What YouTube Music Premium costs and what it includes
YouTube Music Premium is a paid subscription that removes ads from the YouTube Music app and website, lets you play songs in the background on your phone, and downloads tracks to listen offline. The monthly cost is $11.99 as of 2024, though the price has changed before and may change again. You can also buy an annual plan, which costs less per month if you pay upfront.
The subscription works on phones, tablets, computers, and smart speakers. When you sign up, you use your Google account to log in — the same account you use for Gmail or YouTube. Your subscription syncs across all your devices, so if you start playing a song on your phone, you can pick it up on your computer without starting over.
YouTube Music Premium does not include YouTube Premium (which removes ads from regular YouTube videos). These are separate subscriptions. If you want both, you pay for both, though Google sometimes bundles them together at a discount.
Key Takeaways
- YouTube Music Premium costs $11.99 per month and removes ads, allows background play on phones, and enables offline downloads.
- The subscription works across phones, tablets, computers, and smart speakers using your Google account.
- YouTube Music Premium and YouTube Premium are separate subscriptions with different features and separate costs.
- Family plans and student plans are available at different price points and cover multiple people or verify student status.
- You can cancel anytime through your Google account settings without penalty or remaining contract.
How to start a YouTube Music Premium subscription
Open the YouTube Music app or go to music.youtube.com in your browser. Tap or click the profile icon in the top right corner and select "Get Premium." You will see the subscription options available in your country. Choose the plan you want — individual monthly, individual annual, family, or student — and follow the prompts to add a payment method.
Google will charge your payment method on the same day each month (or year, if you chose annual). Your subscription starts when ready after payment goes through. If you are already signed into YouTube Music with your Google account, Premium turns on right away without needing to log in again.
If you have a Google Play subscription or YouTube Premium already, check your settings first — sometimes you already have access to Music Premium as part of a bundle, or you may be able to upgrade without paying twice.
Family and student plans
YouTube Music Premium offers a Family plan that covers up to six people in your household for $22.99 per month. Each person gets their own account and their own music library, recommendations, and offline downloads. The person who pays sets up the family group through their Google account and invites the others by email.
A Student plan costs $5.99 per month if you are enrolled full-time at an accredited school. You verify your student status through SheerID, a third-party verification service, when you sign up. The student plan includes all the same features as the individual plan — no ads, background play, offline downloads — but only for one person.
Family members can be removed or added anytime, and each person can cancel their own membership without affecting the others. If the person paying the family bill cancels, the family plan ends for everyone.
What you can and cannot do with offline downloads
YouTube Music Premium lets you read songs, albums, and playlists to your phone or tablet so you can listen without an internet connection. Downloaded music stays on your device until you delete it or your subscription ends. You cannot read music to a computer — offline downloads only work on the mobile app.
When your subscription ends, all downloaded music becomes unplayable, even if you paid for it. The files stay on your device but the app will not play them. If you restart your subscription later, the downloads work again.
Downloaded music is tied to your account, not to the device. If you sign out of YouTube Music on your phone, the downloads stay on that phone but you cannot access them through the app. If you sign in on a different phone, you can read the same songs again on that device.
How background play works on phones
With YouTube Music Premium, you can play music in the background on your phone while using other apps or when your screen is off. Without Premium, the app pauses when you switch to another app or lock your screen.
Background play works the same way on both iPhone and Android. Open a song or playlist in YouTube Music, then switch to another app or turn off your screen — the music keeps playing. You can control playback from your lock screen or from the notification panel without opening the app.
Background play does not work on the web version of YouTube Music, only in the mobile app. If you are listening on a computer, you need to keep the browser tab open and active.
Canceling your subscription
You can cancel YouTube Music Premium anytime through your Google account settings. Go to myaccount.google.com, select "Payments & subscriptions" on the left, find YouTube Music Premium, and click "Cancel subscription." Your subscription ends at the end of your current billing period — you do not lose access mid-month if you cancel on the 15th of a 30-day cycle.
After you cancel, you can sign up again anytime. There is no penalty for canceling, no contract, and no waiting period. If you signed up for an annual plan and cancel before the year is up, you do not get a refund for the unused time.
If you are on a family plan, you can leave the family group without canceling the whole plan. The person paying the family bill can remove you, or you can remove yourself through your account settings.
The difference between YouTube Music Premium and YouTube Premium
YouTube Music Premium removes ads from YouTube Music only and adds background play and offline downloads. YouTube Premium removes ads from regular YouTube videos, allows background play on YouTube videos, and includes YouTube Music Premium as a bonus. YouTube Premium costs $13.99 per month for an individual.
If you want both services, you can buy them separately or buy YouTube Premium, which includes Music Premium. Buying YouTube Premium is cheaper than paying for both subscriptions individually. Google also offers a bundle called YouTube Premium + YouTube TV in some areas, which adds live TV channels.
Check your current subscriptions in your Google account to see what you already have. If you have YouTube Premium, you already have Music Premium and do not need to pay extra.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use YouTube Music Premium on multiple devices at the same time?
Yes, you can play music on different devices at the same time with one subscription. If you start a song on your phone and then start a different song on your computer, both will play. However, you cannot play the same song on two devices simultaneously — the app will pause one of them.
What happens to my downloaded music if I cancel?
Downloaded songs become unplayable when ready when your subscription ends. The files stay on your device but the app locks them. If you restart your subscription later, they work again. You cannot transfer downloaded music to another app or device.
Do I need a YouTube account to use YouTube Music Premium?
You need a Google account, which is the same thing as a YouTube account. If you have Gmail, Google Drive, or any other Google service, you already have a Google account and can sign up for YouTube Music Premium with it.
Can I share my YouTube Music Premium login with someone else?
Your subscription is tied to your Google account. Sharing your login means the other person has full access to your account, including your email and other Google services. Use the Family plan instead if you want to share music access with others — each person gets their own account and their own recommendations.
Is there a free trial for YouTube Music Premium?
Google sometimes offers free trial periods for new subscribers, but the length and availability vary by country and change over time. When you go to sign up, the app will show you what trial period, if any, is available to you before you enter payment information.