Google has confirmed the merging of YouTube Red and Play Music and assured that subscribers won't be affected.
Google’s two major services are set to merge to create a new and bigger streaming platform. YouTube’s head of music, Lyor Cohen said that YouTube Red and Google Play Music will merge to create a new service. The merge is aimed at bringing in more subscribers to the new entity collectively. YouTube Red and Google Play Music operate independently but subscription either of the two gives access to both the services.
There had rumors around the possible merging of YouTube Red and Google Play Music in the past and it aggravated after the product teams on both services were combined to work together. As reported by The Verge, the merge wouldn’t affect subscribers of the two services and users would be notified prior to the official event. Google further clarifies this in a statement to The Verge which reads, “Music is very important to Google and we’re evaluating how to bring together our music offerings to deliver the best possible product for our users, music partners and artists. Nothing will change for users today and we’ll provide plenty of notice before any changes are made.”
Although, for places where only one service is available, it’s yet to be seen what happens to the subscribers. For example, YouTube Red hasn’t been launched in India yet but Google Play Music’s subscription is available. There had been rumors about YouTube Red launching in India but nothing has been confirmed so far.As Google has assured that users will continue with their subscriptions, the official launch will make things clearer. ALSO READ: Google Play Music subscription service launched in India for Rs 89/month; here’s everything you need to know
The possibility of this merge is also hinted at YouTube Red not being very popular amongst music listeners. Cohen also said that with the new combined service he hopes to strengthen relationship with music labels. Speaking about the two services, YouTube Red, it lets users remove ads, save videos offline and most importantly watch videos in background. ALSO READ: YouTube monthly viewership crosses 1.5 billion, people prefer mobiles for streaming videos
As for Google Play Music, it works as a free streaming service and paid too for downloading songs. It is also acts as a default music player for Android smartphones. With YouTube Red and Google Play Music merging, it will provide a single platform making it simpler and easier for users. The new product may also stir competition against frontrunners Apple Music and Spotify. ALSO READ: Google Play Music vs Apple Music: Comparison of your favorite music streaming services