Google has announced major changes to its current YouTube Red service, with the remodel aiming to rival the likes of Spotify, Apple Music, and Tidal. As per The Verge, YouTube Red will soon be divided into two streaming services, YouTube Premium and YouTube Music Premium.
The latter will follow Spotify’s current model, allowing users to stream music for free (with ads) or pay $9.99 per month to remove them. Users will also be able to download content or stream it in the background as they switch apps. The former is set to provide original video content and will be priced at $11.99 per month.
The move puts a question mark over the future of Google’s Play Music service. However, current Google Play subscribers will soon receive YouTube Music as part of their membership and YouTube Red signees will not have to pay the increased fee once the service becomes YouTube Premium.
Here’s a quick chart breaking down the new services via Google.
The new services will feature a newly designed mobile app and desktop player to allow for optimized listening and viewing experiences. This is undoubtedly a major selling point for the tech giant, as it will be able to offer tailored recommendations based on both the user’s search and listening history in addition to data from its current video site.
One thing to note is that, under the new service, subscribers will not be able to purchase premium video content alone, meaning the Music and Premium services must be purchased together.
YouTube Music Premium starts rolls out on May 22 in the U.S., South Korea, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand, followed by another 14 countries in the following weeks.
In other tech news, Apple is demanding $1 billion from Samsung over design patent violations. More on that here.
