It looks like iTunes Radio, Beats Music, Spotify, and Pandora all have some fresh competition coming up. Google is launching its own music streaming service called YouTube Music Key.
Rumors that have been circulating are about to come to fruition, as Google’s new service could launch very soon–perhaps before the end of 2014. Users get a free 30-day trial, and subscribers pay a $10 monthly subscription fee that allows access to over 20 million songs and albums.
YouTube Music Key does have an edge on the competition. Unlike Beats Music and others, the streaming service offers a video feed along with audio, making it possible to stream more content–live concerts, covers, and remixes–than its counterparts. All content can be downloaded and viewed offline, and users are able to opt out of video feed and listen to just the audio. YouTube Music Key will make suggestions on what to watch (or listen to) next based on user preferences and based on what the user has watched on YouTube in the past.
How this will affect Apple’s streaming services, if at all, is hard to say. Regulations for royalty rates may change due to the ASCAP and BMI’s efforts with the U.S Department of Justice, so competition can only be expected to get fiercer between these music streaming services.
