With YouTube Music Premium, everything started with Google. 

Not very original since many things started with Google, you might say. But let’s move on!

In 2020, Google Music and YouTube Music merged to form a single entity. It is called YouTube Music Premium and intends to conquer a streaming market full of promises. And they are succeeding, little by little.

The TechCrunch website reports that in November 2022, YouTube Music reached the 80 million user mark worldwide. 

An impressive figure especially considering that the service has gained 30 million additional users in just one year. Of course, Spotify and Apple Music are still ahead. But if YouTube Music Premium continues to grow at such a rate, it could change in the next few years.

According to Earthweb, YouTube Music mainly attracts the millennials and Gen Z segment. Two young, tech-savvy targets expected to dictate market trends in the coming years. It’s a rather clever positioning that should ensure a bright future for YouTube Music!

YouTube Music Premium: Prices and subscription

YouTube Music Premium does not stand out from its competitors in terms of price. However, it offers a consistent and balanced package at $10.99 per month for an individual subscription and $16.99 per month for a subscription that allows six different people to use the same subscription.

A nice feature: if you take out a YouTube Music Premium subscription and pay an extra $2 (or $12.99 per month), you’ll have access to YouTube Premium. You won’t have to deal with the ads at the beginning of some YouTube videos. It will save time and make you less irritated by those multiple ads.

Another option unlocked with a YouTube Premium subscription is playing YouTube songs and videos in the background. You’ve all been frustrated that the YouTube video you watch on your smartphone stops when you exit the app. Signing up for a YouTube Music Premium subscription allows the video to run in the background. Even when scrolling through your social networks!

If you don’t want to pay for a subscription, you should also know that YouTube Music can be used without spending a dollar but with ads.

YouTube Music Premium has therefore thought its offer in the logic of Amazon’s, with its Prime subscription and the possibility to subscribe to Amazon Music Unlimited for a few extra dollars.

While this may seem logical, this strategy confirms that “global” offers designed by web giants like Amazon, YouTube, or Google are taking over the market. They are shaking Spotify’s dominant position and nibbling away at the market share of other streaming services, such as TIDAL, Qobuz, or Deezer.

Without getting too far ahead of ourselves, we are almost sure that in the next few years, with the emergence of these “super offers”, the streaming market will be completely reshuffled. Spotify is well aware of this and is investing a lot of money in improving its application and adapting it to the trends.

How much does YouTube Music Premium pay artists?

The website Whipped Cream Sounds has made a particularly eloquent graph to illustrate the differences in revenue between the different streaming platforms. Based on a study by igroovemusic, their chart clearly shows that YouTube is among the worst performers. We have taken the liberty of pasting the graph below. 

With its rapid expansion, YouTube Music can maybe make a little effort for the remuneration of artists. At Soundiiz, this is a crucial component, so we systematically include a dedicated section in our various comparisons.

YouTube Music Premium: Catalog

It is undoubtedly the main asset of the service. YouTube Music Premium is one of the most effective services in this field. It also lets you enjoy many concerts and videos without ads and interruptions.

The statistics rank YouTube Music below Apple Music, Amazon Music, or Deezer but at the same level as Spotify.

Almost all the songs on YouTube are available on YouTube Music Premium. We’ve all done it at least once: listen to a little-known song only on YouTube because it’s not available on our streaming apps. With YouTube Music Premium, you can access almost all the music available worldwide, plain and simple.

User experience

As for the presentation of the application itself, nothing surprising or revolutionary. Like almost all streaming services, you’ll find a home page, a library section, and a discovery section, which suggests music according to your listening habits.

YouTube Music Premium’s algorithm is less efficient than Spotify’s. But it still considers the videos you liked on YouTube and your various searches.

Also, since YouTube and Google go hand in hand, the search engine built into the application is very efficient, and you should be able to find the song, album, or live performance you want within seconds.

Another cool feature: YouTube Music, linked to Google, can detect where and when you use its services. For example, if you’re working out, it will suggest energetic playlists tailored to you. On the other hand, if it’s late at night, you may see playlists with relaxing music. It may seem a little overwhelming to some, but it can also be a pretty cool experience!

YouTube Music is also at the forefront of “search by lyrics”. You’ll be able to find that famous song you know the chorus to but don’t know the name of more quickly than anywhere else. And then add it to your playlist!

Audio quality

It is the biggest drawback of the service. YouTube Music Premium does not offer to listen to sound in optimal audio quality. Its direct competitors, such as Apple Music or TIDAL, have made significant efforts in this area and therefore seem more suitable for audiophiles.

Let’s hope that YouTube Music can catch up!

Let’s sum it up!

YouTube Music Premium is not yet as complete as its competitors. It still needs more depth regarding podcasts and radios and doesn’t allow you to listen to high-resolution music. On the other hand, its search system is very efficient. Its catalog of songs, albums, concerts, and videos is among the best on the market.

The service is still relatively new in its current form. However, coupled with the power of Google’s algorithm and the colossal resources invested, YouTube Music Premium will become an increasingly important player in the streaming world in the coming years.

How to make the most of YouTube Music Premium with Soundiiz?

As you know, Soundiiz always allows you to get the best out of your streaming platforms. YouTube Music Premium is no exception. On your Soundiiz homepage, you can manage your YouTube Music playlists the same you use Spotify, Deezer, or TIDAL playlists. 

If you want to give a try to YouTube Music Premium, using its 30-day trial period, for example, we know that one of the main things that could prevent you from changing your music streaming platform is to lose all your music collection. It includes your playlists, favorite albums or tracks, and followed artists. And having to rebuild this library with a new service could be time-consuming and even impossible, depending on the size of your collection.

Soundiiz solves this by doing an advanced matching process, allowing you to move quickly and with no effort to YouTube Music Premium from Deezer, Apple Music, Spotify, or any other platform. And then keep your playlists updated by using the playlist Synchronisation feature.

Let’s say you want to quit YouTube Music, because it didn’t fit your needs. When you unsubscribe from a streaming service, your data and playlists can be deleted. Using Soundiiz, you can create backups of your YouTube Music Premium playlist as CSV. Convenient!

So go ahead, sign up for a thirty-day trial with YouTube Music Premium, and use Soundiiz to make the most of it!