YouTube Music#Subscriptions
{{short description|Audio streaming service by YouTube}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox online service
| name = YouTube Music
| logo = YouTube Music 2024.svg
| logo_size = 200px
| image = Screenshot of YouTube Music web player (December 2023).png
| image_size = 250px
| caption = YouTube Music playing "The Star-Spangled Banner" in 2023
| type = Music and Video Streaming
| launched = {{Start date and age|2015|11|12}}
| developer = YouTube
| key_people = {{ubl|Neal Mohan (YouTube CEO)|T. Jay Fowler (Director of Product Management)|Lyor Cohen (Global Head of YouTube & Music)}}
| pricing =
| platform = {{hlist|Android|iOS|ChromeOS|Wear OS|Google Nest|Sonos|Android TV|Android Auto|WatchOS|Web|audioOS|Tesla}}
| availability = 119 countries and territories; mostly in the Americas, Europe and Oceania, and in parts of Africa and Asia (see full list)
| members = 125 million paid subscribers ({{As of|2025|03|lc=y|df=US}}){{cite web |last1=Cohen |first1=Lyor |title=20 years & 125 million subscribers later…|url=https://blog.youtube/inside-youtube/20-years-125-million-subscribers-lyor-cohen/ |website=YouTube Official Blog|access-date=March 6, 2025 |date=March 5, 2025}}
| website = {{URL|https://music.youtube.com}}
}}
YouTube Music is a music streaming service developed by the American video platform YouTube, a subsidiary of Alphabet's Google. The service is designed with an interface that allows users to simultaneously explore music audios and music videos from YouTube-based genres, playlists and recommendations. On December 1, 2020, YouTube Music replaced Google Play Music as Google's primary brand for music streaming. In April 2023, the service expanded its offerings to include support for podcasts{{Cite web |last=Malik |first=Aisha |date=2023-04-27 |title=YouTube Music officially rolls out podcasts for listeners in the US |url=https://techcrunch.com/2023/04/27/youtube-music-officially-launches-podcasts-for-listeners-in-the-us/ |access-date=2023-04-27 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US |archive-date=April 27, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230427223212/https://techcrunch.com/2023/04/27/youtube-music-officially-launches-podcasts-for-listeners-in-the-us/ |url-status=live }} shortly before Google Podcasts was shut down.
YouTube Music also features a premium tier that provides several benefits to paying subscribers. These include ad-free playback, the ability to play audio in the background, and the option to download songs for offline listening. These benefits are also bundled with and available to subscribers of YouTube Premium.
History
The YouTube Music app was unveiled in October 2015 and released the following month; its release came alongside the unveiling of YouTube Premium (originally called YouTube Red), a larger subscription service that covers the entirety of the YouTube platform, including the Music app. Although redundant to Google's existing Google Play Music All Access subscription service, the app was designed for users who primarily consume music through YouTube.{{Cite news|url=https://www.theverge.com/2015/10/21/9566973/youtube-red-ad-free-offline-paid-subscription-service|title=Exclusive: An inside look at the new ad-free YouTube Red|work=The Verge|access-date=May 17, 2018|language=en-US|archive-date=April 4, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190404133500/https://www.theverge.com/2015/10/21/9566973/youtube-red-ad-free-offline-paid-subscription-service|url-status=live}}
On May 17, 2018, YouTube announced a new version of the YouTube Music service, including a web-based desktop player and redesigned mobile app, more dynamic recommendations based on various factors, and Google artificial intelligence technology to search songs based on lyrics and descriptions. In addition, YouTube Music became a separate subscription service (positioned as a more direct competitor to Apple Music and Spotify), offering ad-free and background/audio-only streaming, and downloading for offline playback, for music content on YouTube. The service's benefits continued to be available as part of the existing YouTube Premium service and to Google Play Music All Access subscribers. The YouTube Music subscription was priced in line with its competitors at US$9.99 per month; the price of YouTube Premium was concurrently increased to $11.99 for new subscribers.{{Cite news|url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/05/youtubes-revamped-music-subscription-service-launches-on-may-22/|title=New YouTube Music Premium costs $9.99 monthly, add $2 to get all Red perks|work=Ars Technica|access-date=May 18, 2018|language=en-us|archive-date=July 9, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180709134409/https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/05/youtubes-revamped-music-subscription-service-launches-on-may-22/|url-status=live}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.theverge.com/2018/5/17/17364056/youtube-music-premium-google-launch|title=Google announces YouTube Music and YouTube Premium|work=The Verge|access-date=May 17, 2018|archive-date=August 14, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200814173306/https://www.theverge.com/2018/5/17/17364056/youtube-music-premium-google-launch|url-status=live}}
