Music YouTube Users Can Now Play Songs In The Background

YouTube Music provides an increasingly sophisticated song playback service. (photo: youtube)

JAKARTA - YouTube Music currently supports playback of songs in the background. That is, the Google-owned application is now similar to its competitors, SoundCloud and Spotify.

Previously, playing streaming songs in the ad-supported YouTube Music app would only work if the user kept the app open, but when the user navigated through other apps on the phone, it would stop the music.

Now, five years after the launch of the service and one year after the discontinuation of Google Play Music, users can use YouTube Music like a music app without having to pay for YouTube Premium.

"You can continue playing music after minimizing the application or turning off your screen. Run, answer an SMS, or check some email without stopping your music," said YouTube in its official blog quoted from Ars Technica, Wednesday, October 6.

Unfortunately, not all users can enjoy this feature, because YouTube is just launching in Canada next month on November 3. For now, everyone still can't use YouTube Music like a regular music streaming app without paying for the service.

Google says that free background playback will be available to users worldwide, but it's unknown when.

Meanwhile, its competitors SoundCloud and Spotify offer free background streaming just as Google Play Music did before it shut down. However, YouTube Music hasn't been able to replicate that feature for the past five years.

YouTube Music Premium subscribers have to pay $9.99 to be able to play music in the background, and this feature is available for music that users upload themselves. But if a user listens to an ad-supported streaming catalog, the music simply stops in the background. YouTube's free service also limits background playback.