YouTube execs have finally announced the long-awaited revamp for YouTube Music that they say will eventually replace Google Play Music. In interviews with Recode, CNET and USA Today, they revealed the new YouTube Music will soft-launch next Tuesday with a $10 subscription packages (you can sign up now for updates right here).
Similar to its previous iteration, the focus here will be on personalization that tries to learn what music you like, but this time it’s pushing music videos to the background in favor of audio. The personalization will naturally tie into Google Assistant AI, and pull from a subscriber’s YouTube history to serve up suggestions. Google Play Music will remain for now, but the plan is to “close gaps” between services like YouTube Music’s lack of a music locker for users to upload their tunes before GPM goes away at some unspecified point in the future — YouTube exec T. Jay Fowler told USA Today it could as far away as 2019. Read more
While fans can enjoy the new ad-supported version of YouTube Music for free, we’re also launching YouTube Music Premium, a paid membership that gives you background listening, downloads and an ad-free experience for $9.99 a month. If you are a subscriber to Google Play Music, good news, you get a YouTube Music Premium membership as part of your subscription each month. And if you use Google Play Music, nothing will change — you’ll still be able to access all of your purchased music, uploads and playlists in Google Play Music just like always. Read more
