How to get an AI DJ on YouTube Music (free, in any country)

The simplest way to get an AI DJ on your YouTube music today is to add the Stationz extension to desktop Chrome, open any playlist on youtube.com, and switch on Stationz mode in the side panel. It's free, it works in any country, and the DJ introduces every song before it plays, like a radio host.

YouTube is also testing its own AI hosts, called Beyond the Beat, but only for a limited group of US users. Below we cover both, step by step.

Option 1: YouTube's own AI hosts (if you can get them)

Since September 2025, YouTube has been testing two AI hosts, Mo and Flow, who chat between songs in the YouTube Music app. It's a YouTube Labs experiment, open to a limited number of US participants and mainly to Premium subscribers. Reports differ on whether Premium is strictly required.

If you're in the US and have Premium, you can check for it on YouTube Labs at youtube.com/new. If you're outside the US, or don't want to pay for Premium, it's not available to you as of October 2026. We explain the details, including the snooze-only off switch, in our Beyond the Beat guide.

Option 2: Stationz, an AI DJ for any YouTube playlist

Stationz is a Chrome extension we make. It adds an AI radio DJ to YouTube and lives in Chrome's side panel. It works with any YouTube playlist or mix, including your own, and you don't need YouTube Premium.

A quick, honest note before the steps: Stationz works on youtube.com in desktop Chrome. It doesn't run inside the YouTube Music app on your phone, and it isn't a phone app. Your YouTube playlists are the same on both, so a playlist you saved in the YouTube Music app will be there on youtube.com too.

Step 1: Add Stationz to Chrome and sign in

Stationz is launching on the Chrome Web Store soon. Once it's installed, sign in with Google or Apple. Pin the Stationz icon from Chrome's extensions menu (the puzzle piece) so it's easy to reach.

Step 2: Open a playlist on youtube.com

Go to youtube.com and open any playlist or mix. It can be one you made, one you saved, an album, or a YouTube Mix. If you don't have one handy, try one of our 25 ready-made stations, like 60s Hits, Lo-fi, Workout or Love Songs. Their songs are researched ahead of time, so the DJ has stories ready for every track.

Step 3: Open the side panel and switch on Stationz mode

Open Stationz in Chrome's side panel, then turn on Stationz mode. From now on, before each song the DJ gives a short intro: the song, the artist, and often a story behind it. The music dips while the DJ talks, then comes back up.

Step 4: Pick your DJ, talk level, tone and language

This is where you make it yours:

• DJ. On the free plan you get two DJs, Emma and Leo, using Chrome's built-in voices, with no time limit. Pro adds 10 premium AI voices that sound like real radio hosts.
• Talk level. Minimal (a quick line), balanced, or talkative (longer stories, on Pro).
• Tone. Calm, hype, nerdy, poetic, academic and more. All tones are on Pro.
• Language. The free plan narrates in English. Pro speaks 16 languages, including Spanish, French, Hebrew and Japanese. The DJ can introduce a Japanese song in English, or, on Pro, an English song in Spanish.

Step 5: Listen, save, and come back later

Save the playlist as a station, and next time you can pick up where you left off. You can also share a station with a friend. Stationz Pro adds a built-in ad blocker, on by default, so the songs play without YouTube ads. You can switch it off if you prefer.

What the DJ actually says

The DJ uses checked facts from a music library built from Wikipedia and MusicBrainz, plus deep researched artist stories. It keeps track of what you've heard, so it won't tell you the same fact about Queen three times in one evening.

On minimal, you'll hear something short like the song, the artist and the year. On talkative, you might get the story of how the song was written. Pro also adds local weather updates and mentions of notable dates between songs.

Free vs Pro

Payments go through Polar, and you can cancel anytime. Full details are on the pricing page.

Stationz vs YouTube's AI hosts

The two aren't really competing for the same moment. Beyond the Beat is inside the YouTube Music app on your phone, if you're one of the US testers. Stationz is on your computer, in any country, on any playlist, with control over how much the DJ talks. If you have access to both, you might use Beyond the Beat on a walk and Stationz at your desk. Our Stationz vs Beyond the Beat page goes deeper.

If you're also weighing Spotify's DJ, see Spotify DJ alternatives in 2026.

FAQ

Is there an AI DJ for YouTube Music?

YouTube is testing one, called Beyond the Beat, for a limited group of US users, mainly Premium subscribers. For everyone else, Stationz adds an AI DJ to any YouTube playlist in desktop Chrome, free.

Do I need YouTube Premium?

Not for Stationz. It works with regular YouTube. If you also want to block ads, Stationz Pro includes a built-in ad blocker for $4.99 a month; YouTube Premium is $15.99 a month in the US. YouTube's own Beyond the Beat test is mainly offered to Premium subscribers.

Does it work in the YouTube Music app on my phone?

No. Stationz runs on youtube.com in desktop Chrome. There's no phone version at the moment.

Does it work outside the US?

Yes. Stationz works in any country where you can use YouTube, with English narration on the free plan and 16 narration languages on Pro.

Can I make the DJ talk less?

Yes. Set the talk level to minimal and the DJ keeps intros short. You can also switch Stationz mode off at any time and YouTube plays as normal.