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Android Auto Is All About YouTube Music Now as Google Shuts Down Music Store

We’ve known for a while that Google is planning to retire Google Play Music and move everybody to YouTube Music, and now this transition is nearly complete.
Google Play Music is being retired 5 photos
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Google Play Music on AndroidGoogle Play Music on AndroidGoogle Play Music on AndroidGoogle Play Music on Android
The company has just closed the Google Play Music, which means that users can no longer purchase music regardless of the country they live in.

The only alternatives right now are switching to YouTube Music, which Google hopes you’ll do, or moving to another media service, which Google obviously hopes you won’t do. But on the other hand, the Mountain View-based search giant is trying to keep Play Music users committed to its platform with a series of tools that allow them to listen to their previously-purchased music and manage their content even after making the switch to YouTube Music.

But as many users learned the hard way, and those running Android Auto in their cars certainly know this the best, Google isn’t yet offering feature parity, so some of the customers who made the switch to YouTube Music can’t even listen to their purchased library without first getting a subscription.

But sticking with Google Play Music is clearly no longer an option, as the full switch is projected to come to an end later this month.

And visiting the music store right now provides users with a notification that embracing YouTube Music is the recommended step for everybody.

To continue listening to your Play Music library, transfer your library to YouTube Music at music.youtube.com/transfer. You can also download your data via Google Takeout or delete your data through your Play Music account settings,” Google says.

By the end of the year, you will lose access to the Google Play Music app. If you decide not to take any of the actions above, all Play Music data that is not transferred or downloaded will eventually be deleted.

It remains to be seen how many people would actually move from Google Play Music to YouTube Music, but right now, it’s very clear that the media experience, both on the phone and on Android Auto, needs to be further refined to convince even the existing users that sticking with services developed by the search giant is still worth it.
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About the author: Bogdan Popa
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Bogdan keeps an eye on how technology is taking over the car world. His long-term goals are buying an 18-wheeler because he needs more space for his kid’s toys, and convincing Google and Apple that Android Auto and CarPlay deserve at least as much attention as their phones.
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