How YouTube Premium, YouTube Music compare with competitors in India
Google has launched its popular YouTube Music, YouTube Music Premium, and YouTube Premium services in India. YouTube Music comes as a free service but supports advertisements whereas the other two Premium services are paid and hence, ad-free. But how do these premium services from Google compare with the likes of Spotify, Apple Music, JioSaavn and others? Let us find out.
YouTube Music Premium is priced at Rs. 99/month, while YouTube Premium costs Rs. 129/month. There is also a family plan which allows upto six accounts for Rs. 189/month. YouTube Premium offers background video playback, access to YouTube Originals, offline downloads and free access to YouTube Music Premium. Further, YouTube Premium comes with a 3-month free trial period in India.
Make sure you are logged into your regular YouTube account. Now click on the Account Info button (your display picture) and then on 'Paid memberships'. Then click on 'Find Out More' on YouTube Premium banner and then on 'Try it Free' button. Now, add and confirm your payment method to sign-up for a free 3-month trial of YouTube Premium.
As mentioned before, YouTube Music Premium comes bundled with YouTube Premium subscription. So, if you have successfully activated your 3-month trial of YouTube Premium, simply download the YouTube Music app and sign-in with the ID used for YouTube Premium to get free YouTube Music Premium.
Spotify premium plan offers ad-free music experience with upto 320kbps streaming quality, access to podcasts and offline play. The premium service starts at Rs. 119/month with a free 30-day trial available for all. The company has also introduced prepaid packs ranging from Rs. 13/day to Rs. 1,189/year. Moreover, Spotify is offering premium membership to students at a discounted price of just Rs. 59/month.
Apple Music premium also offers millions of songs with ad-free streaming, offline playback, exclusive releases, and original shows as well as concerts. The premium plan costs Rs. 120/month for individuals, Rs. 60/month for students, and Rs. 190/month for a family plan with up to 6 members. Apple also offers a free trial period of 3-months which helps you extensively explore the service.
Like others, a premium subscription to Google Music also comes with ad-free music playback, unlimited skips, high-quality streaming with up to 320kbps, and the ability to download songs for offline listening. But unlike other streaming services, Google Music also allows you to upload up to 50,000 songs. Further, Google Music subscription costs Rs. 99/month and comes with a trial period of just 14 days.
Amazon's Prime Music streaming service comes free with the Prime membership. And because it comes tied as a premium add on, you get access to millions of songs and offline playback with ad-free streaming. Notably, Amazon Prime membership costs Rs. 129/month or Rs. 999/year and offers free Prime Music, Prime Video, Prime Reading, free two-day delivery, and early access to exclusive sales and deals.
JioSaavn Pro, the premium service of JioSaavn, offers access to millions of songs with ad-free streaming, high-quality audio, exclusive content, JioTunes (caller tunes), and offline playback. The premium membership costs Rs. 5/day, Rs. 99/month, Rs. 285 for three months and goes upto Rs. 999 for an annual subscription. Moreover, the service comes with a free trial period of 90 days.
