Google to Launch YouTube Music Next Week

Google to Launch YouTube Music Next Week

Think of it as the great rebrandening. Or something. But Google is taking yet another stab at creating a true competitor to Spotify and Apple Music. And this time, they’re actually using their best music brand to do so.

“YouTube Music is a new music streaming service made for music with the magic of YouTube,” Google’s Elias Roman announced. “The days of jumping back and forth between multiple music apps and YouTube are over.”

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Launching May 22, YouTube Music will eventually replace Google Play Music as Google’s streaming music app and service. There will be a free, ad-supported version of the service, or you can pay $9.999 per month—the same price as the Google Play Music subscription—for YouTube Music Premium, which provides background listening, downloads, and an ad-free experience. Google Play Music subscribers will gain access to YouTube Music Premium, of course.

Additionally, Google is providing another tier of paid access with a service called YouTube Premium, which will replace today’s YouTube Red service. YouTube Premium costs $11.99 per month for new members, and it includes ad-free, background and offline across all of YouTube (videos and music, plus original series). Current YouTube Red subscribers can continue using the new service at their current price.

YouTube Music will roll out to the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, and South Korea on Tuesday and then more broadly in the coming weeks.

 

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Conversation 39 comments

  • eeisner

    Premium Member
    17 May, 2018 - 9:53 am

    <p>Please tell me YouTube Music will keep Google Play Music's great integration of streaming music and my local collection… they're the one service that does this so well</p>

    • Daekar

      17 May, 2018 - 11:51 am

      <blockquote><a href="#276770"><em>In reply to eeisner:</em></a></blockquote><p>I have been exploring other options that do cloud streaming because I was worried about this very thing. I did end up finding an Android app that largely duplicates the functionality of Google Play Music – it's callled… CloudPlayer. Not the greatest name but it gets the point across. You can stream to yourself from Google Drive, Drop Box, and OneDrive, plus it plays local files as well, something GPM never did. The UI is pretty good compared to other players, and it does include radio station streaming. It's not quite like GPM's streaming experience, but it's pretty decent for the rare instance where I want to listen to something other than my collection.</p>

    • SvenJ

      17 May, 2018 - 10:00 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#276770"><em>In reply to eeisner:</em></a> Since MS killed Zune/Groove anyway.</blockquote><p><br></p>

  • Bats

    17 May, 2018 - 9:58 am

    <p>It's already a done deal for me. It's not just because I am Google fan, but this clearly fits great with my Google-centric ecosystem.</p><p>I've been a Google Play Music user, since the very beginning. I once subscribed to the early adopter's plan, but then forfeited that for the family plan a few years later.&nbsp;</p><p>What I loved about Google Play Music was Youtube RED, that came long with it. For me, once you go Youtube RED and experience the ad-free videos, it's hard to go back watching ads.&nbsp;</p><p>I've always known about Spotify and it's popularity, but why switch to that service when I could get the same service from Google along with commercial-free Youtube, as well as Youtube Red original content? If I am not mistaken, Google Play Music had the same number of songs in their library as Spotify, so what's the point of making a switch?</p>

    • DrPRW

      Premium Member
      17 May, 2018 - 10:25 am

      <blockquote><a href="#276772"><em>In reply to Bats:</em></a></blockquote><p>I'm a GPM subscriber who enjoys access to YouTube Red too (it came with GPM subscription). But what will happen to ad free YouTube Red once it becomes YouTube Premium? Will I have to pay $11.99 rather than the $9.99 I pay for the combined offering now (GPM+YouTube Red)?</p>

      • curtisspendlove

        17 May, 2018 - 11:15 am

        <blockquote><a href="#276775"><em>In reply to DrPRW:</em></a></blockquote><p>I’m curious about this as well. Family likes the GPM plan. I like it too, Google’s algorithms are just very solid. Listened to great music on a four-hour drive and didn’t skip once. </p><p><br></p><p>I like YouTube Red as well (enjoyed commercial free Cobra Kai series, and offline downloads, etc). </p><p><br></p><p>I dont mind paying a couple more bucks a month. But being grandfathered would be a nice touch. </p>

