Google Offers Free 4-Month Play Music Trial Subscription to Celebrate July 4th

[Karma*Police]

It looks like Google smells blood and is going after Spotify. It's obvious that Spotify is losing a lot of iOS users to Apple Music - hence the public spat - and Google is being opportunistic by offering a similar promo to Apple's to do the same... Not to mention, it gets their less popular service out there at a time when music streaming is trending in the news.

 

[T5BRICK]

This is a good deal. I signed up for Play Music "all access" back in 2013 and locked myself into the $7.99 monthly price. I honestly use this service more than Netflix.

 

[thekeyring]

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.

It's worth noting that I started a radio station based on Internet Love Song by Tom Milsom ... the first song after this was Forever Yours by Alex Day. You probably haven't heard of them but trust me, the fact the algorithm understood that if you probably like this YouTube musician you'll also like this other one is pretty impressive. Not rock music. Not mainstream. Nothing to do with the Beats brand.

 

[aloshka]

It's worth noting that I started a radio station based on Internet Love Song by Tom Milsom ... the first song after this was Forever Yours by Alex Day. You probably haven't heard of them but trust me, the fact the algorithm understood that if you probably like this YouTube musician you'll also like this other one is pretty impressive. Not rock music. Not mainstream. Nothing to do with the Beats brand.

I don't mean the right click start station. I mean the ENTIRE for you tab, the ENTIRE radio tab is plagued with Swift. You don't need Apple Music to do the "start radio" feature which simply just chooses songs from the same genre. This is just part of iTunes (they might have removed it to force people to sign up for Apple Music, but I don't know for sure).

What I meant with Google is that their auto generated lists and even "i'm feeling lucky" are spot on.

 

[thekeyring]

It looks like Google smells blood and is going after Spotify. It's obvious that Spotify is losing a lot of iOS users to Apple Music - hence the public spat - and Google is being opportunistic by offering a similar promo to Apple's to do the same... Not to mention, it gets their less popular service out there at a time when music streaming is trending in the news.

I can't see how Spotify will compete unless it sorts out it's business model. Apple and Google are both smart enough to ensure their music offerings are profitable, and even if they're not - both can afford for them not to be. If it had to, Apple could afford to give all iPhone users free Apple Music for the first year or two. Google could presumably also treat Google Play as a loss leader.

...meanwhile Spotify seem to be losing more money the more subscribers sign up.

 

[aloshka]

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.

That's weird, my entire experience is opposite of yours on Google Music. Just choosing artists doesn't seem to do much. I think even if you told me you liked/disliked someone, I wouldn't accurately be able to tell you what you like even if i had all the worlds knowledge of music. Start using thumbs up/down on the songs and add them to your library. The accuracy will set in within +/- 10 songs.

And, don't get me wrong, I didn't expect Apple Music to guess what I like either. But I do expect it to stop showing me Rihanna, when I said, not interested and dislike 20 times.

 

[0098386]

Remember the time Apple tried to not pay artists during their trial period?

 

[thekeyring]

I don't mean the right click start station. I mean the ENTIRE for you tab, the ENTIRE radio tab is plagued with Swift. You don't need Apple Music to do the "start radio" feature which simply just chooses songs from the same genre. This is just part of iTunes (they might have removed it to force people to sign up for Apple Music, but I don't know for sure).

What I meant with Google is that their auto generated lists and even "i'm feeling lucky" are spot on.

Ah, fair enough.

Weird, I just checked and couldn't see Swift anywhere immediately. I assumed if I dug down further I could, but then as I have some of her music in my library, fair enough.

 

[Guitarpik]

Does anyone know how to get the trial offer to show up? I just downloaded the app and logged in with my google account but I don't see it. I don't even see anywhere to purchase a subscription.
Thanks

 

[Menel]

I second or third Google music is great. App is slick.
But really it's the ad free YouTube perk really sells it.

 

[Sevendaymelee]

No CD quality streaming no deal.

 

[burgundyyears]

I actually have Google Play Music and it's okay for what it is. You can burn through the content of some of their "radio stations" in a couple of days of regular listening though. Their selection is some genres seems pretty shallow. I'll probably cancel it at the end of the summer.

 

[thisisnotmyname]

I don't mean the right click start station. I mean the ENTIRE for you tab, the ENTIRE radio tab is plagued with Swift. You don't need Apple Music to do the "start radio" feature which simply just chooses songs from the same genre. This is just part of iTunes (they might have removed it to force people to sign up for Apple Music, but I don't know for sure).

What I meant with Google is that their auto generated lists and even "i'm feeling lucky" are spot on.

I just went scrolling through a lot of the for you tab (it's an endless scroller so eventually I stopped) and didn't find any Taylor Swift. I did find one Rhianna but it was a deep cut (not one of her popular radio play songs) and fit the topic they put it in there for. Most of what they put in my for you tab is a pretty decent match which is saying a lot given my eclectic but particular taste in music.

 

[tbayrgs]

Does anyone know how to get the trial offer to show up? I just downloaded the app and logged in with my google account but I don't see it. I don't even see anywhere to purchase a subscription.
Thanks

Because Apple takes a 30% cut off any in app purchases, Google doesn't allow subscription management in there app... Need to do it on their website.

GPM is by far my favorite music service as well... And the YouTube Red just makes it that much better.

 

[jimbobb24]

Can someone compare Spotify and Google play. Have been happy with Spotify for 18 months and now have many many playlists with them not sure I want to recreate. The trial is tempting. I also have Amazon prime music service but never used.

How many devices? Cache locally? How big is library? I really like to use Spotify to discover new music - usually through their various weekly playlists. How does google compare?

 

[Rocketman]

If I understand correctly this does not work on Apple TV but does on iOS and Mac OS. Right?

 

[jimbobb24]

It looks like Google smells blood and is going after Spotify. It's obvious that Spotify is losing a lot of iOS users to Apple Music - hence the public spat - and Google is being opportunistic by offering a similar promo to Apple's to do the same... Not to mention, it gets their less popular service out there at a time when music streaming is trending in the news.

Google decides what is trending, and I expect they and a few others will get better at this in ways we can barely imagine. Their is already research showing Google can tip elections. For services like this they will get better and better and less and less scrupulous. I think we will be pretty impressed with the micro targeting we get in the future.

 

[Plutonius]

Renting music. No thanks.

 

[Westside guy]

I haven't tried Google's service; but, since I'm happy with Pandora One, it's unlikely I'd switch and double my cost anyway.

I did originally try out Spotify, Apple, and Pandora... and actually thought Pandora "tuned" best of the three. I certainly hear fewer repeats on Pandora than I did on the other two.

 

[blasto2236]

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.

Your experience with the "For You" section would indicate to me that something went wrong when you were choosing genres/artists. You can always go back and re-do this. I do not see any of the aforementioned artists in my "For You" section.

As for Google Play Music, I am just now trying it w the trial. Oddly, I am having the same problem as you are with Apple Music. I selected some very not-poppy genres and artists, and all I'm seeing in the discovery section is Top 40 stuff I have no interest in.

 

[Studioman]

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.

Keep in mind Google knows everything they have ever even bothered to look at online in the last ten years even if your browser was set to do not follow.

 

[THE JUICEMAN]

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.

I've been trying google play music too. The best part is no ads on YouTube. Very clean and easy to use interface on the music app but this is coming to Apple too. If it wasn't for the exclusives on Apple Music and the Siri/Mac/ iPad integration id stick with google.

 

[S.B.G]

Just playing around with the iOS app, and can't readily seem to find a way to create a new playlist. Can this be done?

 

[Mackinjosh]

Google Play is the best of the services by far, followed by Spotify, and then Apple's awful offering (restricting it to iTunes and their poorly made phone apps is a joke). Tidal isn't even worth mentioning.

 

[Pakaku]

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.

When Apple is the one endorsing a band like U2 at their presentations, then yeah, I could never see their music service having much hope either.