Google Play Music Shut Down Starts in September
- Paul Thurrott
- Aug 04, 2020
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49
Google revealed today via a support document that it will begin shutting down its Google Play Music service in September, with all subscribers off of the service—and on YouTube Music instead—by the end of December.
“Earlier this year, we announced our plan to sunset the Google Play Music experience,” the support document notes. “Starting September 2020, users will begin losing access to Google Play Music. This means you will no longer be able to listen to your music using Google Play Music. However, your music library will remain intact and can still be transferred to YouTube Music – you will have a minimum of 30 days after losing access to Google Play Music to complete your transfer. Not all Google Play Music users will lose access at the same time. This will happen on an ongoing basis between September and December 2020.”
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Here’s the schedule:
August 2020. Access to the Music Store on Google Play, and Uploads to Google Play Music through Music Manager will start to go away.
September 2020. Access to Google Play Music begins going away for some users.
December 2020. Access to Google Play Music for all users is gone.
Google announced its plans to replace Google Play Music with YouTube Music in May, but it has been plotting this transition for over two years: It launched YouTube Music in 2018, and it has been steadily updating it since. And when Android 10 launched late last year, Google finally replaced Google Play Music with YouTube Music in the stock app install bundle.
I made the transition to YouTube Music a month or so ago and will detail my experience soon. The short version is that it’s mostly OK, but I miss a few niceties from Google Play Music and miss being able to cast to Sonos from the Google Play Music app. Also, if you use this app for podcasts, you’ll need to move to Google Podcasts or another app.
Conversation 49 comments
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robinwilson16
Log in to Reply<p>This is a real shame.</p><p>I always use Google Play Music free inside Sonos to listen to my uploaded music but now I am going to need to pay for Youtube Premium in order to get the same functionality I was getting free or find some other way to do it. I think I used to use OneDrive but and access to that was previously removed.</p><p>Are there any alternatives that enable you to listen to your own music library from Sonos free.</p><p>I don't really think a subscription is warranted if that is all I want to do.</p>
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reoscotte
Log in to Reply<blockquote><em><a href="#559025">In reply to robinwilson16:</a></em></blockquote><p>I use CloudPlayer to play music from OneDrive. It's not free, but at least it's not a subscription.</p>
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Paul Thurrott
Premium MemberLog in to ReplyI believe you can play your own music library to Sonos. I don’t do this personally.
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robinwilson16
Log in to Reply<blockquote><a href="#559039" target="_blank"><em>In reply to paul-thurrott:</em></a></blockquote><p>No it doesn't work unless I pay a subscription – it says:</p><p>"YouTube Music on Sonos is only available to YouTube Music Premium members. Upgrade your account today".</p>
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ronh
Premium MemberLog in to Reply<blockquote><em><a href="#559061">In reply to robinwilson16:</a></em></blockquote><p>I tried as well… same message<img src=""><img src="">… </p><p><br></p>
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jeffrye
Log in to Reply<blockquote><em><a href="#559025">In reply to robinwilson16:</a></em></blockquote><p>You can set up Sonos to play music directly from your hard drive. I haven't used that in years because I set my music up on Plex (full version isn't free) which allows me to play my music on Sonos or my computer or my phone or my Roku, etc. The Sonos integration isn't the best (Alexa/Google Home integration doesn't work well) but works for me.</p>
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Paul Thurrott
Premium MemberLog in to ReplyI’ll try to look at this soon. Am curious now.