        • Andi

          17 May, 2018 - 3:59 pm

          <blockquote><a href="#276795"><em>In reply to curtisspendlove:</em></a></blockquote><p>Other outlets have reported that you will be grandfathered in. </p>

  • wolters

    Premium Member
    17 May, 2018 - 10:05 am

    <p>I echo the need for the personal uploads to be moved over to YouTube Music. I have several albums that may never be on a streaming service (XTC's Apple Venus Volumes 1 and 2 for example.) </p><p><br></p><p>One thing I'd love to see is a Zune-Like slideshow of artists pictures…that is wishful thinking but it is the thing I miss the most about Zune/XBOX Music/Groove. </p>

  • chriswong13

    Premium Member
    17 May, 2018 - 10:12 am

    <p>I don't get it. Launch? There's already a YouTube Music app? </p>

    • rmlounsbury

      Premium Member
      17 May, 2018 - 11:23 am

      <blockquote><a href="#276774"><em>In reply to chriswong13:</em></a></blockquote><p><br></p><p>In this case it is reference to the service YouTube Music which is a new streaming subscription from Google which will run over the YouTube Music app. Seems like Google is doing the same thing with streaming as it did with messaging since they now have YouTube Music and Google Play Music. </p><p><br></p><p>I've read a couple stories and it sounds like both services will co-exist. I suspect YouTube Music &amp; Premium will be Google's go-forward service and they will eventually sunset Google Play Music and roll those users over to YouTube Music.</p><p><br></p><p>It's kinda weird but fairly normal for Google. </p>

    • Daekar

      17 May, 2018 - 11:43 am

      <blockquote><a href="#276774"><em>In reply to chriswong13:</em></a></blockquote><p>Google is almost as bad at branding as Microsoft.</p>

      • Nicholas Kathrein

        17 May, 2018 - 1:27 pm

        <blockquote><a href="#276801"><em>In reply to Daekar:</em></a></blockquote><p>This makes sense. Youtube is a better brand for video and music. Youtube is something like number 2 in music streaming.</p>

        • Daekar

          18 May, 2018 - 12:39 pm

          <blockquote><a href="#276838"><em>In reply to Nicholas_Kathrein:</em></a></blockquote><p>I think part of that is because it has one huge redeeming feature: it's free.</p>

  • Bibbit

    17 May, 2018 - 10:43 am

    <p>If I wasn't already somewhat deep into Amazon's Alexa world I'd probably consider this. Though I must confess I'm not a fan of Google. Maybe someday Google will let Alexa users access this service.</p>

  • IanM

    17 May, 2018 - 10:48 am

    <p>You can get grandfathered in at the cheaper price but Google never rolled out Youtube Red to the UK. Sucks to be me eh.</p>

  • Chris_Kez

    Premium Member
    17 May, 2018 - 10:58 am

    <p>If they can offer an ad-free YouTube experience, and an ad-free Gmail experience why can't they provide an option for an ad-free search experience? </p>

    • DaddyBrownJr

      17 May, 2018 - 11:46 am

      <blockquote><a href="#276791"><em>In reply to Chris_Kez:</em></a></blockquote><p>How much would you pay for that? </p>

      • Chris_Kez

        Premium Member
        29 May, 2018 - 4:26 pm

        <blockquote><a href="#276802"><em>In reply to DaddyBrownJr:</em></a></blockquote><p>Apologies for the late reply; notifications on this site are broken for me. Rather than me throwing out a number I'd rather Google figure out how much it would <em>need </em>to charge.</p>

    • dcdevito

      17 May, 2018 - 12:31 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#276791"><em>In reply to Chris_Kez:</em></a></blockquote><p>Use Brave</p>

      • Chris_Kez

        Premium Member
        29 May, 2018 - 4:27 pm

        <blockquote><a href="#276818"><em>In reply to dcdevito:</em></a></blockquote><p>Thanks for the reminder about Brave. I meant to check it out but life got in the way, as it so often does. </p>

