Which Google service did YouTube Music replace as Google's primary music streaming brand?

Which Google service did YouTube Music replace as Google’s primary music-streaming brand? It replaced Google Play Music.

YouTube Music became Google’s primary music-streaming brand as Google phased out Google Play Music. The transition culminated on December 1, 2020, when YouTube Music replaced Google Play Music in that role. Google Play Music itself was discontinued in December 2020 after years as a hybrid streaming service and music locker.

The two products overlapped for much of their history. Google Play Music offered on-demand streaming, music purchases, podcasts, and the ability for users to upload personal songs. YouTube Music, by contrast, was built around YouTube’s enormous catalog of official tracks, music videos, live performances, covers, and remixes.

Google began preparing users for the switch in 2020 by providing tools to transfer libraries, playlists, recommendations, and other account data. A related point of confusion is that YouTube Music did not replace Google Podcasts as its original primary music predecessor; Google Play Music was the service being retired. YouTube Music later absorbed podcast features as Google consolidated more audio activity under the YouTube brand.