Google Play is making the permanent shift over to Youtube Music in December of 2020. This is the implementation of a plan to switch platforms that was formulated 3 years ago. Google-owned Youtube Music will honor all current subscribers to Google Play, for the same subscription price they were paying as well. All they have to do is transfer their data (music library, preferences, and playlists etc.) over to the Youtube Music platform, which they have made all the more easier via their transfer tool.
“For Google Play listeners that have not yet started the transfer process over to YouTube Music, now’s the time,” the company’s announcement reads.
Google Play will begin shutting down in phases. According to Billboard, “starting in late August, users will no longer be able to purchase or download music on the Google Play app. Users in New Zealand and South Africa will begin to lose access to streaming on the app altogether in September, and for all other global markets including the U.S., that will happen in October.”
Google Play subscribers can just cancel their subscription, but Google is hoping to avoid that. They have added some new features to Youtube Music including collaborative playlists and offline listening. Although, even with these “new” features (which companies such as Spotify and Apple Music have already offered) Youtube Music lags behind the competition.
How do you feel about saying goodbye to Google Play?
