YouTube Music lets you enjoy music while moving between audio tracks and music videos. It can be used for free, but paid Music Premium is useful for ad-free music, listening with the screen off, and downloading music for use away from home. Before subscribing, also check how it relates to YouTube Premium.
Prices and availability in this article refer to Japan and were checked on October 24, 2026. The table uses official listed prices, excluding promotions. Before subscribing, check the amount charged through your chosen purchase channel, free-trial eligibility and the next renewal date.
Music Only, or Videos Too?
Check the differences between YouTube Music Premium and YouTube Premium, along with web and iOS signup prices. If you watch videos too, compare the features you need together.
YouTube Music Premium Prices
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Plan | Official Web Price | Main Conditions |
|---|---|---|
Individual — Monthly | ¥1,080 / month | For one person |
Student | ¥580 / month | Enrollment at an eligible higher-education institution must be verified |
Family | ¥1,680 / month | Up to 6 people in the same household, including you |
Individual — Annual | ¥10,800 / 12 months | Prepaid; no automatic renewal |
Family members must belong to the same household as the family manager. The student plan is for students at eligible higher-education institutions and requires verification. It can be used for up to four years, with eligibility rechecked annually.
Sources: Official Music Premium prices / Student eligibility and renewal requirements
In-app purchases on iOS have different prices from the web. The Japanese App Store lists YouTube Music at ¥1,450 and YouTube Music Family at ¥2,180. Even if you use an iPhone, consider the device separately from the signup channel and check the price on the screen where you subscribe.
Sources: Google's App Store listing
YouTube Music's family plan can be shared with up to five family members who live at the same address as the family manager, for a total of six including the manager. Everyone uses their own Google Account with separate libraries and recommendations.
Sources: YouTube family plan requirements
What the Free Version and Music Premium Offer
The free version lets you choose and play songs and music videos with ads, as well as repeat and skip tracks. Music Premium adds ad-free music, background playback, audio-only playback and offline listening.
Podcasts are treated differently: many shows support background playback and downloads for free. Podcasts may also include ads or promotions within the show even for paying subscribers. A paid plan does not necessarily remove advertising from every kind of content.
Sources: Free and Music Premium features
Already Have YouTube Premium? Check for Duplicate Subscriptions
A standard YouTube Premium subscription includes YouTube Music Premium. If you already subscribe to YouTube Premium, check whether you can use it with the same Google Account before adding a separate Music Premium subscription for music.
Music Premium alone is not a subscription for watching all YouTube videos without ads. Whether you mainly listen to music or also frequently watch YouTube videos is a factor in choosing a plan.
Sources: YouTube Premium and Music Premium benefits
Audio Quality and Offline Playback Settings
Music Premium lets you change streaming and download quality. Official help lists the high-quality maximum as 256 kbps AAC / OPUS. Separate settings for Wi-Fi and mobile data let you balance quality and data use according to your listening habits.
Changing the quality setting does not automatically change the quality of tracks already downloaded. Download them again to listen at the new setting.
Sources: Audio-quality and download settings
How You Cancel Depends on Who Bills You
If you subscribed on the web, cancel through the paid-membership management screen. If Apple bills you, use Apple's subscriptions settings; if Google Play bills you, use Google Play subscriptions. A regular paid subscription keeps its benefits until the billed period ends after cancellation. Annual plans differ from automatically renewing monthly subscriptions, so check the conditions at signup.
Sources: Canceling Music Premium
Choose Based on Music Alone or YouTube as a Whole
Separating the time you spend listening to music on YouTube Music from the time you spend watching ordinary YouTube videos can make the choice clearer. Music Premium is an option for ad-free music, background playback and music downloads. If you want benefits across ordinary YouTube as well, compare the features and total price of YouTube Premium.
Standard YouTube Premium includes Music Premium. If you already subscribe, check that you are using the same Google Account before adding a separate music subscription. Music Premium alone does not make all ordinary YouTube videos ad-free.
Sources: Differences in Premium benefits
Check Streaming and Download Audio Quality
YouTube Music's high-quality setting offers AAC or OPUS up to 256 kbps. You cannot determine superiority by simply comparing that number with, for example, 320 kbps on a service using a different compression format. Consider how you listen on your playback equipment and the balance with data use and storage.
Check streaming and download settings separately. A new audio-quality setting is not automatically applied to tracks already downloaded. To save them at the new quality, delete the existing downloads and download them again.
Sources: Audio-quality and download settings
A Checklist Before Subscribing
- Check whether the subscription is Music Premium or standard YouTube Premium. Also check the account you currently use to avoid duplicate subscriptions.
- Compare the ongoing price of the same plan on the web and through in-app purchases. The listed iOS App Store prices differ from web prices.
- For a student plan, check whether you attend an eligible higher-education institution. Being a student does not grant unconditional access: the plan lasts up to four years and requires annual eligibility checks.
- For an annual plan, understand how it differs from renewing a monthly subscription twelve times. The listed 12-month option is prepaid and does not renew automatically.
- If you listen to music outside, test playback with the screen off and downloads on the device you will actually use.
Sources: Official plan information / Listed iOS prices / Student plan requirements
Frequently Asked Questions About YouTube Music
Can I Play Music on the Free Version?
You can search for and play music. However, background music playback and downloads are Premium benefits. Podcasts have a different set of free features, so an action available for a podcast is not necessarily available for music.
Can Ads Still Appear with Premium?
Ad-free music and podcast advertising are treated separately. Official help says podcasts may contain ads. Consider what you intend to listen to when deciding on a subscription.
Sources: Free, paid and podcast benefits
Points to Consider When Choosing YouTube Music
If you want to enjoy audio recordings and music videos together, start by finding favorite releases on the free version. Then consider whether you need background or offline playback while traveling. If you also watch YouTube videos often, compare Music Premium alone with standard YouTube Premium, taking care not to duplicate subscriptions.
Compare Other Music Services
Our comparison of six major services covers prices, free tiers, audio quality and student plans using the same criteria. Compare them based on how many people will use the service, your everyday devices and the situations in which you listen.
