YouTube MusicYouTube Music playing "The Star-Spangled Banner" in 2023DeveloperYouTubeKey peopleNeal Mohan (YouTube CEO)T. Jay Fowler (Director of Product Management)Lyor Cohen (Global Head of YouTube & Music)TypeMusic and Video StreamingLaunch dateNovember 12, 2015; 9 years ago (2015-11-12)Platform(s)AndroidiOSChromeOSWear OSGoogle NestSonosAndroid TVAndroid AutoWatchOSWebaudioOSTeslaMembers125 million paid subscribers (as of March 2025[update])[1]Availability119 countries and territories; mostly in the Americas, Europe and Oceania, and in parts of Africa and Asia (see full list)Websitemusic.youtube.com
YouTube Music is a music streaming service developed by the American video platform YouTube, a subsidiary of Google. The service is designed with an interface that allows users to simultaneously explore music audios and music videos from YouTube-based genres, playlists and recommendations. On December 1, 2020, YouTube Music replaced Google Play Music as Google's primary brand for music streaming. In April 2023, the service expanded its offerings to include support for podcasts[2] shortly before Google Podcasts was shut down.
YouTube Music also features a premium tier that provides several benefits to paying subscribers. These include ad-free playback, the ability to play audio in the background, and the option to download songs for offline listening. These benefits are also bundled with and ailable to subscribers of YouTube Premium.
History[edit]The YouTube Music app was unveiled in October 2015 and released the following month; its release came alongside the unveiling of YouTube Premium (originally called YouTube Red), a larger subscription service that covers the entirety of the YouTube platform, including the Music app. Although redundant to Google's existing Google Play Music All Access subscription service, the app was designed for users who primarily consume music through YouTube.[3][4]
On May 17, 2018, YouTube announced a new version of the YouTube Music service, including a web-based desktop player and redesigned mobile app, more dynamic recommendations based on various factors, and Google artificial intelligence technology to search songs based on lyrics and descriptions. In addition, YouTube Music became a separate subscription service (positioned as a more direct competitor to Apple Music and Spotify), offering ad-free and background/audio-only streaming, and downloading for offline playback, for music content on YouTube. The service's benefits continued to be ailable as part of the existing YouTube Premium service and to Google Play Music All Access subscribers. The YouTube Music subscription was priced in line with its competitors at US$9.99 per month; the price of YouTube Premium was concurrently increased to $11.99 for new subscribers.[5][6]
In 2018, YouTube Music reached multiple sponsorship agreements with Dick Clark Productions to serve as a partner for its television specials Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve and the American Music Awards.[7][8]
YouTube Music became ailable on Google Assistant smart speakers (including Google Nest smart speakers) on April 18, 2019, with feature-limited ad-supported playback ailable for non-subscribers in only a limited number of countries.[9]
On July 8, 2024, YouTube Music was updated in Canada to prevent background play unless the user subscribes to YouTube Music or YouTube Premium, bringing it to the same experience in most countries.[10] In July 2024, YouTube Music became ailable on Tesla cars.[11]
Features[edit]The ailability of music includes many releases from mainstream artists and extends to any video categorized as music on the YouTube service.
YouTube Music initially operated parallel with Google Play Music, but the latter was shut down in December 2020.[12] Product manager Elias Roman stated in 2018 that they aimed to reach feature parity with Google Play Music before migrating users to it, but as of 2024 this has not been achieved.[13][14][15]
In September 2019, YouTube Music replaced Google Play Music in the core Google Mobile Services bundle distributed on new Android devices.[16][17] In May 2020, an update was released to allow imports from Google Play Music, including purchased music, playlists, cloud libraries, and recommendations.[18]
A "pre-se" feature for upcoming releases was added in May 2020.[19]
In 2021, YouTube Music introduced a seasonal recap feature, which serves as a culmination of a user's top artists, songs, albums and playlists, in a similar style to Spotify Wrapped.[20]
In February 2023, YouTube Music launched Radio Builder, a free and from anywhere accessible web service for both paying subscribers and free users with iOS or Android devices. It allows users to create a custom radio station, selecting up to 30 artists with an option to hear only their songs or from comparable musicians.[21][22][23]
In April 2023, podcasts were added to the service, initially for users in the US only with a worldwide rollout planned at a later date.[2][24] Google Podcasts was shut down worldwide in June 2024 with YouTube Music replacing it.[25][26]
Subscriptions[edit]The free tier plays songs in its music video version where applicable. The premium tier plays official tracks of the album unless the user searches for the music video version. YouTube Music Premium and YouTube Premium subscribers can switch to an audio-only mode that can play in the background while the application is not in use. The free tier does not allow audio-only mode with background playback as it displays video advertisements.[4]
The free tier's audio quality supports up to 128 kbit/s, in AAC and Opus audio formats.[27] In July 2024, YouTube rolled out an additional high quality option, 256 kbit/s Opus and AAC, to premium subscribers.[27]
YouTube Music Premium and YouTube Premium plans are ailable in individual and family variants. A family plan allows up to six family members from the same household to access plan features. Eligible students can obtain a discount on an individual plan.
