Alphabet Inc GOOGL GOOG said Tuesday it would entirely phase out its Google Play Music service in favor of YouTube Music by the end of this year.
What Happened
Play Music users can transfer their music libraries until December 2020 and will lose access to streaming in the coming months.
Beginning in September 2020, streaming services will end in New Zealand and South Africa, although users in those countries can still transfer their settings such as playlists, likes, uploads, and purchases until December, according to YouTube. In other markets, including the United States, music streaming will end in October.
Alphabet introduced a tool in May to help users transition between the two music streaming platforms seamlessly.
Why It Matters
YouTube Music has been revamping its “Now Playing” experience and has added the “Recent activity” carousel as a test in Brazil, according to 9to5Google.
Play Music has failed to gain traction against Spotify Technology SA SPOT despite occupying prime real-estate on Alphbaet's mobile operating system Android, the dominating smartphone OS globally, the Street columnist Jon Markman noted.
Price Action
The analyst said last month that YouTube Music “is likely to flounder,” adding, “Sorry, Google – you’re too little, too late.”
Alphabet Class A shares traded 0.26% lower at $1,469.51 and Class C shares traded mostly flat at $1,464.40 in the pre-market session Wednesday.
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