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ENTERTAINMENT - MUSIC - 27.09.2018

YouTube Music: worthwhile?

Google recently launched a new service, YouTube Music. Is this music streaming service better than its competitors? We’ve taken an indepth look.

What is it?

YouTube Music ( https://music.youtube.com ) can be run in a browser or via an app (for iOS and Android). The service is linked to your Google account so that the musical suggestions it makes are in line with your profile. The fact that Google knows a lot about its users is a major asset according to its developers. Account is taken not only of your searches but also of your current location. For instance, at the gym the service will suggest songs which are ideal for workouts. YouTube Music gets to know you better the more you use the service. It goes without saying that you can create your own playlists too.

How much does it cost?

YouTube Music is free, but you will get ads. Or you can opt for YouTube Music Premium ( https://music.youtube.com/music_premium ). It costs €9.99 or £8.90 per month (web and Android) or €12.99 or £11.50 per month (iOS), but you can try out this plan for a month free of charge. It offers the following advantages:

Ad-free music. Tip. We succeeded in circumventing the ad in the free web-based version by enabling an ad blocker.
Background play. Your music won’t stop playing when you lock your screen or use other apps on your smartphone (unlike in the free version).
Audio mode without video (only in the mobile app). This is a useful function to limit data usage on your smartphone.
Downloading songs to play offline.

Tip. As with Spotify and Apple Music, there’s a family subscription at €14.99 or £13.35 per month for up to six family members.

Music plus video

YouTube Red was the paid variant of the regular YouTube which allowed you to save videos offline, play content in the background (on mobile devices) and watch exclusive shows. However, this formula was never available in the UK.

A new combination. With the introduction of YouTube Music, YouTube Red has been replaced by YouTube Premium ( https://www.youtube.com/premium ). This package combines the advantages of YouTube Red with those of YouTube Music Premium for €11.99 or £10.70 per month (web and Android) or €15.99 or £14.00 per month (iOS). Here again, there is a free trial period, as well as a family subscription (€17.99 or £16 per month).

YouTube Originals? If you subscribe to YouTube Premium, you’re given access to the YouTube Originals series. This is comparable with the offers of Netflix or Amazon Prime Video, but much less comprehensive. Check out the current offer at https://goo.gl/oABfP4 .

Spotify and Apple Music?

For a comparison of YouTube Music, Spotify and Apple Music, take a look at Pocket-Lint ( https://bit.ly/2x4us2w ). It appears that all these services are comparable in terms of music offer and price, although Spotify does offer higher bitrates and hence a better audio quality. This means that satisfied users are not likely to make the switch to another service. However, an asset of YouTube Music is that it also offers videos and music added by users: concert recordings, remixes, covers, etc.

Try out YouTube Music Premium for one month free of charge to find out whether the extra features (“intelligent” suggestions, and music/videos posted by users) warrant a switch from your usual music-streaming service.