Music Industry

WAR! YouTube to Launch a Spotify Rival in 2018

The two biggest entities in the world of streaming are YouTube and Spotify. While Spotify has concentrated on just audio, YouTube is about…well, everything and anything. And while billions get their music fix via YouTube, the platform’s music strategy has been anything but coherent or easy to understand.

Now, though, YouTube has plans to take on Spotify directly with a streaming service code-named Remix sometime in 2018. Rumours say it will be a paid Spotify-like service with video clips. I’m not sure what that means or how that’s different what the music YouTube offers now, but whatever. We’ll see soon enough.

“Hang on,” you say, “but Google/Alphabet already has a streaming music service called ‘Google Play Music.’ What will happen to it?”

Maybe nothing. Like I said, Google/Alphabet’s approach to music has been anything but coherent or consistent. After all, the Google Play Music staff were consolidated under YouTube earlier this year. Or GPM could be wholly integreated into Remix and disappear completely. That seems more likely.

More details here.

 

Alan Cross

is an internationally known broadcaster, interviewer, writer, consultant, blogger and speaker. In his 40+ years in the music business, Alan has interviewed the biggest names in rock, from David Bowie and U2 to Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters. He’s also known as a musicologist and documentarian through programs like The Ongoing History of New Music.

Alan Cross has 39568 posts and counting. See all posts by Alan Cross

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