Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR
- YouTube Music is rolling out support for timestamp sharing on iOS, Android, and the web.
- Similar to the main YouTube app, the feature tweaks links before sharing them to specify the starting point.
- The addition will especially be useful to certain podcast listeners, as it makes discussing specific segments easier.
Ever since Google killed its Play Music and Podcasts platforms, it has been actively developing YouTube Music. Accessible on mobile and desktop, the service now houses the company’s extensive catalog of songs, podcasts, and other types of audio. To help users highlight specific parts of a particular track, YouTube Music is introducing timestamp-sharing support.
According to 9to5Google, YouTube Music is widely rolling out a new option to include the current timestamp when sharing a track’s link. The toggle lives in the music streaming app’s share sheet on iOS, Android, and the web, automatically redirecting users to the selected starting point when clicking the link. Like the main YouTube app, the functionality tweaks the URL before sharing it by inserting t=X, where X determines the starting point in seconds.
This introduction mainly benefits podcast listeners who frequently discuss episodes with their friends. Instead of asking others to hop to a specific chapter in an episode manually, they could easily bundle its timestamp when copying the link from YouTube Music. It could also be helpful when sharing other types of long audio recordings, such as live performances and concerts.
It’s worth noting that YouTube Music appears to be activating timestamp support gradually. While we have been able to replicate the feature on the web, it’s still not showing up on some of our mobile phones. To start using it, ensure you’re running the latest version of the app and wait for Google to enable it for your account.
