Spotify has over 170 million users and 75 million of them are paid subscribers. Google unveiled YouTube Music to compete against Spotify and jump into the massive music streaming service market where Spotify is the clearcut leader and owns 36% of worldwide subscribers.
Google revealed YouTube Music, their revamped music streaming service; and YouTube Music Premium, a brand new ad-free streaming service. YouTube Music already existed, but Google overhauled the free music service that will have commercials. They also announced the ad-free Premium version that will allow background listening, downloads for offline listening and will cost $9.99 per month, which is the exact same model and pricing as Spotify and Apple Music. Google calls the new service as “all the ways music moves you can be found in one place” and will be available on May 22.
YouTube Music and YouTube Music Premium will offer users access to thousands of playlists, albums, remixes, covers, live versions, and music videos. Both versions will offer a desktop and mobile app that feature a “dynamic home screen” which will provide listening recommendations based on several factors.
The AI on YouTube Music will recommend new music based on your history, activity, and even your location. So if you’re on vacation in Jamaica, YouTube Music may suggest “Sun Is Shining” by Bob Marley or if you hit the gym the service might recommend Andrew W.K.’s “Never Let Down” to pump you up for your workout.
YouTube Music is selling their service with the notion that the service will allow users to find music with the power of Google Search. Users will be able to search for songs by lyrics or even vague descriptions such as “that hipster song with the whistling.”
Google also introduced the similarly named YouTube Premium, which is different from YouTube Music Premium. YouTube Premium is a video streaming service that replaces YouTube Red. YouTube Premium gives you everything YouTube Music Premium offers plus the YouTube Originals library of video content and will cost $11.99 per month. Whether YouTube Music is able to be the Spotify killer that Google hopes is yet to be seen, but it does offer some rather promising features.
[TheVerge]