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ronh
Premium MemberLog in to Reply<blockquote><em><a href="#559168">In reply to paul-thurrott:</a></em></blockquote><p>We need this to work… </p>
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ph-sth
Log in to Reply<p>Google Play Music was terrible. YouTube Music is somehow worse.</p>
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tallguyse
Premium MemberLog in to Reply<p>They need an Android TV app. When I searched the App Store for YouTube Music, it displayed Google Play Music. </p>
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ubelhorj
Premium MemberLog in to Reply<blockquote><em><a href="#559030">In reply to TallGuySE:</a></em></blockquote><p>There is a Music section in the YouTube app instead of being separate like other platforms.</p>
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jgraebner
Premium MemberLog in to Reply<blockquote><em><a href="#559030">In reply to TallGuySE:</a></em></blockquote><p>They launched a YouTube Music app for Android TV today, but it appears to just be a shortcut to the music section of the YouTube app. Hopefully a real app is in the works.</p>
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yoshi
Premium MemberLog in to Reply<p>I've been on YouTube Music for a while now. It's… not the worst. I really only use it because my family wanted YouTube Premium and the music comes with it. If it wasn't for that, I'd be all in on Spotify.</p>
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CompSciGuy31415
Log in to Reply<p>I tried YouTube Music many times, but the UI is just lacks so many features that GPM offers. You can't even sort your playlists, not even in the web app.</p>
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Thomas Parkison
Log in to Reply<p><span style="color: rgb(42, 46, 46);">Another one for the already overcrowded Google Graveyard.</span></p>
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luthair
Log in to Reply<blockquote><em><a href="#559040">In reply to trparky:</a></em></blockquote><p>This is disingenuous, its like critizing Microsoft for not supporting & selling old versions of Windows.</p>
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Greg Green
Log in to Reply<blockquote><em><a href="#559107">In reply to luthair:</a></em></blockquote><p>Isn’t it like criticizing MS for replacing Win 7 with Win 8?</p>
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kenosando
Premium MemberLog in to Reply<p>Play Music has far better radio functionality than YT Music. I've heard way too many repeats in YT Music, and rarely are they deep tracks, usually a top 5 song from a given artist. At least all my local music is in YT now…</p>
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JH_Radio
Premium MemberLog in to Reply<p>Google Play Music was the best at its radio station feature in my opinion. I also love the UI. Amazon Music Unlimited HD radio station stuff is ok, but not as good as Google Play Music. I'm not a fan of the UI either. So does this mean that all of the thumbs up I've done transfer over to Youtube music now? I've done a lot of thumbing up over the years. Its what I used Play Music for, its radio station feature. not really doing much with the library. </p>
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jeffrye
Log in to Reply<p>Will I be able to upload my own music to YouTube music like I did with GPM? I don't see anything about it in the help section.</p>
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MadsM
Log in to Reply<blockquote><em><a href="#559055">In reply to jeffrye:</a></em></blockquote><p>You can already do that.</p>
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jeffrye
Log in to Reply<blockquote><em><a href="#559058">In reply to MadsM:</a></em></blockquote><p>Thanks for the reply. I'm in the YouTube Music web app and I don't see any way to upload music that I ripped from CDs I own to my Library. Am I missing something?</p><p><br></p><p>EDIT: </p><p><br></p><p>Nevermind – I found it. Thanks again!</p>
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ronh
Premium MemberLog in to Reply<blockquote><em><a href="#559065">In reply to jeffrye:</a></em></blockquote><p>Where is it???</p>
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MadsM
Log in to Reply<blockquote><em><a href="#559103">In reply to RonH:</a></em></blockquote><p><br></p><p>Click on your account in the upper right hand corner.</p>
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ronh
Premium MemberLog in to Reply<blockquote><em><a href="#559146">In reply to MadsM:</a></em></blockquote><p>Thanks</p>
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dmaddogg
Log in to Reply<p>Will I have to PAY to play the music I already purchased on Google Play Music? They can't expect me to PAY AGAIN for music I actually purchased???</p>
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MadsM
Log in to Reply<blockquote><em><a href="#559057">In reply to dmaddogg:</a></em></blockquote><p>Purchases are transferred to YTM.</p>
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jgraebner
Premium MemberLog in to Reply<blockquote><em><a href="#559057">In reply to dmaddogg:</a></em></blockquote><p>Google is discontinuing their for-purchase music store altogether.</p>
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Paul Thurrott
Premium MemberLog in to ReplyNot sure how I missed that, but that’s a big deal right there as well. Not so much because a lot of people are buying music this way, but because now there is one fewer major option for this kind of thing. This is unfortunate.
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cmucodemonkey
Log in to Reply<blockquote><em><a href="#559163">In reply to paul-thurrott:</a></em></blockquote><p>The only streaming music service I pay for is SiriusXM. Otherwise I buy MP3's and play them from a computer or my phone. Amazon and Google Play were my two biggest sources to buy new albums, but now I'm down to one. I know I'm probably not normal in this regard.</p>
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ronh
Premium MemberLog in to Reply<blockquote><em><a href="#559057">In reply to dmaddogg:</a></em></blockquote><p>Looks like you'll need to pay for a YouTube music sub. to play on SONOS</p>
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Paul Thurrott
Premium MemberLog in to ReplyThe differences between GPM and YTM are aggravating. They seem small, but they get in the way too often. GPM is a tremendous service. I’d prefer to keep using it if possible.
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bluvg
Log in to Reply<p>"it has been steadily updating it since."</p><p><br></p><p>Really? It seems like it was crickets there for YouTube Music for a longgggg time. </p>
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Paul Thurrott
Premium MemberLog in to ReplyNo, it’s actually updated pretty regularly.
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eeisner
Premium MemberLog in to Reply<p>Damn this sucks. YT music still doesn't integrate a local library anywhere near as good as Play Music does. Hopefully Google plans to fix this soon…</p>
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jgraebner
Premium MemberLog in to Reply<p>I really hope they port Music Manager over to work with YouTube Music. Right now, uploading music that you own is only possible by selecting files or drag/drop on the website. That's a huge step down from the automated uploads with GPM.</p>
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Paul Thurrott
Premium MemberLog in to ReplyYeah. Worried this will never happen.