Subscription tiers Ads Skipping and scrubbing Offline mode Background playback Audio quality Music Free Yes Unlimited Podcast only Podcast only 50, 70, 128 kbit/s VBR Opus 48 kbit/s HE-AAC, 128 kbit/s CBR AAC[27] Music Premium No Unlimited Available Available All free tier qualities, including 256 kbit/s AAC & Opus[27] Premium No Unlimited Available Available All free tier qualities, including 256 kbit/s AAC & Opus[27] Geographic ailability[edit]As of March 2024, YouTube Music is ailable in most of the Americas, Europe and Oceania, as well as parts of Africa and Asia, with a total ailability in 119 markets.[28] Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Google indefinitely suspended all of its all payment and subscription-based services in the country, including YouTube Music.[29][30]
Countries where YouTube Music is ailable (as of March 2024[update]) History of expansion Date Countries/regions Ref. May 22, 2018 Australia Mexico New Zealand South Korea (paid only) United States [31][32] June 18, 2018 Austria Canada Finland France Germany Ireland Italy Norway Russia (suspended on March 10, 2022 until further notice) Spain Sweden United Kingdom [33][34][32] August 29, 2018 Belgium Netherlands Denmark Luxembourg [35] September 26, 2018 Brazil [36] November 14, 2018 Chile Colombia Japan Peru Portugal Switzerland Ukraine [37] March 13, 2019 Argentina Bolivia Costa Rica Dominican Republic Ecuador El Salvador Guatemala Honduras India Nicaragua Panama Paraguay South Africa Uruguay [38] May 16, 2019 Bulgaria Cyprus Czech Republic Hungary North Macedonia Poland Romania [39] July 17, 2019 Bosnia & Herzegovina Croatia Estonia Greece Iceland Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Malta Serbia Slovakia Slovenia Turkey [40][41] September 11, 2019 Bahrain Israel Kuwait Lebanon Oman Qatar Saudi Arabia United Arab Emirates [42][43] November 6, 2019 Hong Kong Indonesia Malaysia Philippines Singapore Taiwan Thailand [44][45] March 10, 2020 Nigeria Turks and Caicos Islands Venezuela [46] June 10, 2020 American Samoa Aruba Belarus Bermuda Cayman Islands Egypt French Guiana French Polynesia Guadeloupe Guam Northern Mariana Islands Papua New Guinea Puerto Rico U.S. Virgin Islands [47][48] April 12, 2023 Vietnam [49] August 2, 2023 Bangladesh Nepal Pakistan Sri Lanka [50][51][52] December 5, 2023 Algeria Cambodia Georgia Ghana Iraq Jordan Kenya Laos Senegal Tunisia [53][54][55][56] March 14, 2024 Azerbaijan Jamaica Kazakhstan Libya Morocco Réunion Tanzania Uganda Yemen Zimbabwe [57][58][59] See also[edit] Internet portalMusic portal Comparison of music streaming services List of podcast clients References[edit] ^ Cohen, Lyor (March 5, 2025). "20 years & 125 million subscribers later…". YouTube Official Blog. Retrieved March 6, 2025. ^ a b Malik, Aisha (April 27, 2023). "YouTube Music officially rolls out podcasts for listeners in the US". TechCrunch. Archived from the original on April 27, 2023. Retrieved April 27, 2023. ^ "Exclusive: An inside look at the new ad-free YouTube Red". The Verge. Archived from the original on April 4, 2019. Retrieved May 17, 2018. ^ a b "YouTube Music isn't perfect, but it's still heen for music nerds". Engadget. November 12, 2015. