YouTube Music is testing a newly requested “Don’t recommend artist” button on Android, but early testers say it doesn’t actually stop those artists from showing up.
For a long time, people using YouTube Music have asked for a simple fix: stop recommending specific artists. It’s the kind of feature that sounds small until you’re the one stuck seeing the same unwanted musician keep resurfacing.
Now, Google appears to be experimenting with that idea on Android.
A Reddit user, RouFGO, spotted a new “Don’t recommend artist” button inside the YouTube Music app. The button currently shows up only on the app’s home page. It does not appear in the playing queue, and it can’t be used in generated playlists that end up with unrelated music.
But there’s a bigger problem than where the button lives. Early testers say tapping “Don’t recommend artist” currently does nothing to actually block the unwanted artists. The so-called soft-blocked artists continue appearing on the home page, making the button feel more like a promise than a tool.
This test follows the pattern Google has used for features like this: it’s rolled out to a small number of users first. then potentially expanded based on feedback. So if you don’t see the button yet. you may have to wait—though the experience so far suggests your patience could end with a bit of an anti-climax.
The gap is clear: users have wanted a dependable way to permanently skip songs and artists they don’t want, and Google largely ignored that request for a while. Even so, users previously built workarounds, including using their own blocking extension.
The new button, if it ever works as intended—and if it’s placed where listeners actually use it—could be a turning point. For now, it’s a test that many users may check and then immediately wonder why the recommendations didn’t change.
YouTube Music Android Google music recommendations artist block anti-recommendation button app testing home page controls digital trends music streaming