Skip to main content

YouTube Rewind 2019 is an improvement, but fans still hate it

YouTube Rewind 2019 is here, rounding up all of the most popular videos on the platform in 2019. Among them? Music from the likes of Billie Eilish and Lil Nas X, as well as entertainment from popular creators like MrBeast and PewDiePie, and content related to Fortnite and Minecraft.

Addressing the elephant in the room, YouTube acknowledged that its hand-crafted approach to Rewind 2018 didn’t quite have the intended effect — so much so it fast became the most disliked video on the content-sharing service, dethroning Justin Bieber’s Baby, with 17 million thumbs-down.

Recommended Videos

“This year, we tried something different and looked at what you did like — a lot,” explains YouTube. “Our Rewind 2019 video compiles the top videos and creators that you liked and watched the most around the world, from the biggest games to must-watch beauty palettes and breakout stars.”

The result? A YouTube Rewind that’s based first on foremost on metrics — made up of what people liked and watched the most, and not what YouTube thinks people liked. So in a nutshell, YouTube Rewind 2019 should be a lot more relatable to the average YouTube user, because it’s statistic-driven.

Boring perquisites aside, let’s take a look at the video itself:

YouTube Rewind 2019: For the Record | #YouTubeRewind

Another failure?

But it seems YouTube wasn’t able to pull it out of the bag this time around, either. A quick glimpse at the video’s ratings on YouTube reveals that it’s had an astounding 173,000 dislikes, versus the 120,000 likes it’s amassed in the short time it has been live. Suffice it to say, it’s on a downward trajectory.

At this stage, maybe should just put the vote to its users — a bit like we do with our Readers’ Choice Awards. Sure, people would still disagree with the decisions, but it would ultimately remove YouTube itself from the crosshairs of diehard fans claiming it doesn’t understand what its customers want.

The smart thing to do would be to extract all the data, then create a poll of the top five videos for each section, putting the final choice to the voters. Or maybe even eliminating the statistics altogether and including a voting button next to each video, adding up the ballots at the end of the year.

Josh Levenson
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Josh served as Director of Commerce and SEO for Digital Trends Media Group, helping our Editorial teams put their quality…
Hulu + Live TV vs. YouTube TV: how to pick the best live-streaming service
The Hulu home screen on a TV.

If you’re having trouble choosing the best live TV streaming service for your needs, we don’t blame you — viewers today have more choices than ever. Whether you're looking for a big on-demand content library or a reliable live TV streaming platform, there's no shortage of solid options to explore.

Two of the most popular choices — YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV — stand out for their reasonable pricing, similar features, and strong channel lineups. But when it comes down to it, which one should you pick?

Read more
YouTube updates will help you sleep and speed things up
The new YouTube Shorts interface.

There are a million ways Google could improve the YouTube experience across all of its platforms. And today it announced a handful that aim to make how you watch on your mobile device, computer, and TV just a little bit better. The updates focus on playlists, interaction, playback speed — and maybe most importantly an option that'll keep you from waking up at 4 a.m. with Mr. Beast still doing whatever it is he does on your screen.

There are more than two dozen improvements on the way, Google says. Here's a quick look at the biggest of what's coming in the near future:
Sleep timer available to all
Sleep timer is graduating from YouTube Premium and rolling out to everyone on mobile devices. It's exactly what it sounds like — a method by which you can tell YouTube to stop playing at some point. You have a bunch of options for the sleep timer (maybe too many) and and choose whether to have videos stop after 10, 15, 20, 30, 45 minutes, or 1 hour — or when it hits the end of the current video.

Read more
What is YouTube Music? Everything you need to know
iPhone 15 Pro Max showing the YouTube Music app.

YouTube, long renowned for its vast video library, has quietly established itself as a formidable music streaming service. Its dedicated app, YouTube Music, offers a curated collection of songs, albums, and podcasts catering to various music lovers. With millions of songs and countless music videos, YouTube Music boasts a comprehensive catalog that rivals industry giants like Spotify and Apple Music.

The app utilizes advanced algorithms to suggest music based on your listening habits, ensuring a tailored and enjoyable experience. YouTube Premium subscribers can download their favorite tracks for offline playback, perfect for commutes, workouts, or areas with limited internet connectivity.

Read more