{"id":335230,"date":"2025-11-11T14:33:39","date_gmt":"2025-11-11T19:33:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.reviews.com\/?page_id=335230"},"modified":"2025-11-11T14:33:41","modified_gmt":"2025-11-11T19:33:41","slug":"youtube-music-review","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.reviews.com\/entertainment\/streaming\/youtube-music-review\/","title":{"rendered":"YouTube Music Review"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">YouTube Music Review<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>YouTube Music blends official tracks and albums with music videos, live performances, remixes, covers, podcasts, and a short-form <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.youtube\">Samples<\/a> feed designed for rapid discovery, drawing on the broader YouTube ecosystem (<a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\">what you can listen to<\/a>). This breadth is its key differentiator versus audio\u2011only rivals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>YouTube reports that combined <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.youtube\">YouTube Premium and YouTube Music memberships surpassed 100 million<\/a> worldwide (including trials). That was last officially disclosed in February 2024; as of November 2025 there has been no newer official update (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/technology\/youtube-premium-and-music-cross-100-million-subscribers-2024-02-01\/\">Reuters<\/a>). Note that this figure combines two products and includes users on free trials, so it is not directly comparable to single\u2011product, paid\u2011only counts from some competitors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>YouTube Music is available on the web and in Android\/iOS apps, with tight integration across Google surfaces including <a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\">Nest speakers and displays<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\">Android Auto<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\">Wear OS<\/a> for on\u2011device downloads and playback. Premium features are also included within the broader YouTube Premium bundle (<a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\">learn about YouTube Premium<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">YouTube Music Packages Compared<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"\"><tbody><tr><td><\/td><td>YouTube Music Free<\/td><td>YouTube Music Premium<\/td><td>YouTube Music Family<\/td><td>YouTube Music Student<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Price<\/td><td>Free<\/td><td>$10.99\/mo. (Individual, US)<\/td><td>Available; pricing varies by region (see <a href=\"https:\/\/music.youtube.com\/premium\">official page<\/a>)<\/td><td>Available to eligible students (see <a href=\"https:\/\/music.youtube.com\/premium\">official page<\/a>)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Free trial length<\/td><td>Always available (ad\u2011supported)<\/td><td>Varies by offer<\/td><td>Varies by offer<\/td><td>Varies by offer<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Song skipping available<\/td><td>Unlimited with ads<\/td><td>Unlimited<\/td><td>Unlimited<\/td><td>Unlimited<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How We Evaluated YouTube Music<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>We focused on factors most buyers compare across services: pricing, discovery features, catalog scope, device integration, trial availability, and audio quality (including whether lossless or spatial\/immersive formats are offered). YouTube Music differentiates with native music videos, live programming, and short\u2011form discovery via <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.youtube\">Samples<\/a>, plus podcasts and creator content from the YouTube ecosystem (<a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\">content overview<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For audio fidelity, YouTube Music streams up to 256 kbps AAC and does not offer a lossless tier (<a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\">quality settings<\/a>). By contrast, Apple and Amazon include lossless up to 24\u2011bit\/192 kHz at no extra cost (<a href=\"https:\/\/support.apple.com\/en-us\/HT212183\">Apple Lossless<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/music\/unlimited\">Amazon HD\/Ultra HD<\/a>), and Spotify\u2019s base Premium tops out at 320 kbps with a paid lossless add\u2011on rolling out in select markets (<a href=\"https:\/\/support.spotify.com\/us\/article\/audio-quality\/\">audio quality<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\">lossless add\u2011on<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">YouTube Music vs. Other Music Streaming Services<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"\"><tbody><tr><td><\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/music.youtube.com\/premium\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">YouTube Music Premium<\/a><\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/music\/unlimited\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Amazon Music Unlimited<\/a><\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.apple.com\/apple-music\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Apple Music<\/a><\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/go.reviews.com\/?dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.deezer.com%2F&amp;product_id=270385&amp;outcome=notMonetized&amp;referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.reviews.com%2Fmusic-streaming-services%2Fyoutube-music%2F&amp;anonymous_id=0e583dc8-49d6-4d54-92ed-b02c983187aa&amp;instance_id=4372f58d-0334-490e-8a07-fe1651d8cf67&amp;session_id=687ec4b6-2183-4828-9cbc-a0a729586bec&amp;position=9&amp;location=table&amp;text=Deezer&amp;referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.reviews.com%2Fmusic-streaming-services%2Fyoutube-music%2F&amp;anonymous_id=0e583dc8-49d6-4d54-92ed-b02c983187aa&amp;instance_id=4372f58d-0334-490e-8a07-fe1651d8cf67&amp;session_id=687ec4b6-2183-4828-9cbc-a0a729586bec&amp;position=9&amp;location=table&amp;text=Deezer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Deezer<\/a><\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.spotify.com\/us\/premium\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Spotify<\/a><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Premium starting monthly price<\/td><td>$10.99\/mo.<\/td><td>$10.99\u2013$11.99\/mo.<\/td><td>$10.99\/mo.<\/td><td>Varies by plan<\/td><td>$11.99\/mo.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Free trial length<\/td><td>Varies by offer<\/td><td>Varies by offer<\/td><td>Varies by offer<\/td><td>Varies by offer<\/td><td>Varies by offer<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Highest sound quality<\/td><td>Up to 256 kbps AAC (<a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\">no lossless tier<\/a>)<\/td><td>Lossless up to 24\u2011bit\/192 kHz (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/music\/unlimited\">HD\/Ultra HD included<\/a>)<\/td><td>Lossless up to 24\u2011bit\/192 kHz (<a href=\"https:\/\/support.apple.com\/en-us\/HT212183\">ALAC<\/a>)<\/td><td>Lossless (CD\u2011quality FLAC)<\/td><td>Up to 320 kbps (lossy); lossless via add\u2011on in select markets (<a href=\"https:\/\/support.spotify.com\/us\/article\/audio-quality\/\">details<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\">news<\/a>)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Number of songs<\/td><td>80 million+ official songs (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\">source<\/a>)<\/td><td>Not disclosed<\/td><td>100 million+ (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.apple.com\">source<\/a>)<\/td><td>Not disclosed<\/td><td>100 million+ (<a