YouTube Remix Could Bring Changes to Google’s Streaming Music Efforts

Google might be planning some big changes to the way it allows you to stream music.

The tech giant is working on a new music-streaming service to be called YouTube Remix that will eventually replace its current Google Play Music, Android-tracking website Droid Life is reporting, citing people who claim to have knowledge of its plans. The source said that Google could push people off Google Play Music and on to YouTube Remix by the end of the year.

Rumors have been swirling for months that suggest Google is working on YouTube Remix. The offering would be similar to Apple Music and Spotify and give users the option to stream music to the device of their choice. YouTube Remix might also feature video support, so users could watch video clips and audio in the same pane. In March, a report said that Google’s idea is to combine streaming audio with video to create a decidedly different service than what’s available from Apple and Spotify.

According to Droid Life’s sources, YouTube Remix would also include several recommendations features not unlike what you’d find on YouTube, which surfaces videos based on the content you typically watch. YouTube Remix might also include curated playlists that change depending on where you are and what time of day it is, the source said.

Google’s decision to ditch Google Play Music for an alternative wouldn’t be much of a surprise. Google Play Music is largely an afterthought in the broader digital music market. Adding a new service to the mix with a different set of features could be what Google needs to do in order to build its presence in the critical market.

The big question, however, is when YouTube Remix might actually launch. For its part, Google hasn’t commented on launch plans and only told Droid Life in a statement that “nothing will change for users today” and, if and when a new service is announced, users will have “plenty of notice before any changes are made.”

It’s worth noting that Google I/O, the company’s software development confab, will take place between May 8 and May 10. It would make sense for Google to announce something at that show.

Source: fortune.com