YouTube Red and Google Play Music set to merge to create new music service

YouTube’s head of music has today confirmed that the company is planning to merge its YouTube Red music service, with Google Play Music, to create a new streaming platform for users.

As The Verge reports, Lyor Cohen announced that the change was coming during a panel session at the New Music Seminar conference in New York, saying that the company needs to merge the services in an attempt to educate consumers, and bring about new subscribers.

When asked why YouTube Red isn’t more popular with consumers, Cohen stated, “The important thing is combining YouTube Red and Google Play Music, and having one offering.” It’s worth noting that it hasn’t been stated whether or not the two apps would merge, but as The Verge says, it looks like it’s unlikely.

By consolidating the two services, the company is hoping to make the services they offer much clearer. As it stands, the current state of things is rather complicated. While YouTube Red offers ad-free videos and offline play, you also get access to Google Play Music for free. The YouTube Music app is free to use, but greater benefits are delivered if the user is connected to YouTube Red. Right now, it’s all a bit of a mess which the company hopes to clear up.

Google is set to notify users of any changes before they happen though, stating: “Music is very important to Google and we’re evaluating how to bring together our music offerings to deliver the best possible product for our users, music partners and artists. Nothing will change for users today and we’ll provide plenty of notice before any changes are made.”

This article originally appeared on The Industry Observer, which is now part of The Music Network.