As Google looks to phase out its music streaming service Google Play by the end of the year, it has begun the process of migrating users over to the Google-owned YouTube Music.
Starting today (May 12), Google Play users can expect an email instructing them on how to easily transfer their music libraries, listening histories and playlists to YouTube Music. All users’ Google Play podcast subscriptions, on the other hand, will be moved over to the company’s free Google Podcasts app.
Google says in a press release that users will continue to have access to both services until it officially kicks Google Play to the curb later this year. Paying Google Music subscribers will be automatically granted the equivalent tier on YouTube Music, at the same price.
As it retires Google Play, the company is adding new features to YouTube Music: The service will now increase its maximum playlist length from 1,000 songs to 5,000; allow users to add up to 100,000 personal tracks to their YouTube Music libraries (meaning user-uploaded tracks or those purchased on Google Play); enable offline listening for paying members and more.
In February, the company announced that YouTube Premium — the $11.99 per month subscription service that includes YouTube Music — has reached 20 million subscribers. By comparison, Spotify recently upped its paid subscriber count to 130 million, while as of July 2019, Apple Music had over 60 million total subscribers (including paid and trial users).
