Zift Advisory
YouTube Music is a music streaming app where users can discover and listen to new music. It is free to download and use, but free users will be subjected to ad play throughout their listening experience. YouTube Music is most appropriate for teens.
What is YouTube Music?
YouTube Music is a dedicated app that allows users to stream songs and music videos.
Similar to Google Play, users can choose to stream music related to a specific artist, album or genre, in addition to sampling playlists suggested by the platform.
YouTube Music is free to download and use, but free users will be subjected to ad play throughout their listening experience. YouTube Red subscribers enjoy ad-free music play, in addition to a host of other platform benefits.
Users can subscribe to YouTube Red, and for $9.99 per month, they will experience ad-free music streaming.
YouTube Red members also receive added benefits on the platform, such as the ability to view live concert footage, access karaoke tracks and instructional music videos, in addition to being able to access music offline.
In most simplest form, YouTube Music is an app that allows YouTube users to get only music related search results from the platform.
Music users log into the app with their existing YouTube and/ or Google account information, and input an artist whose music they’d like to stream. In addition to streaming music from one artist, users are also able to stream playlists with music from artists similar to their preferred artist.
If a user does not have a specific band they’d like to stream, they are also able to stream within music genres.
YouTube users’ “home” page within the app features three areas -- trending music, music they’ve liked and top music played, called The Daily 40 -- allowing them to easily stream music under each category.
Users can create playlists from music they’ve recently liked, by giving a thumbs up while streaming, in addition to themed playlists, based upon a specific artist or genre.
One last feature, is the ability to easily transition between audio and video streaming for songs in their stream; mobile users will appreciate the choice to stream only audio music files, as it conserves their device’s battery.
Is YouTube Music safe for my kids?
The biggest concern for parents of children using YouTube Music is the inability to screen the content of the music served or streamed.
Because the app does not feature content filters, children can easily be exposed to music with explicit lyrics, themes containing sex and substance abuse, as well as music videos with adult content. YouTube Music is most appropriate for teens.
Parents can, however, check in on their child’s YouTube Music usage by looking at the list of recently streamed music and videos, which is found in the app’s settings.
Parents should be aware that YouTube Music is free to download and use, but features ads between songs and videos.
While potential users may be intrigued by the idea of controlling the music they stream through an app, in addition to being able to access additional music content, such as live concerts, YouTube Music does not offer a great deal of control for their users.
Perhaps the biggest complaint from YouTube Music users is the inability to customize curated playlists; instead, playlists are automatically generated by a combination of YouTube staff and AI/ computer algorithm.
While many users complain of a lack of customization with playlists, those looking for ease of use will appreciate the simplicity of creating quick playlists to listen to, both online and off.
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