YouTube Plans To Take On Spotify With Its Own Subscription-Based Music Service
YouTube is readying its own subscription music service that could launch in the coming months
By Sadho Ram — 24 Oct 2013, 10:39 PM — Updated almost 11 years ago
YouTube is developing its own premium subscription on-demand music service
Set to launch later this year, the offering would be mobile-focused and give users the option of listening for free or paying to have unlimited access to the service’s full catalog of tracks.
YouTube already secured most of the licenses it needs to launch a music service earlier this year, beginning with Warner Music Group in March, followed by Sony Music Entertainment and Universal Music Group, Billboard reported.
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Google, YouTube's parent, already offers a subscription service, its Play All Access, with music from the major labels and indies. Premium features would include unlimited streaming without ads, and the ability to cache music for offline periods.
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Matt McLernon, a spokesman for YouTube, provided this statement:
“We’re always working on new and better ways for people to enjoy YouTube content across all screens, and on giving partners more opportunities to reach their fans. However, we have nothing to announce at this time.”
Here’s what Billboard is saying:
Both of the free and paid versions allow unlimited access to the music on YouTube, but the difference is whether or not you get ads.
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It’s also said that if YouTube goes the route of a premium service, it might give the service more flexibility in how it packages the music and potentially help with any licensing fees.
Billboard claims that the premium music service could make its debut when YouTube reveals its redesigned mobile app that will give users “a simple, clean interface in which to listen to music, create custom playlists, and watch videos at the same time.”
How much would this music service cost you? That remains a mystery.
Currently, the only way to watch (official) music videos on YouTube requires sifting through countless covers from wanna-be popstars. But with a dedicated music video section — similar to the Google’s joint venture with Universal Music Group’s Vevo — YouTube could rake in all the advertising profits, instead of having to split them 50/50.
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