Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
66,600
35,872



In celebration of July 4th, Google is offering new U.S. subscribers to its Play Music streaming service a four-month trial completely free of charge.

Play Music subscribers can choose from a library of over 35 million tracks, which usually costs $9.99 per month, so the offer amounts to a $40 saving and users can cancel the subscription at any time.

Screen-Shot-2016-07-03-at-19.31.12-800x656.jpg

Customers who sign up to the trial will also gain access to the company's ad-free YouTube Red service, which features original content, and enables offline and background playback of YouTube videos on mobile devices.

Prospective users of the service should note that it's a U.S.-only promotion, and is only available to those who have never signed up for Play Music or YouTube Red in the past.

Google Play Music is a viable alternative to Apple Music, Tidal, and Spotify, as the company offers an iOS app as well as desktop access via a web browser. Third-party standalone apps like Radiant Player are also available for accessing the service on a Mac.

In addition to music streaming, Play membership includes access to a cloud storage locker where users can store up to 50,000 of their own songs, with or without a paid Play Music subscription, using the Google Music Manager client.

Google's promotion comes the same week that Spotify accused Apple of using its App Store process to stymie rival streaming services after Apple rejected a Spotify app update.

Apple responded to the accusation through its lawyers, who said Spotify was seeking exemptions to rules that have applied to all app developers long before Apple Music was introduced.

Apple Music also celebrated its one-year anniversary earlier this week. The service has 15 million paying subscribers, far short of Spotify's user base, which is roughly twice that amount.

Article Link: Google Offers Free 4-Month Play Music Trial Subscription to Celebrate July 4th
 
I tend to stay away from all things Google, but this is awfully tempting. Spotify and Apple Music are both pretty mediocre -- I'll probably give this trial a shot.

Does anyone know if one can scrobble Google Play Music on iOS?
 
Please don't hate on me, I know this isn't the best place to write this and this is JUST my opinion. But I have been with play music for a month now (actually I'm doing youtube red basically 9$/mos gets rid of ALL ads on youtube and also gives you the music subscription) and I really love it and much much than apple music which I've been since it started.

It feels nice that the suggestions are spot on. I don't get Rihanna, Taylor Swift, Drake, Justin Beiber and Dr Dre non stop in my suggestions. I cannot reiterate how many times I have said "not interested" and "dislike" on Rihanna and Taylor Swift and every single day they show up in my "for you" lists. I get that they are popular, but I thought these were supposed to be based off our preferences and your "likes". And yes, I went through the "choose your artist" thing in the beginning and the suggestions are getting worse. Now I'm getting Kanye. Keep in mind, I don't have a SINGLE pop song in my list.

I think for majority of people that love rap and I guess Apple's real target audience apple music rocks. But I think if your taste isn't Taylor, Justin or rap, then Apple Music is pretty bad and will only suggest what Apple thinks everyone should like.

Google Music suggested that BS in the beginning too, which I get since I didn't have a library or any "thumbs up", but after 1 time saying I can't stand Rihanna and adding more songs/liking in my library, I don't see that sh.. anymore.

I get the privacy issue and the reason google suggestions are so powerful (they are an aggregate of everyone else liking the songs that I like, etc). But honestly, at least I don't feel like Apple being in bed with Swift is being forced on me.

Again, MY OPINION. Wondering if anyone else feels the same.. or if there is anyone out there that isn't in love with rap and whatever genre that Swift switched to recently to make more money.
 
Please don't hate on me, I know this isn't the best place to write this and this is JUST my opinion. But I have been with play music for a month now (actually I'm doing youtube red basically 9$/mos gets rid of ALL ads on youtube and also gives you the music subscription) and I really love it and much much than apple music which I've been since it started.

It feels nice that the suggestions are spot on. I don't get Rihanna, Taylor Swift, Drake, Justin Beiber and Dr Dre non stop in my suggestions. I cannot reiterate how many times I have said "not interested" and "dislike" on Rihanna and Taylor Swift and every single day they show up in my "for you" lists. I get that they are popular, but I thought these were supposed to be based off our preferences and your "likes". And yes, I went through the "choose your artist" thing in the beginning and the suggestions are getting worse. Now I'm getting Kanye. Keep in mind, I don't have a SINGLE pop song in my list.

I think for majority of people that love rap and I guess Apple's real target audience apple music rocks. But I think if your taste isn't Taylor, Justin or rap, then Apple Music is pretty bad and will only suggest what Apple thinks everyone should like.

Google Music suggested that BS in the beginning too, which I get since I didn't have a library or any "thumbs up", but after 1 time saying I can't stand Rihanna and adding more songs/liking in my library, I don't see that sh.. anymore.

I get the privacy issue and the reason google suggestions are so powerful (they are an aggregate of everyone else liking the songs that I like, etc). But honestly, at least I don't feel like Apple being in bed with Swift is being forced on me.

Again, MY OPINION. Wondering if anyone else feels the same.. or if there is anyone out there that isn't in love with rap and whatever genre that Swift switched to recently to make more money.

