What happened to my songs on Google Music?
In May 2020, Google announced that it would be shutting down Google Play Music by the end of the year and transitioning users to YouTube Music, Google’s other music streaming service 1. Google Play Music launched in 2011 as Google’s answer to services like Spotify and Apple Music, allowing users to stream, purchase, and upload music to the cloud. However, Google decided to consolidate its music services and focus efforts on YouTube Music going forward. The shutdown process began in September 2020 in New Zealand and Australia, with other regions following soon after.
Why Did Google Shut Down Play Music?
In May 2020, Google announced it would be shutting down Google Play Music later in the year. According to a statement from the company, this move was designed to focus their music strategy around YouTube Music, Google’s newer music streaming app that launched in 2018.
There were a few key reasons Google decided to discontinue Play Music (source):
- YouTube already had licensing deals with record labels and publishers for streaming music, so expanding YouTube Music allowed them to consolidate music services under one platform.
- Play Music was struggling to keep pace with competitors like Spotify and Apple Music, while YouTube Music was growing in popularity.
- Transitioning users to YouTube Music gave Google an opportunity to push video alongside audio and hopefully drive greater usage of YouTube.
Essentially, Google wanted to focus their resources on one primary music brand and service. Shutting down Play Music was a strategic decision to bolster YouTube Music and simplify Google’s overall music offering.
What Happened to My Library?
When Google Play Music shut down in December 2020, Google transferred users’ libraries to YouTube Music (source). This included uploaded songs, purchased songs, albums, playlists, and radio stations. So in theory, your full Play Music library should now be available in YouTube Music.
However, some library features did not successfully carry over. Notably, YouTube Music does not have the same advanced organization features, like a flexible folder structure for arranging artists and albums. So any custom organization you had in Play Music was lost. Additionally, YouTube Music does not fully support uploads and purchases in the same seamless way that Play Music did. So you may notice gaps in your transferred library.
What Happened to My Playlists?
When Google Play Music shut down, users were given the option to transfer their playlists over to YouTube Music. However, many users reported issues with incomplete or empty playlists after transferring.
According to a user report on Google’s forums, some playlists transferred with only a fraction of the original tracks while others were completely empty. One user had a playlist on Google Play Music with 72 tracks, but after transferring to YouTube Music, the playlist was empty.
The transfer process seems to have trouble accurately moving over playlists, especially larger ones. Some users found playlist tracks were missing at random, making it difficult to rebuild playlists from scratch.
Unfortunately, there is no easy fix for the failed playlist transfers. The only option is to manually recreate playlists or add missing tracks one by one. For heavy Google Play Music users, this can be an extremely tedious process when transferring numerous playlists.
What About Purchased and Uploaded Songs?
Google allows you to download all of your purchased and uploaded music from Google Play Music before it shuts down. This gives you the ability to transfer your library to another service or store it locally.
Purchased songs can be downloaded in their original DRM-free MP3 format. This allows you to play them on any device, even after Google Play Music shuts down. To download your purchased music library, go to play.google.com/music and click on the menu icon in the top left corner. Select “Settings” then “Download music” to download all your purchased songs.
Uploaded songs can also be downloaded in MP3 format, preserving the metadata and playlists. To download your uploaded music library, visit Google Takeout (takeout.google.com), deselect all data types, and select only “Google Play Music”. Then click “All Play Music data included” and download your archives. This will give you MP3 files of all the music you uploaded.
By downloading your purchased and uploaded libraries before Google Play Music shuts down, you can continue listening to your music collection even after migrating away from Google’s music services. Just be sure to download before the shutdown date.
Limitations of YouTube Music
One of the biggest limitations of YouTube Music compared to Google Play Music is the inability to upload your own song files. With Google Play Music, users could upload up to 50,000 of their own songs to the cloud and listen across devices. This allowed people to listen to rare tracks, live versions, remixes, and other audio files not available on streaming services. However, YouTube Music currently does not support song uploads at all.
