YouTube Music tests Now Playing redesign that reorganizes controls

YouTube Music last redesigned its Now Playing page in September of 2023 and some tweaks to controls are being tested.

There are a handful of changes, starting with how the play/pause, next/last, shuffle, and rewind buttons now appear directly below the song name and artist. Controls were previously the last thing on Now Playing before the tabs for Up Next, Lyrics, and Related.

Meanwhile, the timeline is next with a new design. Instead of a thin line with a circular playhead, it’s now a rectangle to match the main YouTube app. The scriber presumably doesn’t appear until you interact with the line.

The last change sees the actions carousel (thumbs up/down, comments, Save, Share, etc.) moved to the bottom. 

This change definitely breaks muscle memory, while I’m concerned that the new play/pause placement is less reachable. On the flip side, those buttons are larger, and it might be better to prioritize access to those two smaller controls.

So far, there are two Now Playing reports of YouTube Music testing this controls redesign. Given the changes, especially to the timeline, this looks to be an explicit test rather than a bug.