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> FInally, i'll point to my favorite post on the subject, Don't be a free user by idlewords: https://blog.pinboard.in/2011/12/don_t_be_a_free_user/* https://blo

> FInally, i'll point to my favorite post on the subject, Don't be a free user by idlewords: https://blog.pinboard.in/2011/12/don_t_be_a_free_user/* https://blog.pinboard.in/2011/12/don_t_be_a_free_user/* I used to believe this. Now Google Play Music is dead despite my $20/month.

nikanj 6y ago
Google doesn’t need more money. It’s sometimes a blessing, as unprofitable projects face no pressure, but sometimes a curse because profits don’t motivate them to keep products alive
topicseed 6y ago
Dead? They just have two competing products, the older Google Play Music, and the more modern YouTube Music. The app is dead, but the Music Streaming Service by Google is still here, under a different name, and at a similar price.
- BEEdwards 6y ago
  Youtube music isn't an equivalent product. Frankly it's garbage and when they finally pull the trigger and kill google music I'm going to stop paying them.
  - topicseed 6y ago
    Definitely a bit different but as a whole, it's performing the same task for me. Stream songs I like, and I get the ad-free YT perk! I actually switched to YT Music a year ago as I preferred the UX. But it's indeed subjective.
    - sli 6y ago
      > and I get the ad-free YT perk! GPM and YTM are identical subscriptions and always have been for as long as I can remember, if not forever, save for that short time when YouTube Red was inexplicably a few dollars more per month compared to GPM.
      - Thorrez 6y ago
        YouTube Premium is still $2 more than GPM/YTM. GPM/YTM is included in YouTube Premium if you want YouTube Premium.
    - BEEdwards 6y ago
      It consistently plays thing which are clearly not songs in it's auto playlists, it has no consistent normalization or quality, and makes finding albums more difficult than it needs to be. It is an algorithm slapped over youtube rather than a music service.
  - giancarlostoro 6y ago
    I am switching from Android to iOS and if they do that I will do the same and just susbcribe to Apple Music.
- chrisseaton 6y ago
  > The app is dead Huh? I'm still using it every other day or so.
- giancarlostoro 6y ago
  There is literally absolutely nothing wrong with the Google Play Music app. On the other hand the YouTube Music app is forced upon me when I am on regular YouTube listening to music to read lyrics of songs. Their culture makes it so stuff get cancelled for the shiny new toy nobody asked for.
- reificator 6y ago
  I've been watching the development of YouTube music for the last several years knowing my preferred platform's days were numbered. YouTube Music fills the needs of some, perhaps many users, but it is not a 1:1 replacement and I'm not a fan of what they have to offer. Also I hold a bit of resentment for YTM since the YouTube app no longer allows backgrounding podcast-style content or playing it with the screen locked. It tells you to go to YouTube Music instead but that's definitely not the right UX for watching/listening to that kind of content.
  - Thorrez 6y ago
    > the YouTube app no longer allows backgrounding podcast-style content Can you give an example? I can background Joe Rogan with the regular YouTube app (I have YouTube Premium).
  - qtplatypus 6y ago
    I am listening to a backgrounded YT content right no so I’m confused about your comment.
    - explodingcamera 6y ago
      It's YouTube premium only
XCSme 6y ago
Google Play Music is not dead, still running. They are only moving it to YouTube Music, which is the same thing, but with a bigger library and shittier UI.
- Kihashi 6y ago
  > which is the same thing, but with a bigger library and shittier UI. That's really not true at all. They are only now adding some of the feature set. Anecdotally, their radio stations are not nearly as good. Sometimes in a list of 15 songs, 12 of them might be from the same artist. If YTM does, in fact, have a bigger library, I could not tell. Additionally, now my music suggestions are polluted by my video watching and my video watching is polluted by music listening. Neither of those things are desirable. I'll be keeping the service, since I'm grandfathered in to YouTube Premium. But I'm probably going to switch to Spotify for music after using GPM since it came out.
Blackthorn 6y ago
Google Play Music is dead? That's news to me, as I'm still using it and have been for the last several years.

nikanj 6y ago

Google doesn’t need more money. It’s sometimes a blessing, as unprofitable projects face no pressure, but sometimes a curse because profits don’t motivate them to keep products alive

topicseed 6y ago

Dead? They just have two competing products, the older Google Play Music, and the more modern YouTube Music. The app is dead, but the Music Streaming Service by Google is still here, under a different name, and at a similar price.

BEEdwards 6y ago
Youtube music isn't an equivalent product. Frankly it's garbage and when they finally pull the trigger and kill google music I'm going to stop paying them.
- topicseed 6y ago
  Definitely a bit different but as a whole, it's performing the same task for me. Stream songs I like, and I get the ad-free YT perk! I actually switched to YT Music a year ago as I preferred the UX. But it's indeed subjective.
  - sli 6y ago
    > and I get the ad-free YT perk! GPM and YTM are identical subscriptions and always have been for as long as I can remember, if not forever, save for that short time when YouTube Red was inexplicably a few dollars more per month compared to GPM.
    - Thorrez 6y ago
      YouTube Premium is still $2 more than GPM/YTM. GPM/YTM is included in YouTube Premium if you want YouTube Premium.
  - BEEdwards 6y ago
    It consistently plays thing which are clearly not songs in it's auto playlists, it has no consistent normalization or quality, and makes finding albums more difficult than it needs to be. It is an algorithm slapped over youtube rather than a music service.
- giancarlostoro 6y ago
  I am switching from Android to iOS and if they do that I will do the same and just susbcribe to Apple Music.
chrisseaton 6y ago
> The app is dead Huh? I'm still using it every other day or so.
giancarlostoro 6y ago
There is literally absolutely nothing wrong with the Google Play Music app. On the other hand the YouTube Music app is forced upon me when I am on regular YouTube listening to music to read lyrics of songs. Their culture makes it so stuff get cancelled for the shiny new toy nobody asked for.
reificator 6y ago
I've been watching the development of YouTube music for the last several years knowing my preferred platform's days were numbered. YouTube Music fills the needs of some, perhaps many users, but it is not a 1:1 replacement and I'm not a fan of what they have to offer. Also I hold a bit of resentment for YTM since the YouTube app no longer allows backgrounding podcast-style content or playing it with the screen locked. It tells you to go to YouTube Music instead but that's definitely not the right UX for watching/listening to that kind of content.
- Thorrez 6y ago
  > the YouTube app no longer allows backgrounding podcast-style content Can you give an example? I can background Joe Rogan with the regular YouTube app (I have YouTube Premium).
- qtplatypus 6y ago
  I am listening to a backgrounded YT content right no so I’m confused about your comment.
  - explodingcamera 6y ago
    It's YouTube premium only

XCSme 6y ago

Google Play Music is not dead, still running. They are only moving it to YouTube Music, which is the same thing, but with a bigger library and shittier UI.

Kihashi 6y ago
> which is the same thing, but with a bigger library and shittier UI. That's really not true at all. They are only now adding some of the feature set. Anecdotally, their radio stations are not nearly as good. Sometimes in a list of 15 songs, 12 of them might be from the same artist. If YTM does, in fact, have a bigger library, I could not tell. Additionally, now my music suggestions are polluted by my video watching and my video watching is polluted by music listening. Neither of those things are desirable. I'll be keeping the service, since I'm grandfathered in to YouTube Premium. But I'm probably going to switch to Spotify for music after using GPM since it came out.

Blackthorn 6y ago

Google Play Music is dead? That's news to me, as I'm still using it and have been for the last several years.