In 2018, YouTube Music reached multiple sponsorship agreements with Dick Clark Productions to serve as a partner for its television specials Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve and the American Music Awards.{{Cite news|url=https://variety.com/2018/digital/news/youtube-music-american-music-awards-amas-sponsorship-1202913542/|title=YouTube Music Signs American Music Awards Two-Year Title Sponsorship Deal|last=Spangler|first=Todd|date=August 22, 2018|work=Variety|access-date=October 10, 2018|language=en-US|archive-date=October 10, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181010095434/https://variety.com/2018/digital/news/youtube-music-american-music-awards-amas-sponsorship-1202913542/|url-status=live}}{{Cite news|url=https://deadline.com/2018/11/youtube-music-dick-clark-productions-extend-partnership-for-new-years-rockin-eve-with-ryan-seacrest-1202500921/|title=YouTube Music And Dick Clark Productions Extend Partnership For 'New Year's Rockin' Eve With Ryan Seacrest'|last=Hayes|first=Dade|date=November 13, 2018|work=Deadline|access-date=November 19, 2018|language=en-US|archive-date=November 20, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181120015146/https://deadline.com/2018/11/youtube-music-dick-clark-productions-extend-partnership-for-new-years-rockin-eve-with-ryan-seacrest-1202500921/|url-status=live}}
YouTube Music became available on Google Assistant smart speakers (including Google Nest smart speakers) on April 18, 2019, with feature-limited ad-supported playback available for non-subscribers in only a limited number of countries.{{Cite web|title=YouTube Music is now free with ads on Google Home devices|url=https://techcrunch.com/2019/04/18/youtube-music-is-now-free-with-ads-on-google-home-devices/|website=TechCrunch|date=April 18, 2019|language=en-US|access-date=April 18, 2019}}
On July 8, 2024, YouTube Music was updated in Canada to prevent background play unless the user subscribes to YouTube Music or YouTube Premium, bringing it to the same experience in most countries.{{Cite web |title=Reddit Post |date=May 30, 2024 |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/YoutubeMusic/comments/1d3rwud/changes_to_youtube_music_in_canada/}} In July 2024, YouTube Music became available on Tesla cars.{{Cite news |last=McNeal |first=Ryan |date=3 July 2024 |title=YouTube Music is cruising its way into your Tesla with native app |url=https://www.androidauthority.com/youtube-music-tesla-app-3456923/ |access-date=12 November 2024 |work=Android Authority}}
Features
The availability of music includes many releases from mainstream artists and extends to any video categorized as music on the YouTube service.
YouTube Music initially operated parallel with Google Play Music, but the latter was shut down in December 2020.{{Cite web|title=Info about the Google Play Music phase-out|url=https://support.google.com/googleplaymusic/answer/9973710?hl=en-GB&ref_topic=6230811|access-date=November 7, 2020|website=Google|archive-date=December 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201219191358/https://support.google.com/googleplaymusic/answer/9973710?hl=en-GB&ref_topic=6230811|url-status=dead}} Product manager Elias Roman stated in 2018 that they aimed to reach feature parity with Google Play Music before migrating users to it, but as of 2024 this has not been achieved.{{Cite news|url=https://www.theverge.com/2018/5/23/17386752/youtube-music-uploads-feature-google-play-music|title=YouTube Music will eventually get Google Play Music's best features, including user uploads|work=The Verge|access-date=May 24, 2018|archive-date=November 9, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109064325/https://www.theverge.com/2018/5/23/17386752/youtube-music-uploads-feature-google-play-music|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|last=Amadeo|first=Ron|date=August 4, 2020|title=Google Music shutdown starts this month, music deleted in December|url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2020/08/google-music-shutdown-starts-this-month-music-deleted-in-december/|access-date=September 11, 2020|website=Ars Technica|language=en-us|archive-date=January 25, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210125231134/https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2020/08/google-music-shutdown-starts-this-month-music-deleted-in-december/|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|last=Amadeo|first=Ron|date=June 24, 2020|title=With YouTube Music, Google is holding my speakers for ransom|url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2020/06/youtube-music-library-transfers-your-purchased-music-is-not-welcome-here/|access-date=September 11, 2020|website=Ars Technica|language=en-us|archive-date=February 7, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210207055804/https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2020/06/youtube-music-library-transfers-your-purchased-music-is-not-welcome-here/|url-status=live}}
