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.
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.
Top Rated Comments
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.