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ronh
Premium MemberLog in to Reply<p>If I can't play my music on my Sonos for free, i'll… I don't know what I will do,</p><p><br></p><p>Can't wait for your write up on YouTube Music Paul.</p>
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ronh
Premium MemberLog in to Reply<blockquote><em><a href="#559082">In reply to RonH:</a></em></blockquote><p>Just connected the YouTube music to my SONOS account.</p><p><br></p><p>"YouTube Music on Sonos is only available to YouTube Music Premium members. Upgrade your account today: http://www.youtube.com/musicpremium"</p><p><br></p><p>That's <span style="background-color: rgb(18, 18, 18); color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">CA$9.99/month to Get Music Premium to listen ad-free, offline & with your screen off</span></p><p><br></p><p>So now I need to figure out how I will play my music at home on SONOS, and on my Android phone.</p>
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ommoran
Premium MemberLog in to Reply<blockquote><em><a href="#559101">In reply to RonH:</a></em></blockquote><p><br></p><p>Fellow Canuck. Subscribe to Youtube Premium, you get music premium for free – and no more ads on Youtube on any of your devices.</p><p><br></p><p>I just wish that your "favourites" for music and for Youtube's video weren't all combined. When I want to watch on the app on my TV, I don't want to see the bands/artists I've liked in music, I want to see the video channels I've subscribed to.</p>
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Jester
Log in to Reply<p>I switched from GPM to YT music this weekend. I found YT Music doesn't id properly with bluetooth in the car. GPM works fine. There's a big on going Google support thread about this that they seem to be ignoring it. </p>
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brettscoast
Premium MemberLog in to Reply<p>Thanks for the heads up there, I'll be very interested in your thoughts on the transition to and experience of YouTube music going forward. I also have mixed reservations about this as I found Google play music generally very good. At least now we have some definitive time frames on the transition.</p>
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luthair
Log in to Reply<p>Absurdly Youtube Music on the web doesn't allow you to prevent videos from playing, nor does it allow you to use Chromecast Audio to listen to music unless you pay for their premium service.</p><p><br></p><p><br></p>
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brian_c
Premium MemberLog in to Reply<p>Am I understanding correctly, that from September you will no longer be able purchase mp3s from Google Play Music, and they don't plan on adding that to YouTube Music? </p><p><br></p><p>I know I'm in the minority here, but I still like to purchase music when I find an album I like. I have Spotify and all that, but I find that I appreciate an album more when I buy it. </p><p><br></p><p>In Ireland iTunes and Google Play were the only two places still selling mainstream digital music (the HD tracks website too, but that is a different market). iTunes was always more expensive than Google Play, but now its the only option. Can't see it lasting much longer either. </p><p><br></p><p>Are CDs still sold? Back to Napster otherwise. </p>
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SvenJ
Log in to Reply<blockquote><a href="#559169"><em>In reply to brian_c:</em></a><em> </em>Can you avail yourself of Amazon? I buy CDs from them. They also allow you to download MP3s which you can then upload wherever still supports that. In some cases, the physical CD that is shipped to you is cheaper than buying the MP3s on Amazon, which they often put in your library automatically with a physical purchase. I have downloaded and uploaded then somewhere else befor ever having the CD in my hands before.</blockquote><p><br></p>
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brian_c
Premium MemberLog in to Reply<blockquote><em><a href="#559230">In reply to SvenJ:</a></em></blockquote><p>Amazon don't sell digital music in Ireland and here's the kicker. Where a digital copy comes with buying a cd, they completely block purchase of that cd to Irish addresses. So you can't get it at all. Since Amazon killed off most of the physical music shops, it's harder than ever to find a cd you like (although we still have a Tower Records in Dublin). </p><p><br></p><p>I've discovered 7digital Music which seems to be holding the torch aloft for digital music sales. </p>
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Paul Thurrott
Premium MemberLog in to ReplyThat is correct.
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driftsk
Log in to Reply<p>Talk about aggravating: unlike GPM, with YouTube Music a Premium subscription is required to download a playlist in the app; also, it is possible to download my entire Uploads library as a ZIP file on a PC, but only through Google Takeout (and it's not documented ANYWHERE). </p><p>For personal collections of uploaded music, YTM is a massive setback. </p>
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jimchamplin
Premium MemberLog in to Reply<p>I gave up on Google’s music offerings when they announced the change. Decided it was better to simply choose a service that wasn’t likely to be axed. Now I split my music between Apple and Spotify. My legacy library has been in iTunes for what feels like decades. Whenever it was that the online library was offered, I signed up.</p><p><br></p><p>Spotify to me has better playlists and the UI doesn’t run at a glacier’s pace.</p>