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Google Play Music, YouTube Red to Become One

Google says it's still mulling how it will combine the two products, and will communicate any changes before they happen.

 & Angela Moscaritolo Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

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Google is gearing up to streamline its music services.

As The Verge reports, Google will merge YouTube Red and GooglePlay Music "to create a new streaming offering." Music executive Lyor Cohen, who last year became YouTube's first Global Head of Music, mentioned the change during a panel session at the New Music Seminar conference in New York after being asked why YouTube Red isn't more popular.

"The important thing is combining YouTube Red and Google Play Music, and having one offering," he said, according to the report.

YouTube Red is Google's premium video service, which lets you watch any video you want without ads for $10 a month. The Google Play Music unlimited plan, meanwhile, also offers an ad-free streaming experience for the same price. Subscribing to one of those services gives you access to the other for free.

Google tells PCMag that it's still mulling how it will combine the two products, and will communicate any changes before they happen.

"Music is very important to Google and we're evaluating how to bring together our music offerings to deliver the best possible product for our users, music partners and artists," it said. "Nothing will change for users today and we'll provide plenty of notice before any changes are made."

This news isn't too much of a shocker: Rumors that Google would be combining the services have been swirling since February, when the company brought together the product teams working on YouTube Music and Google Play Music into a single unit.

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade. 

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes. 

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app. 

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth. 

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light. 

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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