How do I make YouTube my default music for Google Assistant?

Google Assistant is Google’s virtual assistant that can be accessed across devices like smartphones, speakers, smart displays, and more. YouTube Music is Google’s music streaming service that provides access to official songs, albums, playlists, and music videos. Both Google Assistant and YouTube Music are owned by Google, so they have deep integration that allows you to control YouTube Music playback and playlists using voice commands with Google Assistant.

Prerequisites

Before setting YouTube Music as the default for Google Assistant, you need to have the following setup:

1. The Google Assistant app installed on your Android or iOS device. The Assistant comes pre-installed on most Android phones, and can be downloaded for free from the App Store on iPhones.

2. A YouTube Music account. This gives you access to stream music through YouTube Music. You can sign up for free, or pay for a premium subscription to access additional features.

Make sure you are logged into the YouTube Music app on your phone with the account you want to use. Having both of these setup allows you to then link your YouTube Music account to Google Assistant.

Open Google Assistant Settings

To open the Google Assistant settings, first launch the Google Assistant app on your Android device. You can do this by saying “Hey Google” or “Ok Google” to activate the Assistant, or by finding the Google Assistant app icon on your home screen or app drawer and tapping it.

Once the Google Assistant app opens, tap on your profile icon in the top right corner. This will open a menu where you should see a “Settings” option. Tap on “Settings” to enter the main Google Assistant settings menu.

Alternatively, you can open the Google Assistant settings directly from the Settings app on your Android device. Open Settings and scroll down to locate the “Google” section. Tap on “Google” and you will see a list of Google services and accounts. Select “Google Assistant” and you will be taken directly into the Assistant settings.

From the main Google Assistant settings menu, you will be able to access options to link accounts, adjust voice settings, customize Assistant routines, and more. This is where you will go to set your default music service for the Assistant.

Select Music Services

To select the music services you want to link to your Google Assistant, you need to open the Settings menu in the Google Home or Google Assistant app. The music services options can be found under the “Services” tab.

Specifically, go to the “Music” section under “Services”. Here you will see toggles for various music services like YouTube Music, Spotify, Pandora etc. Make sure the toggle is enabled for any music service you want to link to your Google Assistant.

For example, to link your YouTube Music account, find the toggle for YouTube Music and turn it on. This will allow you to connect your YouTube Music account in the next step.

The key is knowing that the music services menu is located in Settings > Services > Music. This is where you can select which music platforms you want your Google Assistant to have access to.

Link YouTube Music Account

To link your YouTube Music account to Google Assistant:

1. Open the Google Home app on your mobile device, tap on the profile icon in the top right corner, and select “Settings,” (Source).
2. Tap on “Music”.
3. Find YouTube Music in the list of music services and tap on it.
4. Tap on “Link account”. This will open a page where you can approve linking your YouTube Music account to Google Assistant (Source).
5. Follow the onscreen instructions to approve linking your YouTube Music account to Google Assistant.

Once your YouTube Music account is successfully linked, you will see a confirmation. You can now set YouTube Music as your default music service for Google Assistant.

Set as Default Music Service

Once you have linked your YouTube Music account in the Google Assistant settings, you can set it as your default music service. Here are the steps:

1. Open the Google Home app on your Android phone or tablet.
2. Tap on your profile picture in the top right corner.
3. Select “Settings” > “Google Assistant settings.”
4. Tap on “Music.”
5. Under “Your music services,” tap on “YouTube Music.”
6. Toggle “Make default” to the on position.

YouTube Music is now set as the default music service for your Google Assistant. When you ask Google Assistant to play music, it will now use your YouTube Music account by default.

If you want to confirm it’s working, try asking “Hey Google, play some music” and it should start playing music from your YouTube Music library.

Test it Out

Once you have set YouTube Music as the default music service for Google Assistant, try testing it out by saying some voice commands. Here are some examples of music commands to try:

• “Hey Google, play dance pop music on YouTube Music”
• “Hey Google, play my workout playlist on YouTube Music”
• “Hey Google, play some music by The Weeknd on YouTube Music”
• “Hey Google, play the album Folklore by Taylor Swift on YouTube Music”

You can ask to play songs, albums, artists, playlists, genres, and more. Make your requests as natural as possible. You can confirm the music is playing from your linked YouTube Music account if you see your profile name show up when the music starts playing.

If you have trouble getting voice commands to work properly, check the troubleshooting section for help fixing common issues.

Troubleshooting

If you have issues setting YouTube Music as the default music service for Google Assistant, there are some troubleshooting steps you can try:

First, clear the cache and data of the YouTube Music app on your device. This can help resolve app issues that may prevent linking with Google Assistant.

Next, make sure you have properly linked your YouTube Music account in the Google Assistant app. Check for any errors or incomplete steps when going through the linking process.

If YouTube Music still won’t play, try uninstalling updates to Google Assistant and the YouTube Music app. Reinstall updates and set up your music service again from scratch.

As a last resort, you may need to factory reset your Google Assistant device and start over with a fresh configuration.

Alternative Options

If you don’t or can’t use YouTube Music with Google Assistant, there are some other music services that are compatible you can consider as alternatives:

Spotify

Spotify is another popular music streaming app. Like YouTube Music, you can link your Spotify account with your Google Assistant to use it as your default music service.

Apple Music

Apple Music is available for Android and iPhone users. You can link your Apple ID and set Apple Music as your default music app for Assistant for playback and recommendations.

Pandora

Pandora is one of the music services compatible with Google Assistant. If you have a Pandora Premium subscription, you can link it and make it your default option.

Conclusion

In conclusion, setting YouTube Music as the default service for Google Assistant requires just a few simple steps. First, open the Google Assistant settings and select Music services. Then, link your YouTube Music account if it isn’t already. Finally, set YouTube Music as the default music service. You can then test it out by asking Google Assistant to play a song or playlist.

As summarized, to recap the main steps:

1. Open Google Assistant Settings
2. Select Music Services
3. Link YouTube Music Account
4. Set as Default Music Service
5. Test it Out

Following these simple steps will have your Google Assistant using YouTube Music by default when playing requested songs or music.