Is YouTube Music replacing Google Play?
Google Play Music was launched in 2011 as Google’s music and podcast streaming service. It allowed users to upload up to 50,000 songs from their personal libraries to the cloud and stream them alongside an official catalog of over 40 million tracks [1]. YouTube Music was originally introduced in 2015 as an extension of YouTube, offering a separate app interface to stream official songs and playlists. After years of slowly adding features to YouTube Music, Google announced in May 2018 that YouTube Music would eventually replace Google Play Music as their primary music streaming brand [2].
YouTube Music Launch
YouTube Music officially launched on May 22, 2018 in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico and South Korea. Apkshadow mentions some key dates around YouTube Music’s launch, including its launch in India on March 12, 2019.
The launch of YouTube Music signaled Google’s intent to eventually replace Google Play Music with a streaming service more tightly integrated with YouTube. However, Google Play Music continued operating for over two years after YouTube Music’s launch.
YouTube Music rolled out across various regions over 2018 and 2019. By May 2019, it had launched in a total of 43 countries. The global launch enabled Google to position YouTube Music as a major competitor to services like Spotify and Apple Music.
YouTube Music Features
YouTube Music provides users with a robust set of features for music streaming. Some of the key features include:
Unlimited, ad-free music listening when you subscribe to YouTube Music Premium. This gives you the ability to play songs, albums, playlists and artist radios on-demand without interruptions.
Access to official songs, albums, live performances, and remixes. YouTube Music has an extensive licensed catalog from record labels and publishers.
Millions of songs and videos that you can’t find anywhere else, such as live concerts, obscure covers, and music videos.
Intelligent search and recommendations powered by Google AI to help you discover new music.
Custom radio stations based on your tastes, listening history, and input. These stations introduce you to music you’ll love.
Offline listening for downloaded songs, playlists, and music videos when you don’t have an internet connection.
Support for background playback on mobile so you can listen to music while using other apps.
Ad-supported free tier available. While not as robust as the paid Premium offering, the free version provides access to the entire music catalog and playlists, though with ads and more limited features.
Integration with Google services like YouTube, Gmail, and Chromecast for a connected experience across devices.
Google Play Music Wind Down
In May 2020, Google announced that it would begin winding down Google Play Music later in the year in favor of its new YouTube Music service (Source). Google Play Music launched in 2011 as Google’s music locker and music store. It allowed users to upload up to 50,000 songs to the cloud, stream purchased music from Google, and access curated playlists and radio stations.
With the launch of YouTube Music in 2018, Google began positioning it as the future of its music strategy. In August 2020, Google shared a detailed timeline for shutting down Google Play Music (Source). Access will be revoked in September 2020 for users in New Zealand and South Africa. In October 2020, Google will begin revoking access in all other countries, aiming to complete the shutdown by December 2020.
Google cited the rapid growth of YouTube Music as one reason for sunsetting Google Play Music. The company wanted to focus its resources fully on one music service. While disappointing to loyal Google Play Music users, the shutdown will allow Google to streamline its music offerings under the YouTube brand.
Transferring Libraries
Google provided a seamless process for users to transfer their music libraries from Google Play Music to YouTube Music. Users simply need to go to music.youtube.com/transfer and click the “Transfer” button while logged into their Google account that is associated with Google Play Music.
This initiates the transfer process, which can take some time depending on the size of the user’s library. Google notes it can take between several hours to multiple days for transfers of large libraries to fully complete. The transfer moves all purchased music, uploads, and playlists from Google Play Music to the equivalent offerings in YouTube Music.
According to TechAdvisor, this library transfer tool is the easiest way for users to migrate their collections over to YouTube Music. It ensures everything is accurately moved so users have immediate access without starting a new music collection from scratch.
User Reception
User reviews of YouTube Music have been generally positive since it launched in 2018. According to Product Hunt, YouTube Music scores an average rating of 4.59 out of 5 based on 34 reviews of actual users. Users praise the large music library, playlists, music recommendations, and ability to listen to music videos. The service has won praise for providing official songs, remixes, covers and live performances all in one place.
