According to several sources familiar with the change,
the product teams working on YouTube Music and Google Play Music are
being combined into a single unit. Nothing will change for users right
now, and both apps will continue to exist independently for the moment.
But the move is likely to pave the way for a single unified music app
from Google.
The business development teams behind these two apps
actually combined last year. That made it simpler for Google to
negotiate deals with labels and artists. And subscribing to YouTube Red
already gave you access to both services. The rational behind producing
two distinct apps has always been a little muddy to me. Here’s what I
wrote when YouTube Music first launched:
“The fact that YouTube Music and Google Play Music both exist is a touch confusing, especially since you can use them both for free, but they both add a bunch of features if you subscribe to YouTube Red. The best way to understand the new music app is to think of Facebook. Just as the social network broke out Messenger into its own so it could optimize the experience, YouTube now has dedicated apps for its three most popular verticals: kids, gaming, and music.”
A spokesperson for Google confirmed the two teams were
combining and offered the following statement: “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.”
Combining apps makes sense at a time when the average consumer has stopped downloading new apps
or is actually cutting down the number of apps on their phone. And the
streaming music business is increasingly competitive, with Apple and
Amazon ramping up their offerings and Facebook reportedly eyeing an entry to the market as well.
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