As the Play Music library migration tool rolls out more widely in the past week, more than and more people are discovering the limitations and pitfalls of uploaded songs on YouTube Music. While some are obvious—similar YouTube Music sequestering away uploaded songs in an entirely divide expanse—at that place are others you may but see with fourth dimension. While the characteristic has been live for months now, many people are only encountering YouTube Music's uploaded library characteristic in the by few days, and what you lot find may non exactly thrill you. Here'south everything you demand to know well-nigh the drawbacks (and, occasionally, benefits) of YouTube Music'south cloud music storage feature.

Library management

Uploading

Google Play Music and YouTube Music both let you lot upload music by dragging and dropping files and folders onto their web interfaces. Play Music used to have a desktop helper and a Chrome app that looked for new audio files in a specified folder and uploaded these automatically, simply the service has been feeling rather cleaved over the last few years for many people. We asked Google whether it would come for YouTube Music and were told that the developers "currently don't accept any plans" to support it — don't hold your breath.

Information technology's likely that neither the Chrome app nor the desktop upload helper will come to YouTube Music.

Earlier you upload your files, you should besides make sure they're in a supported format: FLAC, M4A, MP3, OGG, or WMA. Google Play Music, in contrast, additionally supports M4Ps — DRM-protected AAC files. If YouTube Music runs into any bug during the upload process, information technology will transport y'all an email stating as much, which I've never seen GPM exercise. It includes a list of all files that haven't been added to information technology, so you can attempt uploading those again.

In contrast to Google Play Music, YouTube Music uploads are a one-way street. Once you've imported files, there's no way to download them through the website or the app. You'll have to utilize Google Takeout to practise that. Google Play Music lets you download your files right through its website, though at that place'south a limit of 2 downloads per title when you don't use the Play Music web app (which seems rather broken/deprecated).

Google Play Music has a pesky limit of 10 active devices that doesn't simply include your mobile devices but also whatever desktop computer you've ever used for uploads and unlimited downloads of music. The respective settings page says, "Uploading or downloading music using Music Managing director or Google Play Music for Chrome counts towards your device limit." While the same limit applies to YouTube Music, it's not articulate if instances like tertiary party desktop players count against your full number of devices.

On Play Music, y'all can upload a maximum of 50,000 songs, though this has been raised to 100,000 for some people. YT Music ups this limit to 100,000 for everyone.

Admission

If you're a premium subscriber, titles uploaded to Google Play Music behave only similar those available for streaming — when you search for an creative person or an album, your own files will popular up right between results from Google'south library. If you upload music already available on the platform, Google will endeavor its best to match them to avoid showing duplicates (which it's arguably non as well adept at).

Left: Search. Middle & Right: Library.

With YouTube Music, the situation is dissimilar. Uploaded music gets its own section in the app that's sealed off from audio available through the streaming service. When you search for music, you'll see two tabs: YT Music and Uploads. If you lot accept a huge library of titles not available on the streaming service, you might find yourself swiping betwixt these tabs constantly to discover the music you're searching for.

This theme of separation continues in theLibrarysection. Whether y'all head to Songs, albums, or artists,you'll see the tabbed interface that segregates your uploads from the streaming service's titles you've added to your library. The only places where your files tin alive alongside YT Music's are the queue and playlists, including the automatic Liked songs drove.

Ultimately, this access comparing comes down to preference: One time you're aware of the differences, you lot could even end up liking the new organization more than than Google Play Music'due south.

Costless plan

You lot tin still add your own files to both services even if you're not subscribed to Google'south music streaming plan. On Play Music, you only have access to uploads. Y'all can besides play music from Google's library, but you're express to starting mixes — y'all tin can't choose specific songs. YouTube Music, on the other manus, lets you cull which songs to play every bit long as the app is active and your brandish turned on. You'll as well run into ads when you lot listen to music other than your own.

Metadata

Google Play Music lets you edit your files' metadata after uploading, allowing you to correct a misspelled championship or interpret. The feature is not supported by YouTube Music, and we don't know if it'south planned at all. It would be a dainty addition, merely don't agree your breath.

Third-party access

Google Home

Play Music lets you play your uploaded files on Google Home but like any other song, by saying "Hey Google, play [desired title]." In contrast to music available via the streaming service, uploaded songs won't be followed by an automated mix of like titles, just those are about all the disadvantages there are.

YouTube Music, on the other hand, doesn't let you lot admission your uploaded files via a Google Home voice command at all. Instead, it will play the video version if available. The same happens when you endeavour to play music through the Assistant on your phone. You might not notice that most of the time, but some music videos include longer non-music sound snippets, like Michael Jackson'due south Thriller. Y'all'll need to use the YouTube Music app'due south casting capabilities to play your own songs.

Android Machine

Left & Middle: YouTube Music on Android Machine. Right: Google Play Music.

On Android Auto, you tin access your uploads but like you would in the app or on the website: Choose a category like Albums and and so caput to Uploads.There, yous'll run into everything you've added to YT Music. That's notwithstanding better than Google Play Music — its Android Auto interface only gives you access toMusic for Drivingplaylists,Contempo activity,andplaylists.You can play other songs past asking the Assistant for the title, but in that location's no visual style around your library.

Alarms

Left: Subscription necessary for alarms. Correct: No results for my uploaded Rammstein album.

To employ YouTube Music content for your alarms, y'all need to subscribe to the service's premium program. Even when you do that, yous tin can't use your own files for alarms at the moment — searching for my uploaded Rammstein album didn't return whatsoever results. We don't know if this characteristic will come later. Meanwhile, Play Music doesn't back up Android'due south alarm app at all, so it'south something.

With most people using streaming services over building their ain drove these days, it'south not surprising that YouTube Music doesn't feature full-fledged uploading support. It would accept been dainty to see it, but the number of people using them probably doesn't justify the development work that would demand to be put behind it. After all, Spotify has never supported information technology and is still widely successful. If you want a more Play Music-like experience, y'all could check out Apple Music or Deezer, though the latter only lets you upload ii,000 songs. Apple Music is on-par with YouTube and allows you to store 100,000 files of your ain. If you only need admission to music you ain, Plex could as well exist some other interesting solution.

Thanks: Jes, Webber, Eduardo, Karl Horky

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About The Writer

Manuel Vonau (1637 Articles Published)

Manuel is a tech enthusiast and Android fan based in Berlin. When he'south non writing articles for Android Police, he'south probably out and well-nigh as a videographer.

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