Google introduces YouTube Music and YouTube Premium

YouTube Premium Music

Google’s is introducing two new services, YouTube Music and YouTube Premium, available in select locations starting Tuesday, May 22. 

What is YouTube Music?

Beginning next week, Google’s launching YouTube Music Premium, a paid service that offers background listening, downloads, and an ad-free listening experience. Priced at $9.99 per month, this subscription will eventually replace Google Play Music. Until then, subscribers will have access to both services.

The free YouTube Music will continue to exist and include content with ads.

What is YouTube Premium?

Beyond music, Google’s also rebranding YouTube Red. The renamed YouTube Premium service will offer ad-free, background, and offline video access across all devices. Additionally, it offers YouTube Originals.

Here’s where things get dicey.

YouTube Premium includes YouTube Music Premium. If you are a current YouTube Red customer, you can continue to enjoy both services at your current price, which is most likely $9.99 per month.

For new members, the price of the YouTube Premium service is $11.99 per month.

In other words (stay with me here), new users will be paying $2 more per month for YouTube Premium, as opposed to a YouTube Music Premium.

Tip: Buy a YouTube Red subscription before Tuesday and you’ll save.

Availability

YouTube Music Premium launches first in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, and South Korea, while Austria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom will get it soon.

You can find the current list of countries that offer YouTube Premium and YouTube Music Premium on the YouTube website.

Confused? Google has released the following chart to help you better understand the new offerings:

You can download the YouTube app and Google Play Music app on the App Store for free.

We’ll let you know more about YouTube Premium and YouTube Music once we take it for a test drive. In the meantime, what do you think of Google’s new plans? Let us know below.