Google takes on Spotify and Apple Music with new YouTube Music app
YouTube unveiled its new music app, "YouTube Music," on Tuesday at an event in Los Angeles.
Designed for people who use YouTube as a main source of music, the new music streaming app works closely with traditional YouTube videos, allowing users to switch to an "audio only" version and stream music in the background while they access other apps.
YouTube Music will be free to use, but the free version includes ads, which you can remove by signing in with a YouTube Red membership (more on that below).
The app features a strong emphasis on music discovery, so once you select a song it will begin a playlist of related songs, which sounds like it will be great for those who don't want to craft their own playlists. You can tap a "love" button on any song to influence the following songs in the queue, similar to Pandora.
YouTube Music is also integrated with YouTube's just-announced ad-free video subscription service, YouTube Red, which costs $9.99 per month on Android and desktop, or $12.99 for iOS. A YouTube Red membership extends across other YouTube services including YouTube Music, allowing subscribers to sign in once and enjoy an ad-free experience across YouTube Music, Google Play Music, and YouTube Gaming, its Twitch competitor.
If you use YouTube Music with a YouTube Red membership, you'll also be able to save music offline.
Here's what the YouTube Music app looks like:
