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YouTube still has a way to go before its ad-free tier launches
YouTube might have Music Key in its hat (sort of), but apparently it's having issues locking down deals for the proposed ad-free subscription service that'd cover the rest of its media. Google's video wing is having troubles getting content creators onboard with the service, according to The Information. As the site's sources tell it, YouTube has even threatened to set certain channels to private so the videos therein won't show up in searches. That's if the creators don't play ball, of course. YouTube tried strong-arming indie musicians in a similar way last year. The Information notes that where the biggest difficulties might lie would be with TV networks that have a presence on the video portal because plenty of them are already married to the likes of Hulu for subscription content. All in all, if you were holding out for ad-free YouTube -- at a nominal fee -- you're going to be waiting a bit longer.
Cellist disagrees with YouTube Music Key over rule #4,080
It's been a few months since Google launched its YouTube Music Key service, and now we may be finding out how it plans to keep the digital shelves stocked. Musician Zoë Keating blogged last week complaining that YouTube threatened to block her music -- she plays "the cello and the computer" sampling her own sounds as part of the performance -- from streaming unless she signed a 5-year agreement licensing her work for the new service, among other changes. So what's going on? (Other than the usual explanation.) According to Keating, she uses ContentID to track and, if she chooses to, get paid when someone uses her music in their videos. The new contract Google is offering is all-encompassing when it comes to monetization, so to keep ContentID her music will be included in both the free and premium services, the entire catalog will have ads on it, and new music is required to come to YouTube at the same time it arrives anywhere else.
Engadget Daily: YouTube Music Key, Rosetta lands on comet 67P and more!
Today, ladies and gentlemen, mankind landed a probe on the surface of a comet. Cool, right? But that's not all that went down -- read on for Engadget's news highlights from the last 24 hours, including YouTube's Music Key subscription service, Samsung's new 3D camera and our wearables buyer's guide.
YouTube CEO confirms music subscription service is coming soon
There have been plenty of rumors about YouTube starting up a music subscription service, including a confirmation from the Google-owned group in June that it was coming later in the summer (which has obviously come and gone). Tonight we heard another confirmation, this time straight from the mouth of CEO Susan Wojcicki. In an interview at Code/Mobile, the executive said that her team was indeed "working on it" and that this is a near-term goal. While she didn't get into specifics on the program, which may or may not be called Music Key (according to rumors, that is), she stated that one of the obstacles is figuring out "how to give people options" -- likely a way of saying that YouTube is still working out the pricing tiers and what features would be available for each individual plan. And given that the service will supposedly include concert footage and other videos, it may be a bit more complex than what competitors like Spotify offer. It's not clear when exactly we'll see this service ready for the public, but this is at least a solid indication that it didn't just completely vanish, never to be enjoyed by our eyes and ears. [Image credit: Getty Images]
YouTube 'Music Key' leak reveals Google's streaming plans
We've heard rumors and rumblings about YouTube's music service for awhile now, but it's looking like a chunk of concrete details have just surfaced. For starters, it's apparently being named YouTube Music Key and will offer access not only to full artist catalogs, but concert footage and remixes as well, according to Android Police. The service will supposedly also offer a free 30 day trial and will cost $9.99 per month thereafter to access a promised, platform-specific, 20 million "high-quality" tracks and offline listening. To bring Mountain View's existing music platform into the fold, the search giant is renaming Google Play Music All Access to a slightly less cumbersome Google Play Music Key. What's more, one subscription fee is said to cover both services. With the latter also offering ad-free, audio only listening and offline playback, though, we're wondering how long this possible redundancy could end up lasting. For the full details and a smattering of screen grabs, head to the source.
