YouTube’s revamped music subscription service bases its recommendations on your viewing history. How does it perform? Jefferson Graham reviews for Talking Tech. USA TODAY
LOS ANGELES — YouTube Music, which soft launched in May, is now available nationally and in 17 countries.
This is the latest attempt by the Google-owned video network to take on Spotify and Apple Music with a premium service based on the huge music library of YouTube, which beyond the hits and library cuts, also has live concerts, TV appearances, international songs and artist uploads.
YouTube charges $9.99 monthly for the premium version, which will eventually replace Google Play Music. YouTube execs haven’t given a firm data on when it will close Google Play Music. For now, Google Play Music subscribers also get YouTube Music at no additional charge.
YouTube currently is the No. 1 home for online music, but most of the 1.5 billion monthly visitors use it to listen for free, via music videos. Ad-supported YouTube also has deals with the major record labels to run complete albums and has a larger catalog of music than rivals, with more live, independent and band-uploaded material.
More: Spotify vs. Apple Music vs. YouTube Music: Which is best for your hard-earned cash?
More: Review: new YouTube Music touts personalized music. Over 100 playlists later, here’s what I found.
But YouTube and Google have lagged in attracting paying subscribers. Spotify is the No. 1 paid music subscription service with 75 million subscribers, followed by Apple’s 50 million.
Where YouTube Music is different from the other services: Google’s pitch is that since it knows where you go every day, when your next flight is and what websites you visit when you’re at home, the Google Assistant could then suggest more music you like.
But the current version hasn’t gotten there yet. Playlist suggestions, like on Spotify, offer “Groove Party,” and “Endless Summer,” playlists of hits and old favorites, it makes suggestions of other artists, based on ones you’ve listened to, there’s a collection of new releases, music videos and live performances.
YouTube Music, like Spotify’s “Discover Weekly,” which offers personalized playlists based on your history, offers “Your Mixtape,” and “endless personalized music.” The playlists can be updated instantly, but even a few weeks after launch, they’re still spotty.
When we did our First Look at YouTube Music, the instant playlists had a nasty habit of putting songs by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers in-between seemingly every other song.
A quick test Tuesday showed little has changed. One playlist of 26 songs had four from jazz guitarist Pat Metheny; another had five from 1970s rockers Electric Light Orchestra. Still another included four from R&B singer Chaka Khan and three from soul superstar Al Green—including two Christmas songs, playing in June.
Which just goes to show that the computer doesn’t always know how to program music.
Pro tip: if you like a specific artist or song, YouTube will make instant playlists on the spot of them as well, with more specificity. Hit play after searching for pop stars Bruno Mars and Jason Mraz and you get non-stop songs by the artists. Search for the song “All About That Bass,” by Meghan Trainor, and it plays the tune, followed by similar sounding artists Katy Perry, Ariana Grande and Maroon 5.
Download the YouTube Music app at the Apple or Google play stores, or visit music.youtube.com
Follow USA TODAY’s Jefferson Graham (@jeffersongraham) on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.