If you are switch music services to make a political statement or just want to experience a different app, Music on YouTube is an often overlooked option.
Spotify is pretty popular, but the service’s treatment of Joe Rogan questionable and exclusive podcasts have caused controversy. Apple Music, Tidal HiFi, and YouTube Music are all quality streaming alternatives.
If you’re curious about YouTube Music and how it stands out from the competition, we’ve gathered all the important information you need to understand the streaming service and get started.
What plans are there?
YouTube Music offers a free, ad-supported option. In his compilation round about best music streaming service, WIRED’s Matt Jancer notes that this tier only works on smartphones when your screen is on and the app is open. While the free option isn’t ideal for listening on mobile devices, you can use YouTube Music’s browser page for easy and registration-free access to songs on your desktop or laptop.
Subscriptions are confusingly named, so keep that in mind YouTube Music Premium and YouTube Premium are different plans. A YouTube Music Premium membership allows you to access the entire catalog without ads and play songs while the app is closed. The personal plan costs $10 a month and the student plan costs $5 a month. For the family plan, one subscription can be shared with up to five people for $15 a month.
However, you may want to avoid signing up through the mobile app. While testing the streaming service, YouTube Music Premium costs an extra $3 a month for an individual plan if you start the subscription through the iPhone app.
As someone who often watches YouTube videos on my phone and smart TV, the slightly more expensive YouTube Premium is worth it. In addition to all the benefits of YouTube Music, you have the ability to watch YouTube ad-free, download videos for offline viewing, and play videos in the background. For YouTube Premium, the personal plan is $12 a month, the student plan is $7 a month, and the family plan is $18 a month.
Anyone with a positive experience with YouTube Music Premium or YouTube Premium can get a discounted personal plan if they switch to an annual subscription. The annual plan for YouTube Music Premium costs $100, $20 less than the monthly option for the same time period. YouTube Premium costs $120 per year, saving you up to $24. Both annual plans do not auto-renew.
How to create an account
YouTube Music uses a Google account to sign in. If you’ve set up profiles for YouTube, Gmail, or Google Docs, those same logins can be used for your YouTube Music account.
Anyone without an existing account can create a new profile on their computer or smartphone. You don’t go to YouTube Music when you create an account, go to registration page. Fill in your name, create a username and password, and then click Next. You will be asked to provide your phone number, recovery email address, date of birth, and gender.
