An Explanation of All Google’s Confusing Music Services
Last week Google launched YouTube Music to a few applause, a few groans and a lot of questions: “Don’t they have a music service yet?” In fact, there are several of them: for starters, Google Play Music and YouTube Red. But don’t be fooled – they seem to be separate, but in fact they complement each other.
As for the new YouTube Music , recently unveiled by YouTube Red , Google Play Music and Google Play Store, nobody can accuse you of getting a little confused about where you should listen to music and what you should spend your money on. Add to that the old names of some of these services, such as “YouTube Music Key” (now YouTube Red) and “Google Play Music All Access” (now just Google Play Music, both great examples of how awful Google is at naming) . ) and it’s no wonder people are confused.
However, take another look at the big four and you will see that they really fall into two categories: YouTube and Google Play. The real question is where do you like to get your music and how do you listen to it. This will decide which of these two is best for you. Bonus: if you subscribe to one, you get the second included with your subscription.
YouTube Red and YouTube Music: the perfect choice for music lovers
YouTube Red, a $ 10 a month subscription service , and YouTube Music, a free playlist streaming app , actually complement each other. Think of YouTube Red as an umbrella service: one that removes ads (and supports content creators to some extent ) and will offer exclusive videos to subscribers in the future.
YouTube Music, on the other hand, is a music-focused component of the YouTube Red mobile app, made specifically for those people who use YouTube as a jukebox for remixes, niche music, or playlists. It offers a way to listen to audio only, stream those playlists, and create new ones based on the song or artist you like on the go. Plus, you don’t need to subscribe to YouTube Red to enjoy YouTube Music. A subscription gives you ad-free listening, offline listening, and background streaming – all nice but not necessary.
YouTube Music is for people who already use YouTube as a music service, and there are many people out there who are. They’ve already created playlists based on their favorite genres or artists, but they’ve done it by hand. There is a whole section on YouTube that is completely dedicated to music, not just popular videos posted by VEVO or other official artist accounts . You may have already seen what I’m talking about: remix communities like OCRemix that post tracks behind screensaver-like animations, entire music channels like Artzie Music, and electronic music powerhouses like ApproachingNirvana and ENM with music different artists, and then countless individual bands, DJs and remix artists who publish their work directly to YouTube. Currently, you are just listening, making your own playlist, or using someone else’s. YouTube Music makes it easy to find this and more by simply selecting a song or musician you already like. Plus, because the app is for mobile only, it brings playlist-related experiences to your phone that the YouTube app doesn’t.
While the two services fit together, the YouTube Music app needs some work . It’s new, so it will get better, but it lacks some features and needs to stand out a bit more from the YouTube app itself. I love using it, and I love the playlists it generates and the songs it finds, but a cleaner, more discovery-oriented interface would be nice. However, YouTube is likely to sweeten the bank a bit in the future, as it essentially gives you 14 free days of YouTube Red just to try out the YouTube Music app.
Google Play Music and Google Play Store: stream, save or download your music library and listen anywhere
While YouTube Music and YouTube Red are built specifically for streaming services , Google Play Music and Google Play Store are for people who choose (at least partially) to own their songs and for whom interest-based radio is an occasional fervor rather than passion. They are also intended for people who already have their own music libraries and want to take them with them on the road.
The relationship between Google Play Music and the Google Play Store is a little clearer because they’ve been around for much longer. Google Play Music is a one-stop music service. The Google Play Music banner feature is a catalog of 30 million songs (and growing) and the ability to play up to 50,000 of your own songs. This is a free cloud music locker that you use to take your music with you without paying or buying anything. The Play Store is where you buy songs or download the music that you get with an optional $ 10 / month Google Play subscription. There is even a free ad-supported version of Play Music radio that includes songs available on the Play Store that you can purchase from a menu like Pandora or Spotify Radio. By linking Play Music and the Play Store so closely, Google wants you to download the songs you want to take with you, listen to them whenever you want, and buy new ones from the Play Store with a single tap. If you subscribe, you can listen offline, not to mention ad-free radio, broken down by artist, song, or mood.
Considering how easy it is to make Google Play Music a media player for all your music , both your own and streamed, new and old, it is primarily designed to receive, listen to and manage music , and find new music (a la YouTube Music) as a feature, not a focus.
So what suits your music listening style best?
This brings us back to two important choices: subscribe to YouTube Red (and download YouTube Music) or Google Play Music (and buy from the Play Store?) You don’t have to decide, because if you pay for one, you get the other for free.
If you’re wondering when you will use Google Play Music and when you will use YouTube Music, here is a breakdown:
- If you like Pandora, you will love YouTube Music (and possibly YouTube Red) . Comparing YouTube Music and Pandora is easy as both features let you add your favorite song or artist to stations. Just tell him what you like and relax while the service weaves a tapestry of the tracks you like, right? Both are even free and ad-supported, unless you pay to get rid of them (in the case of Pandora, it’s Pandora One, and in the case of YouTube, it’s YouTube Red). The real difference here is what kind of music you like. get it. Pandora is notorious for recurring stations and a catalog that relies on its relationship with labels. YouTube has to deal with the same relationship, but its library only knows the boundaries of what YouTubers are uploading, which means you’ll likely find more niche genres, remixes, musicians not on Pandora, and more via YouTube Music. … The only problem is that you have to deal with YouTube audio quality (which can be pretty bad at times), an algorithm that is more about promoting popular tracks than learning from your tastes, and no audio-only or background playback. if you don’t pay.
- If you like Spotify, you will love Google Play Music and Play Store . Google Music is already a mature popular music service and a direct competitor to Spotify in terms of features and price. They are not exactly equal, but target the same people. If your preferred listening experience involves a mix of songs you own, songs you want to own, and finding new music to add to your library, Google Play Music has more of what you’re looking for. If you have a subscription, you can listen to whatever you want on the Play Store. If you use a free account and listen to your music, you have the option to buy it from the Play Store whenever you want. Plus, if you listen to music on your desktop computer, the Google Play Music web app makes it more suitable for you than YouTube Music, which (at least for now) is only available on mobile devices. In fact, if you’re already a Spotify user, here’s an in-depth comparison so you can get an idea of what we mean.
Simply put, if you’re already subscribed to a music service, is it more like Pandora or Spotify? Do you prefer more practice or just sit back and listen? Do you prefer niche stuff and remixes, or do you like bigger names? Do you just stream or do you prefer to own and listen offline sometimes?
Each service has its place and meets specific needs. For music nerds like me, I see both services work for me at different times and in different moods, but the bonus is that subscribing to one gives you access to the other. You can’t go wrong either way. Just keep in mind the strengths and weaknesses of each service and, more importantly, how you like your favorite tunes.