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved November 7, 2016. ^ "New YouTube Music Premium costs $9.99 monthly, add $2 to get all Red perks". Ars Technica. Archived from the original on July 9, 2018. Retrieved May 18, 2018. ^ "Google announces YouTube Music and YouTube Premium". The Verge. Archived from the original on August 14, 2020. Retrieved May 17, 2018. ^ Spangler, Todd (August 22, 2018). "YouTube Music Signs American Music Awards Two-Year Title Sponsorship Deal". Variety. Archived from the original on October 10, 2018. Retrieved October 10, 2018. ^ Hayes, Dade (November 13, 2018). "YouTube Music And Dick Clark Productions Extend Partnership For 'New Year's Rockin' Eve With Ryan Seacrest'". Deadline. Archived from the original on November 20, 2018. Retrieved November 19, 2018. ^ "YouTube Music is now free with ads on Google Home devices". TechCrunch. April 18, 2019. Retrieved April 18, 2019. ^ "Reddit Post". May 30, 2024. ^ McNeal, Ryan (July 3, 2024). "YouTube Music is cruising its way into your Tesla with native app". Android Authority. Retrieved November 12, 2024. ^ "Info about the Google Play Music phase-out". Google. Archived from the original on December 19, 2020. Retrieved November 7, 2020. ^ "YouTube Music will eventually get Google Play Music's best features, including user uploads". The Verge. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved May 24, 2018. ^ Amadeo, Ron (August 4, 2020). "Google Music shutdown starts this month, music deleted in December". Ars Technica. Archived from the original on January 25, 2021. Retrieved September 11, 2020. ^ Amadeo, Ron (June 24, 2020). "With YouTube Music, Google is holding my speakers for ransom". Ars Technica. Archived from the original on February 7, 2021. Retrieved September 11, 2020. ^ Welch, Chris (September 27, 2019). "YouTube Music will now come preinstalled on Android devices". The Verge. Archived from the original on September 24, 2020. Retrieved October 8, 2019. ^ "YouTube Music will be preinstalled on Android 10 and new Android 9 devices". TechCrunch. September 27, 2019. Archived from the original on October 8, 2019. Retrieved October 8, 2019. ^ Welch, Chris (May 12, 2020). "YouTube Music can finally import your library and uploads from Google Play Music". The Verge. Archived from the original on October 18, 2020. Retrieved May 15, 2020. ^ Al-Heeti, Abrar. "YouTube Music now lets you pre-se albums". CNET. Archived from the original on August 11, 2020. Retrieved June 12, 2020. ^ Forristal, Lauren. "YouTube Music introduces seasonal recap playlists". TechCrunch. Retrieved April 12, 2025. ^ "YouTube Music will let you make your own custom radio stations / You". The Verge. February 21, 2023. Archived from the original on February 23, 2023. Retrieved February 23, 2023. ^ "With 'Radio Builder', create your own custom station on YouTube Music: All you need to know". Hindustan Times. February 23, 2023. Archived from the original on February 23, 2023. Retrieved February 23, 2023. ^ "YouTube Music launches 'Radio Builder' feature, allowing users to create custom stations based on forite artists". Business Insider. February 22, 2023. Archived from the original on February 23, 2023. Retrieved February 23, 2023. ^ Chan, J. Clara (February 25, 2023). "YouTube's Podcast Play Comes Into Focus Amid Skepticism From Creators". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 26, 2023. Retrieved February 26, 2023. ^ "Farewell Google Podcasts". RadioInfo Australia. June 26, 2024. Retrieved October 18, 2024. ^ "YouTube gets 'Your podcasts' page as Google Podcasts shuts down internationally". Times of India. June 25, 2024. Retrieved October 18, 2024. ^ a b c d e "Youtube Format IDs". GitHub. ^ "Where is YouTube Music ailable?". YouTube Music Help. Retrieved October 23, 2024. ^ "YouTube, Google Play suspend payment-based services in Russia". Reuters. March 10, 2022. ^ "Which Music Industry Companies Are Leing Russia? Here's a Complete List". Digital Music News. March 11, 2022. ^ "Introducing YouTube Premium". YouTube Official Blog. May 17, 2018. ^ a b Deahl, Dani (June 18, 2018). "YouTube Music and YouTube Premium officially launch in