Summary
- Starting July 8th, YouTube Music free users in Canada will lose background playback perks.
- Luckily, the free tier will add on-demand music playback, music videos, and personalized playlists next month, counteracting the loss.
- Consider switching to Spotify if you want free background playback, with limitations on song selection and skips on the free tier.
One of the benefits of a YouTube Music Premium subscription is the ability to play music in the background. But in Canada, free YouTube Music users have been enjoying the same perk without paying a dime since at least late 2021. This will change starting July 8th, with Google sending out emails to YouTube Music users informing them of changes to how their subscription plan will work.
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Starting July 8th (via Reddit), background playback in the YouTube Music app will require a YouTube Music or YouTube Premium subscription in Canada. You will also need a subscription to use YT Music with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. This is similar to how YouTube Music operates in other markets, except that, until now, only Canadian users have been able to enjoy the streaming service through Android Auto or Apple CarPlay without needing a subscription.
Thankfully, Google is also adding some perks to YouTube Music’s free tier. Starting next month, you will have access to on-demand music, albeit with ads. Additionally, you can stream music videos and enjoy access to the Samples tab, personalized playlists, and mixes. Currently, the YouTube Music free plan only allows for shuffle playback, so this would be a major upgrade, even though you must put up with ads.
As Google notes in its email, these changes bring the YouTube Music experience in Canada in line with other markets.
Upgrade to YouTube Music Premium or look elsewhere
Paywalling background playback behind a subscription will annoy existing YouTube Music subscribers, though this limitation has been present for years in other markets. On the plus side, Google bringing back the ability to play on-demand music to the free tier makes it much more useful.
If you are not too happy about background playback or Android Auto/Apple CarPlay usage requiring a YouTube Music Premium subscription, consider trying Spotify. Its ad-supported free tier supports background playback, though there are other drawbacks. This includes being unable to select a specific song for playback; you must choose an artist, album, or playlist. You are also limited to skipping up to six songs an hour. If you need more, you must upgrade to the Premium plan.
