Here’s why Google thinks doubters will love YouTube Music

Google’s taking a big gamble with its new YouTube Music streaming project. The company’s lumping Google Play Music with YouTube’s wealth of music in a new product aimed at Spotify and Apple Music.

But many aren’t happy with the news. (As a Google Play Music user, I certainly am not.)

The company’s wholly aware of this sentiment though, and on Tuesday published a list of features that will hopefully win over doubters.

For one, it suggests that the library — thanks to YouTube’s wealth of music videos — will be enormous.

Users will have access to “official albums, singles, remixes, live performances, covers and hard-to-find music you can only get on YouTube” in addition to music videos.

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YouTube Music’s playlist and recommendations will be bolstered too.

The app promises to have “a home screen that dynamically adapts to provide recommendations based on what you’ve played before, where you are and what you’re doing”.

It’ll all be plugged into Google Assistant, so you can ask the app to play “that rap song with the flute” if you really can’t remember what its title is.

And like Google Play Music: “Paid members can download music and listen ad-free and in the background. Plus, your Offline Mixtape automatically downloads songs you love just in case you forgot to.”

Notably “nothing will change” for Google Play Music. “You’ll still be able to access and add to all of your purchased music, uploads and playlists in Google Play,” it claims.

What will fall away is the app, replaced eventually by YouTube Music on mobile and desktop.

“We can’t wait for music fans across the globe to get their hands on YouTube Music!” the firm concluded.

There’s no confirmed date of release for YouTube Music in South Africa, but is this week rolling out to those in select countries.

Feature image: YouTube Music