US, Canada, UK, and other countries". The Verge. Archived from the original on June 18, 2018. Retrieved June 18, 2018. ^ "YouTube Music and YouTube Premium launch in 17 countries: It's all here". YouTube Official Blog. June 18, 2018. ^ Gao, Richard (June 18, 2018). "YouTube Premium and Music launch today in 17 countries, including Canada and 11 European countries". Android Police. Archived from the original on June 19, 2018. Retrieved June 18, 2018. ^ El Khoury, Rita (August 29, 2018). "YouTube Premium and Music Premium are now ailable in The Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, and Luxembourg". Android Police. ^ El Khoury, Rita (September 26, 2018). "YouTube Premium and Music Premium launch in Brazil". Android Police. ^ Ivan (November 14, 2018). "YouTube Premium and Music Premium expand to seven new countries". GSMArena. Archived from the original on April 24, 2019. Retrieved November 17, 2018. ^ Wilde, Damien (March 13, 2019). "YouTube Music and Premium rolling out to 14 nations including India, South Africa". 9to5Google. ^ Dwivedi, Roshan (May 16, 2019). "YouTube Premium now ailable in 7 European countries". Muvi One. ^ El Khoury, Rita (July 17, 2019). "YouTube Premium and Music launch in 13 new countries, now ailable in more than 60". Android Police. ^ King, Ashley (July 18, 2019). "YouTube Premium and YouTube Music Add 13 More Countries to Reach 63 Total — But Adoption Remains Weak". Digital Music News. ^ "YouTube Premium and Music expand to 8 new countries in the Middle East". Android Central. September 11, 2019. Archived from the original on December 1, 2020. Retrieved September 13, 2019. ^ El Khoury, Rita (September 11, 2019). "YouTube Premium and Music launch in 8 new countries in the Middle East". Android Police. ^ El Khoury, Rita (November 6, 2019). "YouTube Premium and Music launch in 7 Asian markets". Android Police. ^ England, Jason (November 6, 2019). "YouTube Premium and Music expand to seven new regions in Asia". Android Central. ^ Wang, Jules (March 10, 2020). "YouTube Premium and Music now ailable in Nigeria, Turks and Caicos Islands, Venezuela". Android Police. ^ Michail (June 10, 2020). "YouTube Premium and Music now ailable in 14 more countries". GSMArena. Archived from the original on October 3, 2020. Retrieved June 3, 2021. ^ Mohan, Babu (June 11, 2020). "YouTube Premium and Music are now ailable in 14 new markets". Android Central. ^ Quy, Luu (April 12, 2023). "YouTube Premium rolls out in Vietnam". VnExpress International. ^ "YouTube Premium launched in Bangladesh at BDT 239 per month". The Daily Star. August 3, 2023. ^ "YouTube Premium and YouTube Music arrive in Pakistan". The Express Tribune. August 2, 2023. ^ "YouTube Premium is now ailable in Sri Lanka". ReadME Sri Lanka. August 2, 2023. ^ Abodalo, Liliana (December 12, 2023). "YouTube Music & Premium expands to Algeria, Jordan, Iraq and Tunisia". Google Blog (Mideast & North Africa). ^ Awofisayo, Addy (December 6, 2023). "YouTube Music & Premium land in Kenya, Senegal, and Ghana". Google Blog (Africa). ^ Li, Abner (December 18, 2023). "YouTube Premium and Music Premium launching in 10 more countries". 9to5Google. ^ Keverenge, Hillary (December 6, 2023). "YouTube Premium lands in Kenya for Kshs 499 per month". Android Kenya. Retrieved December 6, 2023. ^ Abodalo, Liliana (March 18, 2024). "YouTube Music & Premium expands to Morocco, Libya and Yemen". Google Blog (Mideast & North Africa). ^ Mathur, Chandreer (March 14, 2024). "YouTube Premium expands to 10 new countries, including 1 in North America". Android Police. ^ "YouTube Premium now ailable in 10 more countries". GSMArena. March 14, 2024. 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