Joe Maring / Android Authority
Not many years ago, if you mentioned YouTube Music in a room full of long-time Google Play Music users, you could probably hear their collective sigh from space. Google retired its beloved service in 2020 and replaced it with something that, at the time, felt underbaked to be a true music player. Fast-forward to 2025, and while the groans haven’t completely died down, nearly everyone we know, including our readers, is using YouTube Music.
This revelation came straight from an open discussion we’re currently running on Android Authority. With over 8,000 votes and counting, the majority of respondents say that YouTube Music is their music streaming service of choice, not Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, or anything else. YouTube Music has emerged as the king, albeit not the most elegant ruler, but a practical one that people appreciate for its convenience.
What is your current music streaming platform? 8779 votes YouTube Music 78 % Spotify 12 % Apple Music 4 % Deezer 1 % Tidal 2 % Amazon Music 1 % Pandora 1 % Another service (mention in the comments) 1 %
The numbers make sense
Joe Maring / Android Authority
You have to admit that making YouTube Music a part of the YouTube Premium subscription was a genius move by Google. We definitely expected some strong opinions when we asked our readers about their preferred streaming service, but what we didn’t expect was an overwhelming pattern that emerged. People aren’t picking YouTube Music because of its vast music library or algorithmic genius. They’re picking it because it makes the most sense economically.
“YT Music does everything I want and more at an affordable price (which includes YouTube Premium),” remarked another, in a long list of comments that echo the same sentiments.
The YouTube Premium family plan is the real hook
“Can’t beat the cost of YTM when you have a family plan,” a reader said.
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