YouTube Music

YouTube Music is a music streaming service created by YouTube, which is a part of Google. This service lets users listen to music and watch music videos from many different genres and playlists found on YouTube. It also gives suggestions based on what users might like.

On December 1, 2020, YouTube Music took the place of Google Play Music as Google’s main music streaming service. In April 2023, YouTube Music started including podcasts too, just before Google Podcasts stopped working.

YouTube Music also has a special membership option for people who pay extra. With this, users can listen to music without ads, play music even when they aren’t looking at their screen, and save songs to listen to later without an internet connection. This special membership is also part of YouTube Premium.

History

The YouTube Music app was introduced in October 2015 and launched the next month. It came with YouTube Premium, a bigger subscription service that includes everything on YouTube, including the Music app. The app was made for people who enjoy music mostly through YouTube.

In May 2018, YouTube showed a new version of YouTube Music. This version included a web player for computers, a redesigned phone app, and smarter recommendations. YouTube Music also became its own subscription service, competing with Apple Music and Spotify. It cost US$9.99 per month and offered music without ads, background play, and offline downloads. In 2018, YouTube Music also became a partner for special TV events like Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve and the American Music Awards.

In April 2019, YouTube Music became available on Google Assistant smart speakers, such as Google Nest. In July 2024, it was added to Tesla cars.

Features

YouTube Music offers a wide range of music from popular artists and any videos listed as music on YouTube. It started as a separate service but later replaced another music service called Google Play Music in December 2020.

Over time, YouTube Music added many helpful features. Users can save music before it is released, see a yearly summary of their favorite songs and artists, and even create their own radio stations. In 2023, podcasts were also added to the service, though they were first only available in the US.

The free version of YouTube Music plays songs with music videos and shows ads. The premium version lets users listen to just the audio without videos, even when they are doing other things. Premium also offers better sound quality and can be shared with up to six family members living in the same home. Students can also get a lower price for the premium service.

Main article: Google Mobile Services

Main articles: Google Podcasts, Spotify Wrapped

Geographic availability

As of March 2024, YouTube Music can be used in most of the Americas, Europe and Oceania, as well as parts of Africa and Asia. It is available in 119 different markets. Because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Google stopped all payment and subscription services in Russia, including YouTube Music.