Google Play Music to offer new $14.99 family plan later this year

Google Play Music Family plan image 001

Ahead of Apple Music launch tomorrow following its three-month trial period, Google at today’s event announced that its own subscription-music service, called Google Play Music, will offer a new family plan later this year.

Like Apple Music, Google’s service costs $9.99 per month. As you know, Apple Music also offers a $14.99 per month subscription for families up to six. While Google has yet to reveal a precise timeframe for upcoming family tiers, it did confirm the pricing.

As you might have guessed already, up to six people will be able to use one Google Play Music account in exchange for a shared fee of $14.99 a month.

Google has multiple music offerings that need consolidating.

In addition to Google Play Music with scan-and-match capability and free radio stations, the company also operates Google Play Music All Access and YouTube.

As if that weren’t enough, last November they unveiled YouTube Music Key, a monthly subscription service tied to YouTube which provides background play, offline viewing, ad-free experience and other perks for $9.99 per month.

Google Play Music free radio station teaser 001

Making matters even more confusing, it appears that YouTube will be using ad-free video viewing to sell its music service.

According to Peter Kafka of Re/code, YouTube intends to bundle two different services into one offering:

  • An update of its music service, which it launched in beta as YouTube Music Key last fall
  • Another service, yet to launch, that will give users the ability to watch anything on YouTube without seeing ads.

Video industry sources said Google intends to charge $10 a month for the combined offering, which should launch near the end of October.

Count us confused.

Source: Google