href=\"https:\/\/newsroom.spotify.com\/company-info\/\">source<\/a>)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Number of subscribers<\/td><td>100 million (combined Premium + Music; includes trials; last official Feb 2024) (<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.youtube\">YouTube<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/technology\/youtube-premium-and-music-cross-100-million-subscribers-2024-02-01\/\">Reuters<\/a>)<\/td><td>Not disclosed<\/td><td>Not disclosed<\/td><td>Not disclosed<\/td><td>Not disclosed here (competitors typically report paid\u2011only, single\u2011product figures)<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Key YouTube Music Considerations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A visual alternative<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Unlike most audio\u2011only apps, YouTube Music natively supports music videos and creator content alongside official tracks, remixes, and live recordings (<a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\">content overview<\/a>). The TikTok\u2011style <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.youtube\">Samples<\/a> feed provides short, auto\u2011playing previews with one\u2011tap actions to save, queue, or start a radio\u2014reducing the friction from \u201cpreview\u201d to \u201cadd.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Live performance videos<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>YouTube continues to invest in tentpole livestreams and feature depth. Coachella 2025 streamed globally on YouTube with multiple stage feeds, multiview on TVs, real\u2011time chat, and integrated merch\/artist storefronts (<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.youtube\">details<\/a>), reflecting a maturing live\u2011music experience that complements YouTube Music\u2019s catalog.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">User experience and custom recommendations<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Personalization starts by selecting favorite artists\/genres and builds through likes and listening history. Auto\u2011updated personalized mixes (e.g., Discover Mix, New Release Mix, Supermix) surface relevant new and familiar tracks on a rolling basis (<a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\">mixes<\/a>). You can also start a station from any song or artist to explore adjacent catalogs (<a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\">Start radio<\/a>), and playback persists as you browse with minimized video\/audio continuity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Cross\u2011device access is straightforward across Google surfaces\u2014Nest speakers\/displays (<a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\">set defaults<\/a>), Android Auto (<a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\">in\u2011car controls<\/a>), and Wear OS (<a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\">on\u2011watch downloads<\/a>)\u2014and Premium benefits are also available via the YouTube Premium bundle (<a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\">overview<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">New music discovery<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>YouTube Music aligns with industry trends that emphasize short\u2011form previews and algorithmic personalization. The <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.youtube\">Samples<\/a> feed and seeded radios (<a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\">Start radio<\/a>) work alongside personalized mixes (<a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\">Discover\/New Release<\/a>) to surface new artists. Global research indicates short\u2011form\/social platforms are major discovery channels, particularly for younger listeners (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ifpi.org\">IFPI 2024<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.billboard.com\">Luminate\/Billboard<\/a>). Competitors are adding AI controls\u2014e.g., Spotify\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/support.spotify.com\/article\/ai-playlists\/\">AI Playlists<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/support.spotify.com\/article\/dj\/\">AI DJ<\/a>\u2014which illustrate where YouTube Music could further expand user steerability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Comprehensive free service<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The ad\u2011supported free tier lets you build libraries and playlists and play full albums with interruptions. If fidelity is a priority, note that YouTube Music tops out at 256 kbps AAC and does not offer lossless or a spatial\/immersive music catalog (<a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\">quality settings<\/a>). By comparison, Apple Music and Amazon Music Unlimited include lossless up to 24\u2011bit\/192 kHz and widely support Dolby Atmos\/Spatial Audio on compatible devices (<a href=\"https:\/\/support.apple.com\/en-us\/HT212183\">Apple Lossless\/Spatial<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/music\/unlimited\">Amazon HD\/Ultra HD<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dolby.com\/technologies\/dolby-atmos\/music\/\">Dolby Atmos Music<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Bottom Line<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>YouTube Music is compelling if you value video\u2011native music listening, creator content, and seamless integration across Google devices and services (<a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\">Nest<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\">Android Auto<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\">Wear OS<\/a>). YouTube reports <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.youtube\">100 million<\/a> combined Premium + Music memberships including trials (last official update Feb 2024), underscoring strong momentum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Trade\u2011offs: the last on\u2011record catalog size is 80 million+ official songs (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\">source<\/a>)\u2014with added breadth from videos, remixes, and live content\u2014but there\u2019s no lossless or Atmos\/Spatial tier (<a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\">quality<\/a>). If you prioritize maximum audio fidelity at the base price, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.apple.com\/apple-music\/\">Apple Music<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/music\/unlimited\">Amazon Music Unlimited<\/a> are stronger fits; if you want best\u2011in\u2011class discovery\/social features, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.spotify.com\/us\/premium\/\">Spotify<\/a> remains excellent (lossless via add\u2011on in select markets). For listeners who also watch a lot of YouTube, bundling YouTube Music within YouTube Premium can deliver standout overall value.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>YouTube Music Review YouTube Music blends official tracks and albums with music videos, live performances, remixes, covers, podcasts, and a short-form Samples feed designed for rapid discovery, drawing on the broader YouTube ecosystem (what you can listen to). This breadth is its key differentiator versus audio\u2011only rivals. YouTube reports that combined YouTube Premium and YouTube [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":345,"featured_media":0,"parent":2286,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-templates\/template-reviews.php","meta":[],"categories":[1315],"tags":[],"post_author":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>YouTube Music Review - Reviews.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"We have evaluated multiple streaming services. 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