YouTube Music Will Come Preinstalled On New Android 9 And 10 Devices

Here is another way to catch up with the competitive music streaming market: use your "domination" power to preinstall the application on all the new Android handsets. That is what Google is doing with its app, YouTube Music. Just recently, the tech giant has announced that this app will be preinstalled on all the new Android 10 and 9 smartphones. Admittedly, that includes the company own smartphone series - Pixel.

A very confusing list of services

This move of Google comes at a crucial time when the tech giant needs a change for its music strategy.

Since YouTube Music's launch back in November of 2015, the company has been operating 2 different music services - YouTube Music and Google Play Music (released back in 2011). Add in all that confusion; there is also a subscription from YouTube (initially named YouTube Red then changed into YouTube Premium). It will give you access to both the above music streaming services.

And then if you are a subscriber to Google Play, you would also get YouTube Premium access. And just last May, the company allowed the user to buy separately YouTube Music if you'd like to.

Did you get all that?

This was not as messy as what Google's strategy for its messaging app, but this music streaming service strategy was a huge mess.

Replacing Google Play Music

Just this April, the company confirmed that it would use YouTube Music to replace Google Play Music. It explained that this closure of the Artist Hub on Google Play belongs to a more significant strategy to merge the 2 music services.

But despite the recent news that the app will come preinstalled with new Android 10, 9 devices, we haven't got any conclusion about the shutdown of Google Play Music yet. Instead, Google says that users of the app on Android 10 will be able to use that service by downloading it directly from Google Play, in case they want to.

And users without Android 9, 10 smartphones could continue to download YouTube Music from Google Play if they'd like to.

Vs. the big guys

The music streaming service of YouTube is competing with its bigger rivals, such as Spotify and Apple Music. Just like other services on the music streaming market, YouTube Music lets users stream and discover music. Besides, it provides remixes, albums, and live performances. If you are a paid subscriber, you could use the app offline and free 0f ads. Google has also launched a new Discover Mix feature to the app, their version of Discover Weekly on Spotify.

However, since it also had to go against various built-in music applications for subscribers on Android, the service has not got many subscribers, in comparison with Apple and Spotify. The fact that you cannot import liked songs and user’s playlists from Google Play Music to YouTube Music makes it even worse.

This May, YouTube Music reached 15 million subscribers. To compare, in June, Apple Music reached 60 million subscribers. While according to Spotify, they have got 232 million active users monthly, and 108 million paid subscribers.

According to Google, they are working on a plan to replace Google Play Music. It just has not happened yet.