YouTube Music Will Replace Google Play Music

By Music Press Asia Staff

22 May, 2018 10:45am GMT+8 / MYT

Meet Google’s confusing new streaming services: YouTube Music and YouTube Premium.

Google doesn’t seem to have enough of streaming services, following its recent announcement revealing two new products: YouTube Music and YouTube Premium. This announcement will still get you access to plenty of ad-free content, including YouTube originals although ad-based consumption will still be implemented.

But wait, what’s more confusing is that YouTube has already launch a paid subscriptions, which is why just need to pay attention to YouTube Music and YouTube Premium (a revamp of YouTube Red). When YouTube launched YouTube Music, it will also soon reveal a premium service that will charge extra for its original shows.

While it announced in a blog post,  that while YouTube music will continue to be supported with ad, YouTube Music Premium, a paid membership without advertisements, will be available at $9.99 a month.

YouTube Music
Launched in May 22, Google announced that you will have personalised access to “official songs, albums, thousands of playlists and artist radio plus YouTube’s tremendous catalog of remixes, live performances, covers and music videos that you can’t find anywhere else.”

However, what that really means that though it is free as long as you aren’t bothered by the ads, and in order to provide you with those clever music recommendations, it will still do some data collection in the background.

The premium version of YouTube Music, which should not be confused with YouTube Premium, is YouTube Music ad-free version that costs $9.99 per month. And if you are already a Google Play Music subscriber, you’re in for a treat because it will then costs you nothing.

What about YouTube Premium?
Bear with us as we know this may still be rather confusing to you. For those of you familiar with YouTube Red, the company has recently decided a new name, and that is, YouTube Premium. And no, it should not be confused again with YouTube Music Premium.

I know this is all super confusing, so bear with me for a second. YouTube Premium isn’t YouTube Music Premium, although YouTube Music Premium is included. YouTube Premium is the new name for YouTube Red, which is YouTube’s current paid subscription service, priced at $9.99.

YouTube Premium new member will now pay $11.99 each month, which will include ad-free content, and also offline access to YouTube and YouTube Originals. However, if you want this similar access, you may also pay $9.99 as a YouTube Red subscriber.

We will now conclude by confirming that YouTube Music is free, with ads. Google Play Music ($9.99) subscribers will give you free access to YouTube Music Premium ($9.99), which is YouTube Music with no ads. But not vice-versa. And lastly, YouTube Premium ($11.99) will soon be replacing YouTube Red ($9.99), which provides access to YouTube Music Premium ($9.99).

In the following weeks, YouTube Music will soon be available in U.S., New Zealand, Mexico, Austria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

As for Asia in weeks to come?  YouTube has only announced its availability in South Korea and Australia.