YouTube is making its play in the music streaming world. The video-hosting site announced Wednesday the launch of YouTube Music Key, a monthly music subscription service.
YouTube Music Key, still in beta for both iOS and Android, is rolling out with the promotional price of $7.99 per month. A subscription to YouTube Music Key will also include a subscription to Google Play Music.
In the past ReadWrite has heralded the long-rumored music service as a potential competitor and possible killer of other popular streaming services like Spotify and Pandora. And it seems YouTube is right on track to make Music Key a winner.
Users can use the new music app to find playlists, discover new tracks by their favorite artists, and locate the songs a user has frequently searched on YouTube.com.
Artist’s full discography, music videos, and high-quality covers are also available on the app. Possibly most enticing of all, YouTube promises Music Key is an ad-free experience–neither on-site or offline. Uninterrupted music is streamed in the app with a locked screen or even without Internet connection.
This seemingly smooth integration of the video and audio is what will make YouTube Music Key succeed. YouTube has already dominated the world of online video, and the company is well aware that their influence is already massive in the music industry.
In its blog post, YouTube argues that it’s already the ultimate music site because users can discover a plethora of audio and visual experience—music videos, live performances, and covers. The company states that its influence has helped tracks rise on the Billboard charts.
And it’s true—the online video site has become a one-stop-shop for every video and music track out in the world. But while YouTube Music Key shows a deep understanding of how YouTube fans already utilize the site to listen to music, will loyal users of the site make the transition to the paid streaming service?
With playlists, music videos, live performances, and covers already available for free on YouTube proper, we’ll have to wait and see if loyal online video enthusiasts make the move to the ad-free experience on YouTube Music Key.
