YouTube Music and Premium passes 100 million subscribers

YouTube Music and Premium announced today that it reached a major milestone in the platform's music streaming goals, surpassing 100 million members (including trial users). This figure, accurate as of January 2024, represents a growth of 20 million members in just over a year, according to Lyor Cohen (Global Head of YouTube Music).In 2015, YouTube Music was launched with the aim of providing music lovers with a one-stop shop for all their music needs, including ad-free listening, offline features, and access to music videos . Following community feedback and changes in the industry, the service has undergone several changes over the years. As part of this evolution, YouTube Music rebranded, expanded to more countries, and added new features, some of which include podcast integration, AI-powered music discovery tools, and a best video playback.

In his celebratory announcement, Cohen focused on the milestones and features that brought the platform to where it is now. Recalling its rocky beginnings, Cohen attributes this growth to features built into the Premium model that were once considered too different or too risky to try, like mixing music streaming with different video formats. He also talked about introducing AI-powered features, such as conversational video tools and comment summarization, as a way to attract new subscribers who see YouTube Premium as a platform to explore new technological advancements in the music industry.

However, in the future, YouTube will undoubtedly face increased competition in the crowded music streaming scene. Its future success will most certainly be determined by its ability to convert more trial users into paying subscribers while maintaining the same unique formula with which they found this success.