According to FreeYourMusic, YouTube Music also has a 100,000 library limit, whereas Google Play Music supported up to 500,000 songs. For users with large personal libraries, this imposes restrictions on how much music can actually be added to YouTube Music. There are also concerns around YouTube Music’s handling of metadata like album art and proper organization of compilation albums or multi-disc sets. Overall, the lack of support for uploaded content and smaller library limits demonstrates key missing features compared to Google Play Music.
Alternatives to YouTube Music
If you are looking to move away from YouTube Music, there are several alternative streaming music services worth considering. Pandora offers listeners customized radio stations based on artists and songs they like. The free version has ads, but you can upgrade to Pandora Plus or Pandora Premium for an ad-free experience. Another popular option is Spotify, which offers a huge library of music and podcasts. Spotify has both free and paid subscription tiers, with the premium version providing higher audio quality and offline listening. Those invested in the Apple ecosystem may want to look into Apple Music, which seamlessly integrates with iOS devices and provides radio stations, playlists, and access to a vast catalog of songs.
Some other services to research are TIDAL, Amazon Music, SoundCloud, and Deezer. Take some time to explore the different features, pricing, and music libraries of each to find the best alternative for your needs and preferences. The key is finding a service that provides the music, features, and experience you want without all the limitations imposed by YouTube Music.
How to Download Your Google Play Data
With the shutdown of Google Play Music approaching, it’s important to download your data before it becomes inaccessible. Here are the steps to download your Play Music library:
1. Go to Google Takeout
Head to takeout.google.com and make sure you are logged into your Google account that is associated with Play Music.
2. Deselect All
By default, Google Takeout will select every Google service associated with your account. Make sure to deselect all and start with a blank slate.
3. Select “Google Play Music”
Check the box next to “Google Play Music” then scroll to the bottom and click “All Play Music data included.” This will make sure you get your entire music library.
4. Choose Export Format
Under “Export at the bottom,” choose “Export once” then select “.zip” as your format. This will allow you to download your music library as a zip file.
5. Click “Create Export”
Once you’ve customized your export, click “Create Export” at the bottom of the page. Google will prepare your download zip file and email you when it’s ready, usually within 1-2 days.
Tips for Transferring to YouTube Music
Transferring your library from Google Play Music to YouTube Music can seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. Here are some tips for making the transition as smooth as possible:
First, start by downloading the YouTube Music app and signing into your Google account. Then go to music.youtube.com/transfer to initiate the transfer process. Google says it can take multiple days for the transfer to fully complete.
While waiting for your uploads and purchases to transfer, you can upload your local music files to YouTube Music using the desktop upload feature. This ensures you don’t lose access to any songs. According to Google, songs uploaded to YouTube Music don’t count against your Google storage quota.
Recreate your playlists in YouTube Music using the “Add similar songs” button to auto-populate them. Or if you want your exact playlists, you can export them from Google Play Music as .csv files and import them into YouTube Music.
Get accustomed to YouTube Music’s interface by exploring its tabs, menus, and settings. Customize your library, enable offline downloads, and set up your streaming quality preferences.
Finally, once the transfer is fully complete, double check that all your content moved over accurately. Don’t hesitate to reach out to Google support if you encounter any issues.
Conclusion
As we’ve seen, Google’s decision to shut down Google Play Music in favor of YouTube Music has caused frustration for many former Play Music users. When Google shut down Play Music in late 2020, user libraries and playlists did not automatically transfer to YouTube Music. While purchased and uploaded songs can be downloaded, the process is tedious. Playlists and libraries must be manually recreated in YouTube Music, which lacks some key features that Play Music offered.
The shutdown was likely an attempt to consolidate Google’s music services and migrate users to YouTube Music. However, many users are unhappy with the change due to missing features, difficulties transferring libraries, and a confusing user experience in YouTube Music. While alternatives like Spotify exist, transferring libraries can still be a challenge.
For those still clinging to Google Play Music, the service is now definitively gone. The best course of action is to download any purchased or uploaded content, manually rebuild playlists in YouTube Music or an alternative, and hopefully find a new home for your music library.