YouTube To Take On Spotify With Music App & Subscription Service

There's a new player in the music app business - one you've probably been using for years.

YouTube has announced that it's launching a standalone music app, 'YouTube Music' (catchy) - which finally allows users to listen tunes with the app running in the background with an "Audio Only" option.

Previously, the standalone YouTube app required the listener to run the app in order to play videos and their soundtracks, stopping if the user opened another app or locked their screen.

The new music app, launching before Christmas, will also have a greater focus on music discovery, linking users to playlists based on the tracks they "Love" - indicated by clicking a heart icon. 

The launch of the new app was announced alongside YouTube Red (nothing to do with pornography), a new subscription model for all of YouTube's services, marking its apparent intent to compete with the growing streaming market.

Launching later this month in the US, Red subscribers will pay $9.99 (£6.50) for a desktop or Android option, $12.99 (£8.04) for an Apple version. In return, they'll get an ad-free YouTube experience, and also be able to save music offline on the YouTube Music app. There's also a list of exclusive shows and films available to subscribers, made by the likes of DewDiePie.

Would you sign up to the YouTube Red service? Let us know below.

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