What Do Symbols and Icons Mean on YouTube Music

YouTube Music is one of the youngest to join themusic streaming servicesparty. And within a short span, it has already become quite popular among the masses. If you’re also trying out YouTube Music for the first time, you might come across some icons and symbols you’re probably unfamiliar with. To make your life easier, in this article, we will be explaining each icon and symbol on YouTube Music along with their meaning.

YouTube Music Home Screen Symbols Meaning

That’s the main screen visible when you open the app on your smartphone. Let’s see what each icon means inside this tab:

Downloaded Song Icon

If you see a black tick in a grey circle icon, it means that the song is downloaded to your YouTube Music.

Samples Tab

This tab offers you a personalized, endlessly scrollable feed of short music video segments, similar to TikTok or Reels. Let’s explore each icon that appears in these short videos:

Explore Tab Icons Meaning

When you go to the explore tab, discover new music and podcasts by showcasing popular releases along with curated content based on their listening preferences and location. Let’s find out the meaning of icons inside this tab:

Library Tab Icons Meaning

This library tab displays your saved music, playlists, and liked songs. you may find all the content you’ve chosen to keep or add to your listening experience. Here’s what those tiny icons mean on this tab:

Icons Inside a Playlist Meaning

When you tap on any playlist, you will be directed to a new tab with new icons. Let’s find out what they mean:

New Playlist Icons Meaning

After you create a new playlist in the YouTube Music app, you will encounter a few new icons that might be confusing to understand. Here’s what those icons mean:

Icons Inside the Search Screen

A few icons will appear when you enter the search screen. Here’s what those icons mean:

YouTube Music Player Symbols Meaning

1. Down Arrow Icon

Tapping this icon will minimize the music player.

2. Thumbs Up Button

This button functions as a Like button. When tapped, it registers a like for the song or video and changes its color to solid white. Moreover, selecting this option adds the song or video to your “Likes” playlist and enhances the accuracy of music recommendations.

Tapping it again will remove the like from the song/video.

3. Thumbs Down Button

View this as a Dislike button. Tapping it will add a dislike to the song/video and promptly transition to the next track. Tap it again to remove the dislike from a video or song.

Tip:Learn how tocheck the dislike count on YouTube.

4. Progress Bar

This bar shows the current playback progress of the song or video you’re playing. You can also drag it to go to a certain part of the music.

5. Play/Pause, Previous, and Next Button

These buttons help you control your music or video. If you tap the Previous button (left-pointing arrow), the music/video starts from the beginning. Double-tapping it goes to the previous track. Tapping the Next button (right-pointing arrow) takes you to the next song. Whereas, the Pause and Play buttons stop and start the music or video.

6. Criss-Cross Arrow

Consider this icon as a Shuffle button. Tapping it will shuffle your playlist order.

7. Two Arrows With Rectangular Rotation

If you tap it once, the icon becomes bold and sets your YouTube Music playlist in a loop.

Tap it again, and you’ll see a number 1 in the middle. This means the current song will keep playing on repeat until you turn off the feature. Tap it again to go back to the default state.

What Do Symbols and Icons Mean on YouTube Music

8. Bar at the Bottom of Music Player

Tap on this bar to see more choices, like the next track, lyrics, and related music and playlists.

9. Right-Pointing Curved Arrow

Refer to this icon as the Share button. You can use it to share music or video with anyone.

10. Square Border

That’s a Fullscreen button. Tapping it will switch the song or video to full-screen mode, and tapping it again to exit full-screen mode.

“E” Icon Meaning

The letter E means Explicit. When you encounter this icon alongside a song, it indicates that the lyrics contain violent, adult, sexual, or offensive language. Generally, these songs are not advisable for children or individuals who might be sensitive to such content.

Exclamation (!) Icon Meaning

You might notice this exclamation icon in a few of the songs in the playlists or library. Let’s explore what it means:

Exclamation Mark Inside a Circle Icon:It means that there is an issue with the download of this song. You might have changed the device or logged in again, or maybe the cache got cleared. Just download the song again, and it will disappear.

While many of the icons and symbols on YouTube Music resemble those found on other major music streaming services, there may still be some that prove challenging to comprehend or use correctly. This article aims to provide clarity, helping you grasp the significance and appropriate usage of each symbol and icon within the realm of YouTube Music.

Check out more guides like this on other apps below:

Anchit Srivastava

Working as a Tech Writer at Tech Wiser, I’m passionate about technology since childhood. I enjoy discussing it with friends, exploring new techs, and analyzing features in Android, iOS, and other technologies. My goal is to simplify complex information about current and emerging technologies, making them more accessible and understandable to people interested in learning more.

What Do Symbols and Icons Mean on YouTube Music