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YouTube Music free on Google Home smart speakers

By Aiko Tanaka
1 min read
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Google has just announced that its YouTube Music service is now available on all Google Home smart speakers. Starting today, those who own a Google Home smart speaker will be able to enjoy all the benefits offered by the music streaming service, but there’s a catch.

Only the first tier YouTube Music experience is available on Google Home smart speakers, which means you you’ll have to put up with ads. Still, if you don’t mind getting a free, ad-supported music experience on your Google Home, you just need to say “Hey Google, play techno vibes,” and your smart speaker should do the rest.

But that’s not all, if you upgrade to YouTube Music Premium for $9.99/month, you’ll be getting even more control when listening music on smart speakers in the YouTube Music mobile app. For example, you’ll be able to request specific albums, songs, artists, and playlists on-demand.

Also, you get access to easy-to-use player controls, including unlimited skips and song replay.Besides the benefits mentioned above, a YouTube Music Premium tier will also let you background play music through the YouTube Music app while using other apps, and allows downloads for offline listening when you’re on the move.

To start using YouTube Music on your Google Home smart speaker, simply open Account Settings in your Google Home app, go to Services and select Music. Then, choose YouTube Music as the default music service, or you can choose YouTube Music as the default music service during the setup process.

Now, the free service is available not available everywhere yet, so here are the first countries that will get it starting today: United States, Canada, Mexico, Australia, Great Britain, Ireland, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Japan, Netherlands, and Austria. The good news is Google will bring it to more countries soon, so there’s that.

Questions & Answers

Q.

What is the main limitation of using the free YouTube Music service on a Google Home speaker?

A.

The main limitation is that only the first-tier YouTube Music experience is available. This means users will have to tolerate advertisements during playback when using the service for free on their Google Home devices.

Q.

What additional features are available to users who upgrade to YouTube Music Premium?

A.

Upgrading to YouTube Music Premium provides enhanced control, including the ability to request specific albums, songs, artists, and playlists on demand. It also offers unlimited skips, song replay, background play, and offline downloads.

Q.

How can a user set YouTube Music as their default music service on Google Home?

A.

To set YouTube Music as the default, users need to open Account Settings in their Google Home app. From there, they should go to Services, select Music, and then choose YouTube Music, or opt for it during setup.

Q.

Which countries are currently able to access the free YouTube Music service on Google Home?

A.

The free service is currently available in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Australia, Great Britain, Ireland, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Japan, Netherlands, and Austria.

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