What is YouTube Music?
To begin with, let's try to understand what exactly “this” YouTube Music is. That it is a music streaming service I have already anticipated at the beginning of the guide but the classification is a bit reductive, it needs to be detailed.
You will find everything explained below, together with the info relating to the costs of the service and compatible devices as well as having the minimum requirements required to be able to use it.
Generic info
YouTube Music, I told you a few lines up, it's the new one music streaming service launched by Google. This is a solution that acts as an alternative to the most famous giants for listening to music online, thus allowing you to play singles, albums and playlists using the Internet connection or after downloading for offline listening.
Unlike Spotify, Apple Music and company, YouTube Music also includes videos and all those contents that can be found only and exclusively on YouTube, such as remixes, live performances and covers, as it relies on the database of these. 'last.
The service also offers tailor-made advice depending on what you have previously heard, the places visited and what you are doing. It then integrates an intelligent search system, useful for finding songs even when you don't remember the title, trying to describe its content or typing part of the text.
Also possible background playback (both on desktop and mobile) and offline download of songs (mobile only), also automatic. In this case, however, these are functions intended for those who choose to subscribe to a special subscription.
Prices
Let's now turn to the always thorny question of prices. YouTube Music is available in two versions: one totally free, with announcements, and one Premium (for a fee), which costs 9,99 euro / month and that does not offer advertising while listening and that allows background playback and content download. All new YouTube Music users can still activate the 3 months free trial of the paid version of the service without any obligation to renew upon expiry.
Eventually the plan is also available Family (subscribe by clicking on the link family subscription on the page dedicated to the Premium variant), which at the price of 14,99 euro / month offers all the advantages of the Premium variant of the service but in this case the subscription can be shared with a maximum of you are familiar resident in the same house, who, in this way, can save a lot on the things that they would have had to support by paying individually.
Also note the availability of YouTube Premium, which at the cost of 11,99 euro / month it includes YouTube Music Premium and the viewing of the “classic” YouTube without advertising content plus the possibility of downloading and playing in the background of the videos present on the famous video streaming service.
Even in the case of YouTube Premium, the family variant (subscribe by clicking on the link family subscription on the page dedicated to YouTube Premium) for the price of 17,99 euro / month.
Compatible devices and requirements
YouTube Music is available from computer and mobile devices. In the first case, the service can be used directly from the window of any browser and with any operating system using the appropriate Web player. In the second case, you need to download the YouTube Music app available for Android and iOS.
Regarding the minimum requirements, it is essential to have a Google account (if you do not already have one you can immediately remedy the legend in my guide on the subject) so that you can log in to the service.
With the exception of this, no other special requests are made by Google. However, the rule applied to other music streaming services remains valid even in this case: it is good to have one Internet connection sufficiently stable and fairly fast (eg 900 Kbits / sec).
How does YouTube Music work?
Now that you finally have clear ideas about what YouTube Music is, let's try to understand how it works, both through the Web player, that is to say the one usable from a computer, and from mobile, using the dedicated apps for smartphones and tablets.
It will also be my concern to illustrate how to download the content of your interest for offline listening and how to disable the paid variant of the service, if you are not interested in it.
Use the service from the web
Are you interested in understanding how to use YouTube Music from your computer, using the dedicated Web player? I'll explain it to you right away. First of all, connected to the latter from the web browser you generally use to surf the net (eg. Chrome) by clicking on the link I have you in the step dedicated to compatible devices.
Once this is done, you will find yourself in front of the main screen of the service. In the upper part of the same there are various playlists, those relating to the best of the scene of yesterday and today, the new hits, the new releases etc.
As you scroll down the page you will also find the music albums and charts with the trends of the moment. Continuing to scroll you will find recommended music videos, those related to live performances and new videos.
As for playing playlists and albums, you can start it right away by clicking the button Play that you see appear carry the pointer on its cover. By clicking the button instead [...] that you find in the upper right part of each cover you can access the menu to start the random playback, add the brands to the queue, to a collection etc.
If you then want to see which songs, precisely, make up a particular playlist or album, click on the cover of the element of your interest. You can also play individual songs simply by clicking on them or, again, you can add the song to your playlists, view the page relating to the artist and perform various other operations by pressing the button [...] that you find next to the title of each song and choosing the option you prefer from the menu that opens.
