I took a long break from music streaming because I'm split on paying for music. Platforms keep finding ways to make it so users don't own anything.

So, I stuck to YouTube Music's free version. A friend's invitation to share their Premium plan was the only reason I got back into it.

I'm not the app's biggest fan, even with the ad-free and background-play perks of payment on my . Its algorithm is messier than my previous Deezer streamer.

But I've made it mine and block out the noise with these adjustments.

I paused my watch history

Everything on YouTube Music's Home tab competes for my attention, so I'm mostly overstimulated rather than excited about having options.

The scroll seems endless with over 20 shelves, including Quick picks, a live Listen together station, and more. Plenty of them had little to do with my taste.

Worst of all, the algorithm runs on YouTube's DNA, which never made sense to me. Google could've either consolidated everything into one app or given a clear option to keep them separate. Instead, your YouTube history bleeds into your music.

Thankfully, you can reduce the distractions. Tap your profile icon in the upper-right corner. Then go to > and turn on Pause watch history. This setting stops non-music viewing from shaping your mixes.

I added another Google account

Separate accounts mean zero cross-contamination

At first, I just paused my watch history. Then I considered giving YouTube Music a separate Google account free from YouTube history. It's technically not a setting, but I count it as one.

Tap your in the app's upper-right corner, then select next to . Sign in with a different account or create a new one. Then switch to it when you open YouTube Music.

If you're on a Premium family plan like me, the new account won't automatically have paid perks. Ask the plan manager to invite it too. Family members keep separate histories, so nothing merges with your main account.

It uses one of the plan's five member slots, and you can switch families only once a year, so choose one you're sure you'll keep long-term.

Let the music stop when you say so

You might think about leaving Autoplay on because it keeps the music playing after your album or playlist ends. But it fills the silence with songs the algorithm picks for you.

That means each play counts as your listening. The app then learns from its own guesses and drifts further from your taste. Enter the app's menu. Then select and toggle off .

I'd pair this setting with the thumbs-up and thumbs-down actions. They're explicit feedback that tells the app how you feel about songs.

For example, a thumbs-up adds the song to your Liked music playlist, which YouTube Music treats as a core part of your taste profile. You'll notice that mixes and radios then lean toward an artist, sound, and similar listeners' picks.

I stopped syncing my YouTube likes

If I wanted music videos, I'd watch them on YouTube

While a thumbs up on YouTube Music is an effective indicator of interest, music videos you apply the same action to on the main YouTube app appear in your Likes playlist in the music app.

Next time you're in the audio streamer's settings, go to the menu and look for Show your liked music from YouTube.

Turn it off, so that the playlist is limited to songs you liked from YouTube Music.

I picked my favorite artists again

It's a second chance at the first impression

Google's music streaming app typically presents an artist-selection screen when you set it up. The app builds your first mixes and Home shelves from your top picks.

Then it shifts as your listening history grows. You may have skipped it, tapped through it without much thought, or your taste may have evolved since then.

It's worth redoing every few months to reset the algorithm. Go to > and disable Improve your recommendations to select artists again.

Although you're prompted to pick five artists, don't stop there. Tap every possible artist you listen to, and search for the niche ones. Tap , and you'll get a curated Mix to test.

I review the Google My Activity page

It's time to sweep out the digital attic

Google's My Activity page is a dashboard of everything your Google account records across its services, including Search, Docs, Sheets, Maps, and YouTube.

On your preferred browser, visit myactivity.google.com. Alternatively, go to > > Manage watch history in YouTube Music.

The page lists every video you've watched and searched for in date order. Each entry is labeled YouTube or YouTube Music, so you can see where your non-music clutter comes from.

Tap the beside entries to remove them, or use to clear a day or a date range. I tapped near the top and set it to three months.

It's the lowest option available, and I'm wary of Google collecting my data.

I filtered out explicit songs

There's less cussing in my rotation

Call it getting old, but I no longer find songs full of cuss words or graphic lyrics appealing. The music industry factors listeners like me, which is why many songs get two releases.

The explicit versions carry the Parental Advisory label, which the RIAA introduced in 1985. The clean versions mute, bleep, or rewrite the offending lines, which is what we mostly hear on the radio.

Likewise, YouTube Music lets you filter out explicit content with Restricted mode. Go to > > Restricted mode and turn it on for your current device.

The app then hides songs it flags as mature, so tracks marked with the drop out of your mixes, searches, and Home shelves. However, the filter isn't 100% accurate, so some songs may still slip through.

Know your algorithm the way it knows you

I've had to platforms, and they all have their flaws. As smart as marketing may make their algorithms seem, none can know you better than you know your tastes.

At least they’re trying, which is to your advantage. As long as you give honest signals, you won't be stuck with bad suggestions, even with AI-generated songs dominating apps.

Beyond that, the app is missing one feature that would improve my experience. I can't wait to get Ask Music. It lets you describe what you want to hear in your own words, then refine the playlist with follow-up prompts.

It's not available in my region, but it's rolling out more widely soon.