Reviewers on sites like MouthShut give mostly positive feedback about the app’s user interface, audio quality, and unlimited access to music. Some complaints focus on issues with playlists not downloading properly for offline listening. Overall, the reception is quite strong, especially from longtime YouTube users who are happy to have a full-fledged streaming music option.
Popular YouTube channels focused on music reviews, reactions and commentary tend to give YouTube Music high marks. Well-known channels like Dead End Hip Hop and CalebCity provide favorable critiques of the service and how it has developed over time. As YouTube’s music streaming efforts improve, creators and fans increasingly view it as a top competitor to services like Spotify.
Market Position
YouTube Music is still a relatively new player in the music streaming market, having launched in 2015. However, as a YouTube product it has the advantage of leveraging YouTube’s massive user base. According to Music Streaming Services Stats, the dominant player in music streaming is Spotify, which claims over 30% market share. Apple Music, Amazon Music, and Tencent Music each have around 15% market share. YouTube Music currently sits at around 8% market share.
While still behind Spotify and Apple Music in terms of paid subscribers, YouTube Music’s connection to YouTube gives it an advantage in terms of reach. YouTube itself has over 2 billion monthly active users, allowing YouTube Music to market its paid service to a huge potential customer base. Given YouTube’s brand recognition and enormous audience, many analysts predict continued growth for YouTube Music as it further establishes itself in the market.
Monetization
YouTube Music is an important part of Google’s monetization strategy. Like with Google Play Music, YouTube Music generates revenue through paid subscriptions, advertisements, and limited release content. The main advantage YouTube Music provides is better integration with YouTube’s massive video library and established creator ecosystem.
YouTube Music premium subscriptions offer an ad-free experience, offline downloads, and background listening for $9.99 a month. This is the same pricing model as Google Play Music (source). YouTube Music also has an ad-supported free tier, allowing Google to generate revenue through audio and display ads. The service is likely to have higher ad engagement compared to Google Play thanks to increased music discovery through YouTube’s algorithmic recommendations.
YouTube Music also allows creators to monetize their content through the Partner Program. Creators can earn a share of revenue from ads displayed on their music. However, YouTube Music has stricter monetization eligibility requirements compared to video content. This allows better control over licensing while still providing a new monetization stream for creators.
The Future
YouTube Music has firmly established itself as a major player in music streaming, but what does the future hold for YouTube Music and streaming services in general? According to industry experts, the future looks bright for music streaming with new innovations on the horizon.
One key trend will be the rise of AI-powered recommendations and personalized playlists. As this article predicts, streaming services in 2024 will leverage advanced AI to provide users with hyper-tailored suggestions based on their listening habits and preferences. YouTube Music is well-positioned in this regard, as YouTube’s algorithms are world-class.
Additionally, streaming platforms may utilize blockchain technology and NFTs more extensively. As proposed by Digital Route, smart contracts on the blockchain could facilitate more revenue sharing opportunities for artists. YouTube Music’s vast catalog presents opportunities here.
Interoperability between services is another potential development, per industry analysts. This could involve platforms sharing libraries or otherwise integrating. As a YouTube-owned property, YouTube Music may pursue synergies with other Google services.
YouTube Music seems poised to continue growing its subscriber base and competing for market share against Spotify and Apple Music. With YouTube’s resources and Google’s AI expertise, YouTube Music is in a strong competitive position going forward.
Conclusion
In summary, YouTube Music launched in 2018 as Google’s new premium music streaming service, intending to eventually replace Google Play Music. YouTube Music offers features like customized recommendations, smart search, support for uploads, and integration with YouTube’s massive catalog of remixes, live performances, and music videos. While Google Play Music is still available for now, it is clearly being phased out as users are encouraged to transfer their libraries over to YouTube Music. Reception to YouTube Music has been somewhat mixed, as it still lacks some features from Google Play Music, but it offers a more robust music experience overall. YouTube Music seems poised to compete directly with Spotify, Apple Music, and other top music streaming platforms. The future looks bright for YouTube Music as it continues gaining users and expanding its catalog and features. Only time will tell if it can fully replace Google Play Music and become a real competitor in the crowded music streaming space.