You can manage all the songs being played using the player you see appearing at the bottom of the YouTube Music page, to the right of which you will also find the related music video. You can stop playback and resume it and go forwards or backwards between the songs using the appropriate buttons attached to it.
Also using the player, you can adjust the volume level, enable random playback, repeat songs and you can express your opinion about the songs listened to by affixing a like or a dislike using the appropriate buttons. Instead, pressing on dart that you find on the right you can expand the player and collapse it.
As for video playback, just press the button Play which appears when the pointer is placed over it. The management of the audio is then always done through the player at the bottom of the screen.
In the upper center of the page you will find the section Hotlist, with the most "popular" music videos of the moment ", and that Collection, through which you can keep track of the latest songs you have played, your playlists, albums, songs you liked and artists followed.
At the top right there is a button with the magnifying glass which, if clicked, allows you to search by keyword for the musical contents of interest, while pressing on tua photo that you find next to us you can access the history, manage your account and service settings.
Use the mobile service
Do you want to use YouTube Music from your Android smartphone or tablet or from an iPhone or iPad? I'll tell you how it works right away. Starting from the fundamental assumption that the mobile device app reflects the characteristics of the Web player for good or bad, once downloaded (through the appropriate links that I gave you in the step dedicated to compatible devices) and started, in the main screen of the latter you will find current playlists, new hits, themed ones etc.
Scrolling further down there are the albums related to the new releases, the recommended music videos, those of the live performances and the new videos.
By tapping on the cover of playlists and albums you can view all the songs they include and you can start playback by pressing the button Play attached to the next screen. When playback is started, you will see a mini player appear at the bottom of the screen that you can possibly expand by pressing on it and from which you can also express your listening preferences.
Also from the screen accessible after pressing on the cover of the playlists and albums, you can choose to play the individual songs by tapping on the relative titles or to start random playback, to add the songs to the queue, etc. pressing the button [...] that you find next to the names of all contents.
As for the videos, by pressing on the relative preview the playback starts. In the next screen that is proposed to you, you can also enable only audio listening by clicking on ON the special switch located at the top right, useful for reducing the consumption of the battery and data connection.
By accessing the section instead Hotlist, by tapping on the appropriate item at the bottom of the application screen, you can view all the trending videos of the moment, while tapping on the wording Collection you can access your music collection, then favorite playlists and albums and the songs you liked.
At the top right you will find the button with the magnifying glass which, if tapped, allows you to search by keyword for the content of interest. Next to it is the tua photo. Pigiandoci above you can access the history and manage your account and the functioning of the app as you see fit.
Listening offline
If you are a Premium user, you are also entitled to offline listening to the content you like best. This is feasible only and exclusively through the YouTube Music app for smartphones and tablets.
To use them, in the case of playlists and albums, just press on the relevant cover and then on the button with the down arrow that you find at the top. For what concerns the single songs, press the button [...] that you find in their correspondence and choose Download give the menu to compare.
Once the download is complete, you will be able to access all the contents you have chosen to enable for offline listening by tapping on the item Collection which is at the bottom of the app screen and then on the wording Download.
I also remind you that from the same screen you can activate and manage the option that allows you to automatically download a custom mixtape tailored to you (based on the music you listen to and your ratings) to always listen offline.
By pressing instead on thegear which is at the top you can change the settings related to the content download and you can cancel the downloads made.
Deactivation
Have you activated YouTube Music Premium (or the related free trial) but then you have changed your mind and would like to understand how to deactivate the paid subscription? Nothing simpler. To do this, first connect to the YouTube Music page dedicated to managing subscriptions.
Once this is done, click on the item Unsubscribe that you find in correspondence with your subscription, in correspondence with the section Paid subscriptions. Then confirm your choice by replying Yes, cancel in response to the warning that appears on the screen. Then press on Close in response to the further warning that appears.
Keep in mind that even if you cancel your subscription to the service, you can still continue to take advantage of all the benefits of the subscription you have subscribed to until the end of the billing period.
I also point out that from the same page you can choose to replace your current subscription with the Family plan or with YouTube Premium, just click on the button [...] that you find corresponding to your current subscription and select, from the menu that opens, the item Upgrade to family plan or Upgrade to YouTube Premium based on your needs and preferences.
Eventually, you can deactivate the service also by acting from the mobile app, by pressing on tua photo top right, on the item Paid subscriptions, on the wording Manage that you find next to your subscription and then on the item to unsubscribe in the menu that appears.
YouTube Music: what it is and how it works
