," with YADAYADA being the name of the podcast.

So, the root of this problem is how often Google Nest synchronizes with YouTube Music. I posted about this a few months ago, but now that Google Podcasts is gone I have no other option than to bail on YouTube Music and go to Spotify for podcasting. If that has to happen, then I will pay Spotify and cease to pay YouTube Music.

Shuffling the Playlist is a good idea. However, I am not clear about you message. Are you saying shuffling a playlist will play the next listing in the playlist, regardless of podcast channel name?

Also, Creating Separate Playlists is efficient usage of my time.

Thanks,
Stephen

[Ivan_R]

Hi shdawson,

I understand your frustration with Google Nest not showing the latest episodes of your podcasts in YouTube Music. Here's what we can address:

Nest & YouTube Music Sync:

• There isn't a publicly available specific frequency for Nest and YouTube Music syncing. However, it typically happens regularly in the background.
• You can try forcing a sync by restarting both your Nest speaker and the YouTube Music app on your phone.

Podcast Issues:

• While YouTube Music includes podcasts, it might not be optimized for them compared to dedicated podcasting apps like Spotify.
• The missing latest episodes could be due to a delay in the podcast feed being picked up by YouTube Music.

Alternatives:

• Shuffling Playlists: Yes, shuffling a playlist will play songs/episodes in random order, regardless of the channel/podcast name. This might not be ideal for podcasts where episode order matters.
• Separate Playlists: Creating separate playlists for podcasts is a great way to organize your listening and easily access specific shows.

Recommendation:

• Since podcasting seems like a priority, switching to Spotify might be a good option. They offer dedicated podcast features and might have a faster update cycle for new episodes.

Ultimately, the choice depends on your needs. If music streaming is also important and you're happy with YouTube Music's library, you could try:

• Forcing Syncs: Regularly restarting Nest and YouTube Music to encourage syncing.
• Checking Podcast Source: See if there's a way to report the missing episodes through YouTube Music or the podcast creator.

Hope this helps. 
 

Regards,

Ivan

[shdawson]

Thanks.

I will not have time to work on this matter until the weekend. Please do not close this ticket for the sake of bean counting. I will post a reply sometime this coming weekend.

Kindly,

Stephen

[shdawson]

OK, here is the result of my work. I am not going to write all of my research, analysis, findings, and conclusions. You are welcome to contact me directly, should you want the details.

https://support.google.com/youtubemusic/thread/254791604?hl=en&sjid=16102495839237030997-NA
I reported this problem in January 2024. No action was taken to resolve it.

CONSIDERATIONS:
The thought of having a special signal to the Google Nest Speaker to get a podcast episode to play when I see the podcast episode on YouTube Music would only mean Google Nest has failed in executing its technology strategy.

The playlist shuffle option may work for some folks, but I need to hear podcast episodes when I need to hear them. It is called using technology as intended, as designed, and as preferred instead of being a slave to either defective or insufficient technology.

ANALYSIS:
The idea came to me to establish new playlists, each containing a single podcast episode. I generated a playlist for the podcast I wanted to hear, adding their new episode to the playlist. It is necessary to come up with a name unique to the YouTube Music galaxy.

Fictitious Example, I have a Bob podcast episode in the Bob playlist, a Tina podcast episode in the Tina playlist, and so on.

RESULT:
Now, I do not have to remember the exact name of the podcast...which can be cumbersome based on the podcast author.

Imagine I have a playlist in my YouTube Music account called YADA YADA. Again, this playlist name is only an example of this response.

I then say, HEY GOOGLE, PLAY YADA YADA PLAYLIST.

I then have the newest podcast episode playing on my Google Nest Speaker.

OUTCOMES:
The ADD TO QUEUE feature, found on the UP NEXT tab, is not controllable from the Google Nest Speaker. If it is, then I have not found how to control it. Furthermore, I cannot clear the UP NEXT entries.

The Google Nest Speaker search ability is flawed, in many ways. The wrong podcast is retrieved, the wrong episode other than the latest episode is retrieved, or a song is played instead of a podcast.

The latest episode of a podcast can be played as part of a playlist without errors.

The obsolescence of Google Podcasts has revealed both empirically and with certainty YouTube Music is not ready to function as a reliable podcast client.

DIAGNOSIS:
The Google Nest voice control ability fails to retrieve the current episode of podcasts with the Google Home podcast setting set with YouTube Music as the default podcast source, even though the newest episodes are found in YouTube Music.

QUESTIONS:
How many people are going to do this much work to get through the problem?

How many people are going to set up playlists, add the newest podcast episode to the respective playlists, and do this every day for a podcast that has new episodes every day, before they can use their Google Nest Speaker with voice control?

RECOMMENDATIONS:
Google, YouTube Music, and Google Nest had better come to the reality they are all the same outfit, subsidiaries or not, if they expect to have users, either free or paying, of their offerings. Otherwise, more layoffs will soon occur at Alphabet Incorporated.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alphabet_Inc.#Lawsuits_and_controversies
"In 2023, the company was criticized for conducting mass lay-offs without informing employees before they arrived to work, including many long-tenured and recently promoted employees. According to various posts on social media, several Google employees discovered they had been terminated after they were unable to access their accounts and confirming it through news articles discussing the mass layoffs."

Kindest Regards,
Stephen Dawson, DSL

[Ivan_R]

Hi shdawson,

The analysis you've provided highlights the frustration of using YouTube Music for podcasts on Google Nest speakers. Here are the key takeaways:

• Problem: Google Nest voice control struggles to play the latest podcast episode using YouTube Music, even though the episodes are available.
• Workaround: Creating playlists with individual podcast episodes allows playback using voice commands. However, this is cumbersome and requires frequent updates for daily podcasts.
• Recommendations: Address the voice control issue and improve YouTube Music's functionality as a podcast client.

Your frustration is understandable. While the playlist solution offers a temporary fix, it's not ideal. Here are some additional thoughts:

• Alternative podcast apps: Consider using a dedicated podcast app like Spotify or Pocket Casts that integrate well with Google Assistant. These might offer a smoother experience for playing podcasts.
• Report the issue: You've already reported the problem in January, but consider resubmitting it through official channels. Include details about the workaround and its limitations.

Hopefully, Google addresses these concerns and improves the podcast experience on Google Nest speakers.

Keep me informed.

Regards,

Ivan