# Video-Sharing Music Streaming Google's 'YouTube Music' is a New Music Subscription Service By Joey Haar | Published 2018-05-17 | Pop Culture Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/googles-youtube-music References: [youtube.googleblog](https://youtube.googleblog.com/2018/05/youtube-music-new-music-streaming.html) Consumers have long used [YouTube](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/family-link) as a roundabout way to listen to their favorite music (regardless of whether or not they're interested in the accompanying video), so [Google's](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/youtube-6) YouTube Music is a new platform that gives the people what they want. The service is being positioned as a premier streaming service, with both a free and a paid subscription tier. Google's YouTube Music is structured in a similar way to competitors like [Spotify](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/simpmusic). There's an ad-supported tier that will be completely free to use, and the paid version will be ad-free. The paid subscription service for YouTube Music is slated to start at a cost of $9.99 per month. What separates the platform from competitors is that it has the power of YouTube built in, with music videos integrated into the app. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 1.8/10 - Popularity: 29% | Activity: 16% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Pop Culture](https://www.trendhunter.com/popculture) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Ad-supported Music Streaming:** Opportunity for brands to reach a wider audience through targeted ads on free music streaming platforms. - **Paid Music Subscription Services:** Potential for innovative features and exclusive content to attract and retain paying subscribers in the highly competitive music streaming market. - **Integration of Video and Music Streaming:** Possibility for seamless integration of music videos and audio streaming within a single platform, offering a more immersive music experience. ### Who This Affects Most - **Music Streaming:** Opportunity for music streaming platforms to diversify their revenue streams and reach a wider user base through ad-supported and paid subscription models. - **Digital Advertising:** Potential for targeted advertising through ad-supported music streaming platforms to reach engaged and diverse audiences. - **Entertainment:** Possibility for the convergence of video and music streaming to create new entertainment experiences and capture user attention in a competitive market. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Kid-Friendly Music Streaming Apps](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/family-link.md) - [Open-Source Music Streaming](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/simpmusic.md) - [HiFi Audio Subscriptions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/hifi-audio.md) - [Universal Music Access](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/go-music.md) - [Voice Assistant Music Plans](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/apple-music-voice-plan.md) - [Ad-Free Streaming Platforms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/wynk-music.md) - [Paid Online Platform Experiences](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/youtube-premium-feature.md) - [Streamed Custom Radio Stations](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/youtube-music-1.md) - [Streaming Music Recap Features](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/seasonal-recap.md)