We have said it more than once, and we will say it again: YouTube's default interface is not the best option for listening to and discovering music. Given the relevance of some artists on that platform, one might expect deeper changes, but the best path seems to be external solutions, and Tubeats is one of them. In short, it is the complete YouTube catalog, with an interface that aims to replicate the best of Spotify.
While scientists try to figure out why certain songs give you chills, the average user looks for smoother and more advanced ways to access the best of the industry, or maybe discover something new along the way. Both YouTube and Spotify are becoming "de facto standards", especially in regions where other alternatives (say iTunes) are more inconvenient. Of course, the fact that both systems offer free access to music (with advertising support) puts them in fierce competition. For a while now I've had the feeling that Google (read Alphabet) will cut the situation short and buy Spotify, but until that happens (?), let's try to combine the best of both worlds under an external system. Tubeats, for example.
Now, this is easier said than done. Wefre went up in flames a few days after being announced, but Humm is still there, with an online version and an Android app. Tubeats plans to follow a similar path: "Spotify-ize" its interface and put behind it all the power that the YouTube API offers. When playing a song, you'll see a small box with the video in the bottom left corner, and it includes ads, so there shouldn't be a conflict with the terms of use. The interface includes division by categories, the top hits of the day, a "Discover" section to see what's gaining popularity among users, and the "Magic" function that generates a list of songs similar to those of a specific artist or band.
Tubeats is in beta, and as such, it has some rough edges. More than once I was forced to press "Refresh" for a section of the site to load. This was less frequent under Firefox, but the problem is there, although I can't determine if it's due to congestion or "growing pains". All Tubeats asks is to create an account, or log in with Facebook if the user prefers. The rest is listening to music.