In September 2019, YouTube Music replaced Google Play Music in the core Google Mobile Services bundle distributed on new Android devices.{{Cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/9/27/20886952/youtube-music-app-preinstalled-android-10|title=YouTube Music will now come preinstalled on Android devices|last=Welch|first=Chris|date=September 27, 2019|website=The Verge|language=en|access-date=October 8, 2019|archive-date=September 24, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200924200613/https://www.theverge.com/2019/9/27/20886952/youtube-music-app-preinstalled-android-10|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2019/09/27/youtube-music-will-be-preinstalled-on-android-10-and-new-android-9-devices/|title=YouTube Music will be preinstalled on Android 10 and new Android 9 devices|website=TechCrunch|date=September 27, 2019|language=en-US|access-date=October 8, 2019|archive-date=October 8, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191008182901/https://techcrunch.com/2019/09/27/youtube-music-will-be-preinstalled-on-android-10-and-new-android-9-devices/|url-status=live}} In May 2020, an update was released to allow imports from Google Play Music, including purchased music, playlists, cloud libraries, and recommendations.{{Cite web|title=YouTube Music can finally import your library and uploads from Google Play Music|url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/5/12/21254378/youtube-music-google-play-library-transfer-announced|last=Welch|first=Chris|date=May 12, 2020|website=The Verge|language=en|access-date=May 15, 2020|archive-date=October 18, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201018063413/https://www.theverge.com/2020/5/12/21254378/youtube-music-google-play-library-transfer-announced|url-status=live}}
A "pre-save" feature for upcoming releases was added in May 2020.{{Cite web|last=Al-Heeti|first=Abrar|title=YouTube Music now lets you pre-save albums|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/youtube-music-now-lets-you-pre-save-albums/|access-date=June 12, 2020|website=CNET|language=en|archive-date=August 11, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200811134004/https://www.cnet.com/news/youtube-music-now-lets-you-pre-save-albums/|url-status=live}}
In 2021, YouTube Music introduced a seasonal recap feature, which serves as a culmination of a user's top artists, songs, albums and playlists, in a similar style to Spotify Wrapped.{{cite web |last1=Forristal |first1=Lauren |title=YouTube Music introduces seasonal recap playlists |url=https://techcrunch.com/2022/06/16/youtube-music-introduces-seasonal-recap-playlists-to-compete-with-spotify-wrapped/ |website=TechCrunch |access-date=12 April 2025}}
In February 2023, YouTube Music launched Radio Builder, a free and from anywhere accessible web service for both paying subscribers and free users with iOS or Android devices. It allows users to create a custom radio station, selecting up to 30 artists with an option to hear only their songs or from comparable musicians.{{cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2023/2/21/23609228/youtube-music-radio-builder-custom-stations|title=YouTube Music will let you make your own custom radio stations / You|date=February 21, 2023|publisher=The Verge|access-date=February 23, 2023|archive-date=February 23, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230223085642/https://www.theverge.com/2023/2/21/23609228/youtube-music-radio-builder-custom-stations|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/technology/with-radio-builder-create-your-own-custom-station-on-youtube-music-all-you-need-to-know-101677124714221-amp.html|title=With 'Radio Builder', create your own custom station on YouTube Music: All you need to know|date=February 23, 2023|work=Hindustan Times|access-date=February 23, 2023|archive-date=February 23, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230223085640/https://www.hindustantimes.com/technology/with-radio-builder-create-your-own-custom-station-on-youtube-music-all-you-need-to-know-101677124714221-amp.html|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/youtube-music-launches-radio-builder-feature-allowing-users-to-create-custom-stations-based-on-favorite-artists/articleshow/98141666.cms|publisher=Business Insider|title=YouTube Music launches 'Radio Builder' feature, allowing users to create custom stations based on favorite artists|date=February 22, 2023|access-date=February 23, 2023|archive-date=February 23, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230223085645/https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/youtube-music-launches-radio-builder-feature-allowing-users-to-create-custom-stations-based-on-favorite-artists/articleshow/98141666.cms|url-status=live}}