  • JerryH

    Premium Member
    17 May, 2018 - 11:49 am

    <p>I need to go read that and see what they are really saying as this sounds confusing. As a Google Play Music family plan subscriber today I have a $14.99 per month subscription that gives a total of 6 people full access to Google Play Music AND YouTube Red. It sounds like now I need two subscriptions – one for YouTube Music and one for YouTube Premium? Or maybe that means I just need a YouTube Premium Family plan to replace the Google Play Music family plan? Sounds like it will be more money either way so I guess Google wins in the end.</p>

    • JerryH

      Premium Member
      17 May, 2018 - 12:12 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#276803"><em>In reply to JerryH:</em></a></blockquote><p>And of course their official announcement (or their blog) says nothing about family plans. I'm certainly not buying 6 people each their own $9.99 or $11.99 plan. It also says nothing about their integration with Google Home – which today works really well. Things like "<em>Hey Google Play Pop Life in the 80's from Google Play Music on Downstairs Group</em>" (yeah, I am old) works great. I wonder how long it will take for them to do the integration work to get the new stuff working with Google Home?</p>

      • Nicholas Kathrein

        17 May, 2018 - 1:26 pm

        <blockquote><a href="#276811"><em>In reply to JerryH:</em></a></blockquote><p>As far as Google home, you'll just say on "Youtube Music" instead of "Google Play Music." It works now I believe. Try it and see.</p>

  • dcdevito

    17 May, 2018 - 12:28 pm

    <p>It's just a rebranding of Play Music while merging YouTube Music (which was already included to subscribers as a separate app) into one. It's a smart move but it isn't much of a change overall.</p><p>But I was already getting Play Music, YouTube Music and YouTube Red all together for $15/month (which included access to 5 family members) – will this stay the same?</p>

    • IanYates82

      Premium Member
      18 May, 2018 - 9:20 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#276817"><em>In reply to dcdevito:</em></a></blockquote><p>My thoughts too. I have the same bundle. I read elsewhere that I think the bundle ends up being converted to YouTube premium, which includes the music stuff and all that we got from Red. </p><p>No mention on the family stuff but I assume it keeps going. </p><p><br></p><p>Play music was fine imho. 99% of the time I don't want video for my music. It linked to YouTube within the app for when you really wanted the video. But if I'm working, or driving, I'm just wanting the sound. Will the average person be put off this 99% use case because it had YouTube in the name, implying it'll also use video and gobble up your data? </p>

  • NT6.1

    17 May, 2018 - 1:42 pm

    <p>Can we play local tracks with YouTube Music just like we do on Google Music?</p>

  • Yaggs

    17 May, 2018 - 4:23 pm

    <p>I would assume they can't be changing the family offering… I didn't get any kind of notice it was being changed or discontinued… so I would assume all that stuff is staying the same.</p><p><br></p><p>MS did this non-sense with Zune/XBOX Music/Groove… For some reason Google and Microsoft think that people don't use their services because of their names. Apple Music makes some sense because iTunes was/is how so many people started using digital music… but Google's and Microsoft make much less sense… they just don't devote a full companies worth of work to them like the established music only services like Pandora and Spotify.</p>

  • Angusmatheson

    17 May, 2018 - 4:33 pm

    <p>I use you youtube in a browser a lot for music. It is easy and it is free. I’m not sure I’m excited to pay for it. I think it is hard to give something away for free and then ask people to pay for it. His seems like the same deal as Apple Music and Spotify paid…and with the video maybe even better. But I wonder how many will say they’ve been using youtube for free for years…why pay for it now?</p>

  • rameshthanikodi

    17 May, 2018 - 5:24 pm

    <p>as long as they don't make it available in my country I have nothing to care about.</p>

  • Elan Gabriel

    22 May, 2018 - 1:07 am

    <p>Once you go Deezer, you can't go back.</p>

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