How to Crossfade YouTube Music on Mobile/Desktop

Crossfade creates seamless transitions between songs by blending the end of one track with the beginning of the next, ensuring a smooth and uninterrupted listening experience. Above all, it helps eliminate abrupt pauses and maintains a steady rhythm under some cases. For example, you're curating a playlist for a party, setting the mood with a continuous mix, or simply enhancing the flow of your favorite tracks.

This article will focus on the YouTube Music app and walk you through the best ways to crossfade YouTube Music songs, across various devices. So, you can enjoy your music collection with a better feel overall.

Is Crossfade Available or Inbuilt on YouTube Music?

No, YouTube Music does not currently offer a native Crossfade feature. However, don’t be discouraged! You can still crossfade your YouTube Music tracks by converting them to local files and playing them through apps that support crossfading.

Which Music Streaming Service Has Crossfade?

Several popular streaming platforms offer native Crossfade features. Spotify is well-known for its easy-to-use crossfade option on mobile and desktop apps. Apple Music also supports crossfading on iOS, Android, Windows and Mac devices. Also, system-inbuilt media players like Windows Media Player offer this feature for local music files. Using these tools, you can enjoy smooth transitions between songs from your YouTube Music collection after adding the music files to them.

Preparations for Crossfading YouTube Music

Before you can crossfade songs from YouTube Music, you must convert them to local files so that you can play them on media players or streaming services that offer the Crossfade function. To complete the conversion, you’ll need specialized software and StreamFox for Music is highly recommended.

StreamFox for Music, the Eassiy All-in-one Music Converter, integrates an in-built YouTube Music web player, which gives you full freedom to browse your account and seamlessly select tracks for conversions. The converted YouTube Music songs can be in the format of MP3, M4A, FLAC, etc., which are compatible with various media players like Spotify and WMP. Moreover, the full ID3 tags of each YouTube Music audio files are retained. Beyond individual tracks, you can also convert entire albums and playlists from YouTube Music locally, giving you complete control over your collection.

Convert YouTube Music to Local Files

Step 1: Download and install StreamFox on your Mac or Windows computer. Launch the application and click the YouTube Music icon.

Step 2. The built-in YouTube Music player will be open. Click on Sign In and enter your YouTube Music username and password to access your account.

Step 3. Press Explore, Library or use the search bar to find a desired track, album or playlist. Hold the item’s banner and drag it to the + Button.

Step 4.  A conversion window will display. Select the desired format for each track individually (MP3, M4A, or WAV) with each song’s Output Format drop-down. Then, click Convert All to begin the conversion.

How to Crossfade YouTube Music on iPhone/Mac

On your Apple devices like iPhone, iPad or Mac, using Apple Music’s native crossfade feature is one effective method to achieve smooth transitions with your YouTube Music tracks. Here’s how to crossfade YouTube Music songs with the Apple Music app.

Import YouTube Music to Apple Music

Step 1. Connect your iPhone to your PC with a USB cable. Launch iTunes and click your iPhone’s icon in iTunes.

Step 2. In the top bar, click File > Add File to Library. Locate the converted YouTube Music files and click Open to add them to iTunes.

Step 3. Tap on the Music tab, choose Sync Music and check Entire music library. Hit Apply to start the sync and your files will become available in your iPhone’s library.

Crossfade YouTube Music with the Apple Music App

Crossfade is turned on in the iPhone’s general settings (not within the Apple Music App). Open Settings, choose Apple Music and enable the Crossfade toggle. Adjust the fade duration to your liking using the slider. Now, open Apple Music app and you can enjoy YouTube Music songs with the crossfading effect.

How to Crossfade YouTube Music on Android

Spotify’s crossfade feature on Android delivers smooth yet uninterrupted playback. Here’s a quick guide to help you apply Spotify Crossfade feature on YouTube Music songs:

Add YouTube Music to Spotify

Step 1. Connect your Android device to your Windows computer using an USB cable. Make sure your Android device USB preferences are set to File transfer/Android Auto.

Step 2. Locate the Spotify songs downloaded by StreamFox, select them and press  Ctrl + C. Then, navigate to the Android device folder and press Ctrl + V. Your audio files will be transferred from the computer to your phone.

Note: You can copy the files to any location on your Android device, Spotify can detect them.

Step 3. Launch the Spotify App on your Android device. Then, tap on your avatar profile pic at the top. Select Settings and Privacy.

Step 4. Scroll down and choose the Local Files menu. Enable the Show audio files from this device toggle.

Step 5. Tap on the Your Library icon. Then, click on the Local Files folder. Now all the files Spotify detected on the device are available for playback.

Crossfade YouTube Music with Spotify App

• Run Spotify mobile and click on your profile icon. Then, choose Settings and privacy.



• Then, locate the Playback section and switch on Crossfade.



• Finally, you are all set to enjoy smooth transitions on your Android’s YouTube Music.

How to Crossfade YouTube Music on Windows PC

Windows Media Player includes a crossfade feature for local music files from any source, including YouTube Music audio files. Let’s check out how it works:

Upload YouTube Music to Windows Media Player

Open Windows Media Player on your computer and select Organize > Manage Libraries > Music. Then, add the folder containing your converted YouTube Music files.

Crossfade YouTube Music with Windows Media Player App

Step 1. Double-click on a track from the library to play it. Tap on the Switch to now playing button at the lower right corner of the screen.

Step 2. Right-click on the Playback area. On the context menu, choose Enhancements > Cross Fading and Auto Volume Settings. Then, tap Turn on Crossfading.

Step 3. Start playing the added YouTube Music with fade overlap.

Bonus: Difference Between Crossfade and Gapless Playback

Both crossfade and gapless playback aim to create a smooth listening experience, but they do so in distinct ways.

Crossfade overlaps the end of one song with the beginning of the next, fading out the outgoing track while fading in the incoming one. It’s especially popular for genres like pop, dance, or DJ mixes. In contrast, Gapless Playback eliminates the silence or pause between songs without overlapping audio. One track ends exactly as the next begins, providing a perfectly continuous feeling. It’s ideal for albums designed to be heard as a whole, such as classical music, live concert recordings, or concept albums.

Check out the following table to compare both features side by side:

Does YouTube Music Provide Gapless Playback?

YouTube Music supports gapless playback across many platforms. However, it’s available exclusively to YouTube Music Premium subscribers. This feature is particularly valuable in YouTube Music's extensive library, where users often explore remastered albums, curated playlists, and full-length performances.

Gapless playback on YouTube Music is tied to the subscription and is not manually enabled. It's not something you can toggle on or off but is server-side.

Conclusion

While YouTube Music doesn’t officially support crossfading, converting your tracks to local files and playing them through apps like Apple Music, Spotify, or Windows Media Player gives you full control over seamless transitions. Using tools like StreamFox for Music for music conversion makes this process straightforward, letting you enjoy your favorite music uninterrupted and perfectly blended, no matter your device.