In April 2023, podcasts were added to the service, initially for users in the US only with a worldwide rollout planned at a later date.{{Cite magazine |last=Chan |first=J. Clara |date=February 25, 2023 |title=YouTube's Podcast Play Comes Into Focus Amid Skepticism From Creators |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/youtube-podcasts-1235332624/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230226041753/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/youtube-podcasts-1235332624/ |archive-date=February 26, 2023 |access-date=February 26, 2023 |magazine=The Hollywood Reporter}} Google Podcasts was shut down worldwide in June 2024 with YouTube Music replacing it.{{Cite web |date=2024-06-26 |title=Farewell Google Podcasts |url=https://radioinfo.com.au/podcast-info/farewell-google-podcasts/ |access-date=2024-10-18 |website=RadioInfo Australia}}{{Cite web |date=2024-06-25 |title=YouTube gets 'Your podcasts' page as Google Podcasts shuts down internationally |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/technology/tech-news/youtube-gets-your-podcasts-page-as-google-podcasts-shuts-down-internationally/articleshow/111257194.cms |access-date=2024-10-18 |website=Times of India}}
=Subscriptions=
The free tier plays songs in its music video version where applicable. The premium tier plays official tracks of the album unless the user searches for the music video version. YouTube Music Premium and YouTube Premium subscribers can switch to an audio-only mode that can play in the background while the application is not in use. The free tier does not allow audio-only mode with background playback as it displays video advertisements.{{cite web | title = YouTube Music isn't perfect, but it's still heaven for music nerds | date = November 12, 2015 | url = https://www.engadget.com/2015/11/12/youtube-music-app-hands-on/ | publisher = Engadget | access-date = November 7, 2016 | archive-date = November 12, 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201112022054/https://www.engadget.com/2015-11-12-youtube-music-app-hands-on.html | url-status = live }}
The free tier's audio quality supports up to 128 kbit/s, in AAC and OPUS audio formats, while 256 kbit/s AAC is only available to premium tier subscribers. In July 2024, YouTube rolled out an additional high quality option, 256 kbit/s OPUS, to premium tier subscribers.
YouTube Music Premium and YouTube Premium plans are available in individual and family variants. A family plan allows up to six family members from the same household to access plan features. Eligible students can obtain a discount on an individual plan.
| class="wikitable"
|+ |
| style=max-width:4em | Subscription tiers
! style=max-width:2em | Ads ! style=max-width:8em | Skipping and scrubbing ! style=max-width:6em | Offline mode ! style=max-width:6em | Background playback ! style=max-width:6em | Audio quality |
|---|
| Free
| {{No|Yes}} | {{Yes|Unlimited}} | {{maybe|Podcast only}} | {{maybe|Podcast only}} | 32, 48, 64, 128 kbit/s OPUS |
| Music Premium
| {{Yes|No}} | {{Yes|Unlimited}} | {{Yes|Available|Unknown number of devices}} | {{Yes|Available}} | All free tier qualities, including 256 kbit/s AAC & OPUS{{cite web | title = Youtube Format IDs | url = https://gist.github.com/MartinEesmaa/2f4b261cb90a47e9c41ba115a011a4aa |website=GitHub}} |
| Premium
| {{Yes|No}} | {{Yes|Unlimited}} | {{Yes|Available|Unknown number of devices}} | {{Yes|Available}} |
Geographic availability
As of March 2024, YouTube Music is available in most of the Americas, Europe and Oceania, as well as parts of Africa and Asia, with a total availability in 119 markets.{{Cite web |title=Where is YouTube Music available? |url=https://support.google.com/youtubemusic/answer/6313540?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop |access-date=23 October 2024 |website=YouTube Music Help}} Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Google indefinitely suspended all of its all payment and subscription-based services in the country, including YouTube Music.{{Cite news |date=10 March 2022 |title=YouTube, Google Play suspend payment-based services in Russia |url=https://www.reuters.com/technology/youtube-google-play-suspend-payment-based-services-russia-2022-03-10/ |work=Reuters}}{{Cite news |date=11 March 2022 |title=Which Music Industry Companies Are Leaving Russia? Here's a Complete List |url=https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2022/03/11/music-industry-russia-exits/ |work=Digital Music News}}
File:Availability of Youtube Music in the World.svg
See also
{{Portal|Internet|Music}}
{{clearall}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|https://www.youtube.com/musicpremium}}
- [https://music.youtube.com Official web player]
{{YouTube navbox}}
{{Music streaming services}}
{{Music digital distribution platforms}}
{{Podcast clients}}
Category:Music streaming services
Category:Mobile software distribution platforms
Category:Android (operating system) software