YouTube Music review

YouTube Music wins on breadth rather than fidelity. Because it draws on YouTube, the catalog includes live sets, covers, remixes and fan uploads next to official albums, and you can switch a song between audio and video. Sound quality is where it trails. Google's help page says Premium members can choose the bitrate, with Low up to 48kbps, Normal up to 128kbps and High up to 256kbps in AAC and Opus. Normal is the default, so new users should change it. An Always High setting keeps 256kbps even on a weak connection, downloads have their own quality choice, and a Wi-Fi-only switch protects your data plan. There is no lossless or Hi-Res mode, so owners of good wired headphones will hear more from Apple Music, Tidal or Qobuz. From our location YouTube's Premium page showed only a consent screen, so the US price is pending. It suits households that already pay for YouTube Premium.

Who it is for

Listeners who want live recordings, remixes and music videos alongside albums, and YouTube Premium households.

Price

See vendor pricing (USD check pending).

US price check pending. See the vendor pricing page.

Key features

• Catalog that mixes official releases with YouTube uploads and videos
• Premium bitrate choice for streaming and downloads
• High quality up to 256kbps AAC and Opus
• Always High setting that holds quality on poor connections
• Stream via Wi-Fi only option to save mobile data

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Live versions, covers and remixes that other services lack
• Strength: Switch between audio and video for the same song
• Strength: Separate quality settings for Wi-Fi, mobile and downloads
• Weakness: No lossless option; tops out at 256kbps
• Weakness: We could not load a US price from our location
• Weakness: Quality selection is a Premium feature

Key facts

• Top audio quality: 256kbps AAC and Opus
• Lossless: Not offered
• Download quality: 48, 128 or 256kbps
• Default quality: Normal, up to 128kbps
• Free tier: Yes, ad-supported

Where it ranks

YouTube Music is No. 7 in our Best Music Streaming Services verdict.