Agreed! Google Play music easily beats Spotify and I'm so happy that it doesn't rely on crummy desktop applications and runs in-browser (albeit using Flash). I'd like a bit better sound quality from it, but GPlay is everything I ever hoped that iTunes/iTunes Match would turn into. YouTube Red is just gravy on top.

In addition to relying on a desktop app (itunes), I too didn't like the manufactured controversy between Apple and Taylor Swift. It felt really obvious and gross, so much so that I never activated the 3 month trail of Apple Music on my iTunes account. (I also didn't want my local library to get destroyed...)

I'm currently on a 1-month trial with GPlay, so now I wish I'd waited two weeks to sign up. Will be keeping this service anyhow... They really nailed it! (And I say that as someone who actively avoids Google if it all possible.)
 
Last edited:
Agreed! Google Play music easily beats Spotify and I'm so happy that it doesn't rely on crummy desktop applications and runs in-browser (albeit using Flash). I'd like a bit better sound quality from it, but GPlay is everything I ever hoped that iTunes/iTunes Match would turn into. YouTube Red is just gravy on top.

I'm currently on a 1-month trial with it, so now I wish I'd waited two weeks to sign up. Will be keeping this service. They really nailed it! (And I say that as someone who actively avoids Google if it all possible.)
It's a great service. I've uploaded my entire music collection to it.
 
I've said it before, dollar for dollar, Play Music is the best value there is for music streaming. I'm on the family plan and for $14.99 my entire clan gets Play Music and Youtube Red. No ads and desktop apps make it a darn good combo for those who use streaming services.

The hooks with Chromecast don't hurt either. I actually stumbled upon Chromecast support on the XB1.
 
  • Like
Reactions: LIVEFRMNYC
As i'm not really impressed with Apple Music, this, IMHO, is not much better. Choose your favorite artist and yet you are still loaded with other "You might like this' or 'Sounds like this' type of garbage. I listed my favorite artist like Fleetwood Mac, Beatles, Billy Joel and then I get 'Recommended for You...Helen Reddy' WTF!
To me, the interface is just as bad as AM and way too many screens to choose from. Many people don't like iTunes, but I think I'll just choose and buy my own music and create my own playlists.
 
i love play music. i don't pay for the subscription, i upload my songs to their cloud. the best thing about GPM is the main page of "recently played". i cannot stand having to comb through my library and find what i want to listen to, when i mostly want to listen to something i've played recently. i cant believe other services dont have this. also, **** streaming services where you dont actually own the music you are streaming. you will have to pay for the rest of your life and the artists see a fraction of what you pay. if you are listening to taytay, kanye, etc that doesn't matter but for smaller artists it does
 
  • Like
Reactions: bigpics
the "No thanks" option works perfectly for me and now I even have $9.99 more per month.

But,
it would be nice if Google starts selling :apple: watch in Bulgaria, cuz Apple still wont do it..
 
As i'm not really impressed with Apple Music, this, IMHO, is not much better. Choose your favorite artist and yet you are still loaded with other "You might like this' or 'Sounds like this' type of garbage. I listed my favorite artist like Fleetwood Mac, Beatles, Billy Joel and then I get 'Recommended for You...Helen Reddy' WTF!
To me, the interface is just as bad as AM and way too many screens to choose from. Many people don't like iTunes, but I think I'll just choose and buy my own music and create my own playlists.
How long have you been using the service? Anecdotally, my recommendations are pretty spot on, but I've been on the service for over a year. Recommendations/You might like, regardless of the service, require time to actually be useful.
 
I've been quite happy with Spotify premium for a while, but I'm going to give this a try. The hook for me is the YouTube Red, ad-free perk. Plus I see there is a Music Manager that will upload all my iTunes music to Play so I can have access to it in what appears to be an easier way than Spotify.

For 4 months free trial, I don't see why I shouldn't.
 
I've been quite happy with Spotify premium for a while, but I'm going to give this a try. The hook for me is the YouTube Red, ad-free perk. Plus I see there is a Music Manager that will upload all my iTunes music to Play so I can have access to it in what appears to be an easier way than Spotify.

For 4 months free trial, I don't see why I shouldn't.

I subscribed to Spotify for a while, but others just seem to be throwing free trials at us so I stopped. I've hardly paid for any streaming services in the last couple of years.

- 6 Deezer trial (when I bought a Sonos speaker) and a 3 months for £0.99 offer a while later
- 3 Months Google Play Music trial (when I bought a Chromecast)
- 3 Months Apple Music trial
- 1 Month Groove Music trial

I'm now on a 3 months of Spotify for £0.99 offer. It seems you become eligible for offers again if you haven't subscribed for 12 months. Hopefully that will be the case with other services as well.
 
How long have you been using the service? Anecdotally, my recommendations are pretty spot on, but I've been on the service for over a year. Recommendations/You might like, regardless of the service, require time to actually be useful.

5 minute, 5 weeks...doesn't matter.....
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.