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YouTube Music Review

Depends

Should I use YouTube Music?

With the YouTube Music app, enjoy over 100 million songs at your fingertips, plus albums, playlists, remixes, music videos, live performances, covers, and hard-to-find music you can't get anywhere else. - music.youtube.com

· 1 month ago

Buy it if you already live in YouTube's ecosystem or want videos, live sets, and covers alongside your music. Skip it if you want lossless audio, a music-only app, or stable prices.

Confidence

Medium. Based on 20+ public sources including Reddit, Google Play, Trustpilot, Variety, and Android Authority.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of use
  • Feature depth
  • Support quality
  • Security posture

Pricing

$0

Free

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierYes
Music Premium~$15/mo (US, user-reported after 2026 hike)
YouTube PremiumBundled

Best for

  • YouTube Premium bundle subscribers
  • Fans of live sets, remixes, covers
  • Casual listeners fine with ads

Not for

  • Audiophiles wanting lossless quality
  • Music-only listeners who hate video-first UX
  • Price-sensitive buyers after US hikes
  • Anyone avoiding Google ecosystem lock-in

Gotchas - check before you buy

medium

US prices rose in 2026; users complain $15/month for Music Premium alone.

medium

Google is increasing ads on the free tier, per June 2025 reports.

medium

Some users end up paying for both YouTube Music and YouTube Premium without realizing.

low

Fans publicly worry about the service's long-term future.

Pros and cons

Pros

  • 100M+ songs plus videos, live performances, remixes, and hard-to-find covers
  • Free, ad-supported tier available
  • Premium bundle kills ads on YouTube itself
  • 4.5/5 across 7.8M Google Play reviews
  • Fans find music unavailable on rival services

Cons

  • US price increase hit YouTube Music and Premium in 2026
  • Some listeners report poor audio quality
  • Reviewer quit for Apple Music after two weeks
  • Free tier getting more ads
  • Trustpilot reviewers call the app frustrating

Sources & method

- 12 sources - No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.

official x2review x8news x2

Key stats

  • Value for money: 2/5

    Rating

  • $0

    Starting price

  • 12

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 2/5. 2026 US price hikes; $15/mo complaints.
  • Ease of use: 3/5. Polarized: 4.5 Play rating, frustrated reviewers.
  • Feature depth: 4/5. 100M+ songs, videos, live sets, covers.
  • Support quality: 2/5. Negative Trustpilot customer-service reviews.
  • Security posture: 4/5. No known vulns; Google-backed, security page.
  • 4.5/5 Google Play rating 7,812,888 reviews
  • Yes Free tier Ad-supported
  • $0 Starting price Music Premium ~$15/mo US (user-reported)
  • 100M+ Paid subscribers Music + Premium combined

Pricing

Free

$0

  • Ad-supported streaming
  • Music videos and playlists

Music Premium

~$15/mo (US, user-reported after 2026 hike)

  • Ad-free music
  • Background play

YouTube Premium

Bundled

  • Ad-free all of YouTube
  • Includes Music Premium

Security

No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.

Alternatives

Compare YouTube Music with each alternative.

  • Spotify

    The default recommendation when users leave YouTube Music.

    YouTube Music vs Spotify

  • Apple Music

    Where one two-week trial reviewer switched back to.

  • Tidal

    Frequent comparison pick for sound quality.

  • European alternatives (e.g., Deezer)

    Listed options for users avoiding US streaming giants.

Full analysis

Based on 20+ public sources including Reddit, Google Play, Trustpilot, Variety, and Android Authority.

100M+ songs, videos, and live sets; but 2026 US price hikes and mixed reviews. Great inside YouTube's ecosystem, skippable otherwise.

Methodology

Based on 20+ public sources including Reddit, Google Play, Trustpilot, Variety, and Android Authority.

Read how a report is made.

Sources

  1. YouTube Music - Apps on Google Playplay.google.com
    review
  2. Trustpilot reviews of music.youtube.comtrustpilot.com
    review
  3. I tried YouTube Music for two weeks, but I'm going back to Apple Musicandroidauthority.com
    review
  4. Youtube music sounds terrible (Audio Science Review)audiosciencereview.com
    review
  5. Pros and cons : r/YoutubeMusicreddit.com
    review
  6. $15 a month just for Music Premium? : r/YoutubeMusicreddit.com
    review
  7. YouTube Premium, YouTube Music Price Increase in the U.S.variety.com
    news
  8. YouTube Music Free Tier: More Ads Are Comingsecurityonline.info
    news
  9. Is YouTube Music Free? What You Get Without Payingfreeyourmusic.com
    review
  10. Music Premium (official)music.youtube.com
    official
  11. YouTube Music - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
    official
  12. YouTube Music is absolute garbage, please recommend me alternativesresetera.com
    review

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