Here’s why everyone is using YouTube Music — even if they don’t love it!

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.

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.

“Can’t beat the cost of YTM when you have a family plan,” a reader said.

Cost-efficiency is one of the top reasons why people pick YouTube Music over other music streaming services. Not only does a YouTube Premium plan give you free access to millions of YouTube Music songs ad-free, offline, and while your screen is locked, but the YouTube Premium family plan is the real hook. For $22.99 per month, you can use YouTube Music without ads on up to five accounts! That’s a tough one to beat for the likes of Spotify, which also offers a family plan, but one that doesn’t come with a tasty side of YouTube Premium.

For many YouTube Music users, the journey began with Google Play Music’s forced retirement, followed by the chaotic migration to YouTube Music. Playlists were moved, preferences were ported (sometimes badly), and the new interface took a lot of getting used to. In fact, some folks never got used to it at all. And yet, they stayed. That’s because years of their accumulated music on Google Play Music moved to YouTube Music.

One of our readers said, “I use it because it’s where all my music from Google Play Music went. I absolutely detest any algorithm for music. The vast majority of what I listen to is music I have bought or the 500 CDs I own and uploaded to GPM.”

Clearly, when Google Play Music was migrated to YouTube Music, people didn’t just want to lose all their valuable collections painfully built over time, so they stuck with YouTube Music and have been hanging on ever since.

A big advantage YouTube Music has over most global streaming giants is the availability of regional, live, obscure, and old music. The streaming service decidedly excels at it.

Android Authority readers (including yours truly) acknowledge how nearly impossible it is to find specific live music, covers, local songs, old, forgotten tracks, and music from smaller countries on Spotify or Apple Music. You know where those songs almost always do exist? YouTube Music.

“One area where YouTube Music really stands out is the sheer volume of original albums available. My primary interest is the original rock era of 1964-1980. YouTube Music has virtually every original studio album from that era, by artists that matter,” said a reader.

Because YouTube Music pulls directly from YouTube’s massive video library, including fan uploads, niche recordings, and regional hits, it becomes a treasure trove for indie music lovers. If someone in your country uploaded a remix of an old classic? You’ll probably find it on YouTube Music.

“All the services have at least one thing where they excel over others; it just depends on what value you place on the differing features. In YTM’s case, it’s the ability to find live versions of tracks that I like the most. Other platforms will outperform it in other areas (such as streaming quality), but I place a high value on listening to live music, so it’s the best option for me (that, plus I already pay for YT Premium anyway),” noted another reader.

This is where the platform quietly wins hearts. Not with fancy recommendations or slick design, but with simple access to stuff that actually matters to you.

So why aren’t people raving about YouTube Music?

Despite all this, very few people claim to actually really “love” YouTube Music. It’s not the darling of Reddit discussions. It doesn’t drop surprise features that get headlines (unless you’re into AI-generated playlists). Its recommendations algorithm, streaming quality, and UI still spark debates. And yes, some erstwhile Google Play Music users still feel stuck, with no other alternative.

If you’re a die-hard Spotify fan or an Apple Music lover, we get it. These platforms offer polish, clever integrations, better connectivity, and great personalized recommendations. But YouTube Music is everyman’s streamer, and it’s only getting better. It’s the “eh, might as well” option that just so happens to make sense financially, culturally, and practically.