Google is the leader in search, and the company also hopes to become a major player in the streaming audio space with Play Music. The service, which you can access via the Web (that's how I tested it) and Android and iOS mobile apps, offers good sound quality, a sizeable music locker, YouTube integration, and lots of tunes in the form of playlists, artist-specific channels, and on-demand streams. Google Play Music is an enjoyable music-listening experience, but the service isn't quite as well rounded as the best of the competition. As a result, Slacker Radio remains the Editors' Choice for streaming music services.
The Plans
Google Play offers two listening plans: Free and Unlimited. The Free option lets you stream millions of ad-supported tracks, skip six songs per hour, store up to 50,000 audio files, get recommendations based on your music tastes, and listen to curated channels.
The $9.99 per month Unlimited plan builds on the Free plan by letting you download music for offline playback, skip an unlimited number of tracks, and enjoy an ad-free listening experience. Save for the music locker, which I'll explore in a bit, Google Play Store's pricing is not unlike Slacker Radio or Spotify's offerings. There are some slight differences, however. Google's Unlimited plan, for example, also grants you access to YouTube Red, Google's premium video service.
Google also offers a cool Play Music family plan, which allows unlimited access for up to six family members for $14.99 per month. This is identical to Apple Music, Spotify, and Tidal's generous family packages. That said, Amazon Music Unlimited (Free 3-Month Trial at Amazon) has even better deals, with student subscriptions boasting a low $4.99 per month price tag. Amazon Prime Student members receive even lower prices, paying just $6 for 6 months of music access.
Similar Products
Spotify
LiveOne
iHeartRadio
Tidal
Apple Music
SiriusXM Internet Radio
Amazon Music Unlimited
Microsoft Groove Music
Note: Google Play Music does not let you record audio. If you want that unique feature, check out SiriusXM Internet Radio , the Editors' Choice for streaming audio services focused on live audio.
Can I Just Play the Music?
Like many streaming music services, Google Play Music cribs from the late, great Songza, offering channels that are designed to fit your mood and the time of day. When I signed into Google Play Music on a late Monday afternoon, the service served up seven categories: Working to a Beat, Boosting Your Energy, We Love the 90s, Summer Fun, Recommended New Releases, Top Albums, and Focusing (No Lyrics).
Clicking a category causes Google Play Music to present several additional categories. For example, selecting Boosting Your Energy opened the door to Uplifting Pop Anthems, Indie Dance Party Hits, Dance Party Hits, Epic Party Bangers, and other categories with high BPMs. Unfortunately, clicking one of those entries didn't start the music. Instead, Google Music Play then displayed numerous playlists, including Massive Pop Hits: The Remixes and Up All Night. When I clicked one of those selections, I finally got some enjoyable jams. I find it a bit frustrating that you have to click that deeply, but at least the tunes are good.
Google Play Music also asks you to select a handful of genres, so that it can recommend music based on your interests. I selected Alternative/Indie, Hip-Hop/Rap, and Rock, then selected individual artists such as Cake, Jay Z, and The Talking Heads. Once again, I became a bit frustrated as I was asked to make more selections—this time, choosing from a series of channels featuring artists that I selected in the previous step (Prince Radio, Gorillaz Radio) or related artists (The Time Radio, Jimi Hendrix Radio). At this point, I just wanted to hear some damn music, so I clicked I'm Feeling Lucky Radio, which featured solid tunes based on my previous selections.
Because Google knows every step you take, every move you make, the search giant factors in things you've listened to on YouTube. I was quite surprised to see a Charlamagne Tha God Radio channel pop up in the recommended listing based, apparently, on a YouTube play. In addition, Google Play Music gives you the option to watch an artist's music video, instead of listening to a song, when one's available. It's a nice touch.
As with other streaming music services, Google Play Music lets you favorite or ban songs, browse stations, and create playlists.
Adding Your Own Music
One of Google Play Music's best features is the option to upload up to 50,000 audio files from your desktop to the service's online music locker. You don't need to use desktop software to do this if you use Chrome, as you can upload tracks directly through the browser. If you use another web browser, you'll need to download Google's Music Manager software.
A headphones icon appears in the Windows system tray, where you can call up the Manager's window with a double click. The app offers good choice over what you want uploaded to the service—you can add or remove specified folders or even iTunes and Windows Media Player playlists. You still can't designate individual songs, but the playlist and folder controls should be enough for anyone. Still, if you choose the Music folder, all subfolders get uploaded, too. You can't remove folders at a lower level, so you may have to move things around.
The Advanced choices let you set a bandwidth rate in case you have to prioritize other traffic on your internet connection. You can throttle the Manager down to 128 Kbps, or just let it run as fast as possible. You can also choose whether to start the software when you start your computer, and whether to send Google crash data. Clicking this link will wipe out previous settings and kick off a wizard dialog that lets you choose whether to keep your Google Music in iTunes, Windows Media Player, the Music folder, or another folder you specify. First-time users get this wizard the first time they run the Music Manager.
At the bottom of the wizard dialog, you can see how many songs you have and how much space is left. The next page tells you how many songs Google Play Music found. I had twelve songs, all of which were recognized and uploaded. The service can handle AAC, FLAC, MP3, OGG, and WMA—more than iTunes Match, which doesn't support lossless FLAC (Google Music downgrades it to 320 Kbps).
Next, you tell the Manager whether it should automatically upload any new songs found in the chosen folder. After a page explaining the tray icon, you'll be told that your music is uploading.
The Listening Experience
Google Play Music's library of more than 30 million songs will make most listeners happy, as it contains a good mix of major and indie artists. I streamed the entirety of The Dirtbombs' Ultraglide In Black, Harlem's Hippies, and Led Zeppelin's Led Zeppelin II. Google Play Music even boasts Prince and Taylor Swift tracks, names that were, at one point, warring with several streaming music services due to low royalty pay.
That said, the service also lacks many of Slacker Radio's sexier features, such as live ESPN, The Weather Channel, men's and women's lifestyles channels, and informative Artist DNA stations.
Google Play Music served up crisp audio in testing over both home and office network connections. The audio should satisfy all but the snobbiest audiophile. That said, if you demand nothing less than the best audio quality, Tidal is the service for you. Its $19.99 HiFi plan streams wonderful 1,411 Kbps FLAC audio.
Last Thoughts
Google Play Music has a lot going for it, including a deep library, a family plan, YouTube videos, and a 50,000 song music locker. That said, if you're a music fan who wants to hear other audio content besides your favorite tunes, take a look at the Editors' Choice award-winning Slacker Radio, which boasts sports, weather, and lifestyle content, too.
Google Play Music, with its music locker and YouTube and YouTube Red integration, offers more unique features than your typical streaming music service.
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