Google Play Music is dead - YouTube Music Transfer tool released
Google announced the release of a new transfer tool to move the Google Play Music library to YouTube Music on Tuesday. Google Play Music customers may use the online tool to transfer data from the service to YouTube Music as Google plans to retire Google Play Music later this year.
The company launched Google Play Music as a competing service to Spotify and other music services. Later, Google launched YouTube Music which competed not only with third-party services but also Play Music.
It was clear that one of these services would have to go eventually. Knowing Google, it is usually the older service that is put on the chopping block.
Google has not revealed a specific date for the termination of Google Play Music, only that it will "provide plenty of notice ahead" and that Google Play Music won't be accessible anymore "later this year".
Google Play Music customers who want to transfer the data to YouTube Music can do so in the following way:
- Download the YouTube Music application for Android or iOS if it is not already on the device.
- A transfer button is displayed in the YouTube Music interface. Select it to transfer uploads, purchases, added songs and albums, personal and subscribed playlists, likes and dislikes, curated stations, and personal taste preferences.
Updated recommendations should appear immediately on the YouTube Music home screen according to Google. Customers will be notified by email and notification when the transfer of the music library is done. Music is then accessible under the Library tab in the application.
Podcasts cannot be transferred to YouTube Music. Google has created another transfer tool, this one on the web, to transfer subscriptions and episode progress to Google Podcasts, a free Android and iOS podcast player.
Subscriptions will be carried over according to Google and Google Play Music customers who transfer the data to YouTube Music will continue to have access to Google Play Music until it is shut down.
Google highlights the features of YouTube Music in the announcement but fails to provide information about features that are not available or are only available to paying customers. One of the features that is limited to paying YouTube Music customers is Chromecast casting support.
Closing Words
YouTube Music's feature set is not identical to that of Google Play Music; the Google Podcast app requirement for managing and listening to podcasts is just one example on how these two differ from one another.
It is almost certain that some customers won't be pleased by the termination of Google Play Music and that part of the userbase will move to a different service.
Now You: Do you use Google Play Music or YouTube Music? What is your take on these services?
in the US and no transfer button either
I just cancelled my Google Music subscription and downloaded the YouTube music app.
I’m in Australia and THERE IS NO TRANSFER button ! Thanks for letting us know that yet again, you Americans don’t give the full story. Now my Google account will most-likely expire before I get a chance to transfer.
Good job..
You needed to transfer from GPM before cancelling it.
Some commenters have no idea what they are talking about.
Google is doing the right thing.
YouTube brand is a goldmine for multimedia services and it proved it once again.
YouTube Music is exploding in numbers, something GPM failed to do.
YouTube TV is dominating and is now killing the competition (for example PS Vue).
It’s just a matter of time for Google to also merge Play Movies into YouTube Movies.
The Google Play moniker only makes sense for the app store.
Google change stuff too often and often not for the better. Youtube Music not having chromecast in the free offering is a dealbreaker for me. Blatant upselling using a critical feature that is free with just about every other media player…. don’t be evil! Google!
@Tim
Google Play Music has been around for 8 years, which is clearly not “too often” as you claim.
Also, if you think Google is “evil” because you simply don’t like Youtube Music, then I suggest that you never be on a jury, as due to such prejudice, we already have enough innocent folks in jail over nothing.
Yet if you wish to keep using your overly critical hype, then I suggest you save it for reddit, as at least that often gets you points over there with the daft noobs, as if that even matters, which it doesn’t.
Or better yet, go start your own “Play Music” company.
Never ride a dead horse. I bet, that service will get cancelled too in a foreseeable future. If Google won’t make money with it, because nobody uses it (Why should I? Upload the music and Google says: “Oh my, we’ve no license for that song to play. Shame. Now you can’t either.”)
• Keep your music on your phone and/or disc. And you don’t need 100GB of songs on your phone (Bet, many of you already have a playlist since like forever ;-))
• If you’re in need of a streamingservice: Keep using a reliable service, like Deezer, Spotify, etc.
@Claymore
What is your definition of “cancelled too in a foreseeable future”?
What, like in some alternate timeline fantasy world of immortal cat people?
Google Play Music lasted for 8 years, which seems like a long time to me, but then I live in the real world where I’m not a 1,000 year old cat man.
Will I finlly be able to “uninstall” the app instead of only being able to disable it?
no…still disable only unless you have root…
I would like to get everything out of Google Play Music, and transfer it to a non-Google system.
I regret ever buying anything from Google.
Wait, you can’t use a PC to do a transfer and you’re FORCED to use a mobile app for that?
What the hell, Google? Why do you even need an app for something like that instead adding “YTM transfer” in GPM options or something?
On a whim, I navigated to:
https://music.youtube.com/transfer
Looks like there may well be a web-based transfer at some point.
Well that’s something, at least. Thanks.
It’s more than something, as it shows that you asserted some false claims. But I take it you thought that was okay because you used question marks.
What the hell, zer0?
I’m not seeing the option yet. I will have to keep an eye out for it.
LOL love these comments about Google shutting stuff down etc, personally i think they are doing the right thing as they are moving focus to only having one thing that does something rather than multiple things (hopefully there messaging suite will follow shortly)
Ugh why can’t they just leave things alone, and not creating duplicates. Google has ADHD!
One should not rely on any Google services. They will be closed down sooner or later.
I use GPM. I only use it for the free cloud music storage. GPM doesn’t do a good job of uploading my music and creates many strays and broken albums. I deleted the whole library once and reloaded it, hoping for better upload quality but didn’t really get it.