Is there a way to find out who made a YouTube mix?
January 13, 2023 6:48 AM Subscribe
I happened to click on a generically named "My Mix" playlist on YouTube today and it is uncannily 75% exactly music that matches my esoteric tastes, and 25% stuff I don't know but really like. Is there any way to find the mix "author" and see if they have created more mixes?
There's a "My Mix" (the name of the mix) window on the right of my PC but it only expands or collapses the list. The video playing is only the info/comments for that video. I can't figure out a way to figure out the playlist author, and maybe I'm missing something wildly obvious...
There's a "My Mix" (the name of the mix) window on the right of my PC but it only expands or collapses the list. The video playing is only the info/comments for that video. I can't figure out a way to figure out the playlist author, and maybe I'm missing something wildly obvious...
Yep, that's Youtube learning what you like and automatically making a playlist out of it.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 6:56 AM on January 13, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by EndsOfInvention at 6:56 AM on January 13, 2023 [1 favorite]
I've just had a touching image of your robot boyfie patiently waiting to hit record on its cassette deck when your favorite song comes on the radio.
posted by phunniemee at 7:34 AM on January 13, 2023 [12 favorites]
posted by phunniemee at 7:34 AM on January 13, 2023 [12 favorites]
Oh dear. Their love can never be ...
posted by amtho at 7:47 AM on January 13, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by amtho at 7:47 AM on January 13, 2023 [1 favorite]
Everything you clicked on Youtube is in your Youtube History.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tzY79vqPrk
posted by kschang at 7:53 AM on January 13, 2023
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tzY79vqPrk
posted by kschang at 7:53 AM on January 13, 2023
Yes, My Mix, and your mix, and everyone's mix, is algorithmically generated. It's a combination of videos you've watched before, interspersed with videos you haven't watched yourself, but other people with similar viewing histories have watched. So if I watch videos A, B, C, and D, and you watch videos A and C, your mix will probably be something like A, B, and D. This is the "you are the product" aspect of Youtube: in return for free videos (or at least, videos with ads), you provide Youtube with information about what other people whose tastes intersect with yours might like.
Note that having esoteric tastes makes it *more* likely that you'll get good recommendations. The audience for a Justin Bieber videos is tens of millions of people. Some of them also like Taylor Swift, some of them also like BTS, some of them also like Tupac, some of them also like the Eagles, and some of them might even like, I don't know, LCD Soundsystem. Trying to assemble a coherent mix from that many inputs is tricky. On the other hand, if I recorded a few songs and put the videos on Youtube, the only people who would watch them would be my mom and myself. And if my mom doesn't watch many other music videos, the algorithm then just has my taste to go off of. It's a lot easier to be coherent (assuming the small group's taste is rather coherent). For example, I just looked up Dressy Bessy, which is as semi-obscure a band I could come up with on short notice, and one of the recommended videos is by Go Sailor, and I know exactly why that's one of the recommended videos.
posted by kevinbelt at 9:00 AM on January 13, 2023
Note that having esoteric tastes makes it *more* likely that you'll get good recommendations. The audience for a Justin Bieber videos is tens of millions of people. Some of them also like Taylor Swift, some of them also like BTS, some of them also like Tupac, some of them also like the Eagles, and some of them might even like, I don't know, LCD Soundsystem. Trying to assemble a coherent mix from that many inputs is tricky. On the other hand, if I recorded a few songs and put the videos on Youtube, the only people who would watch them would be my mom and myself. And if my mom doesn't watch many other music videos, the algorithm then just has my taste to go off of. It's a lot easier to be coherent (assuming the small group's taste is rather coherent). For example, I just looked up Dressy Bessy, which is as semi-obscure a band I could come up with on short notice, and one of the recommended videos is by Go Sailor, and I know exactly why that's one of the recommended videos.
posted by kevinbelt at 9:00 AM on January 13, 2023
Response by poster: Ha! Well, that explains a lot. WELL DONE YOUTUBE. Also, if it means I never have another JORDAN PETERSON EVISCERATES LIB!!!11!!ZORZ video in my recommended list again, I am all in for our new robot overlords.
posted by Shepherd at 9:03 AM on January 13, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by Shepherd at 9:03 AM on January 13, 2023 [2 favorites]
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posted by If only I had a penguin... at 6:53 AM on January 13, 2023 [12 favorites]