YouTube Music Premium Free Trial

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If you’re between 25-34, you probably grew up on YouTube for music discovery long before streaming platforms became the norm. That’s still true today. You can watch concert edits, lyrical videos, sample breakdowns, studio sessions, pack openings, rap battles, anime intros, live acoustic sets – things Spotify doesn’t focus on.

This is why YouTube Music Premium hits differently.

It fits your real media habits.

This isn’t just an app where you “stream songs.”
This is where your music world already lives today.

And right now, YouTube Music Premium gives new users a 30-day free trial so you can test what it’s like to finally remove every restriction you normally deal with when listening to music on regular YouTube.

• No ads interrupting vibes.
• Background play always works.
• Switch between video and audio without losing your place.
• And your phone can finally turn off the screen while the track plays.

Quick clarity note (so you don’t mix things up)

YouTube Music is a separate app from normal YouTube – but they run on the same overall platform. Some people confuse this because they think Music Premium and YouTube Premium are the same thing. That’s not the case. Here we’re talking about YouTube Music Premium specifically.

Later on, I’ll mention briefly how YouTube Premium connects to this – but this article is focused on YouTube Music Premium as its own subscription experience. This is your entry into ad-free music streaming on the YouTube ecosystem side of things.

What You Get With YouTube Music Premium Free Trial

With YouTube Music Premium, the 30-day free trial unlocks the full paid experience. Nothing major is gated. You get the real version of the platform – not a limited sampler.

Here’s what that looks like in real world everyday use cases.

Gym / Lifting / Cardio Sessions

• No ads interrupting your pump
• Background play works with screen closed
• Quick switching between official audio and video versions
• Perfect for EDM, Trap, Soca, Dancehall, Afro beats – where remixes and unofficial edits exist way more than Spotify

Work / Office / Study Focus

• Huge chillhop / lo-fi libraries
• Study mixes that run 4 -10 hours straight
• Can turn off screen and still stream
• Great for tech workers who bounce between tabs all day

Commute / Driving / Travel

• Offline downloads for playlists, albums and mixes
• Works perfectly when data drops or you’re underground
• No waiting on streams to buffer
• Saves your real data usage like crazy

Creative Studio / Producers / Music Nerds

• Access to rare live sessions, deep b-side videos, sample breakdowns, DJ edits
• Easier to discover new variants and sample style sources
• You can rabbit hole way easier than Spotify’s “pretty but limited catalog” UI

Music Discovery (the category YouTube owns)

This is where YouTube Music wins by miles.

You already know this:
Music discovery started on YouTube for this generation.
And that carried into adulthood.

YouTube Music Premium lets you follow that naturally.

• Recommended mixes feel like algorithm-powered rabbit holes
• Remixes, fan edits, lyric edits, mashups actually exist here
• Niche genres, foreign language, indie, anime OSTs, video game soundtracks are more discoverable

No other platform competes here.

Spotify doesn’t even try. Deezer doesn’t understand this lane.

Why YouTube Music Premium Hits Different vs Regular YouTube

Most people think “Well YouTube already has music. Why subscribe to YouTube Music then?”

Here’s the difference:

Regular YouTube is built for watching videos while YouTube Music Premium is built for listening to music intentionally.

Key Distinctions

Regular YouTube	YouTube Music Premium
For random watching	For dedicated music listening
Ads everywhere	Fully ad-free music experience
Screen must stay on	Background play with screen off
No structured music library	Full streaming library. Playlists and recommendations
Hard to organize anything	Auto generated mixes. Genre radios. Mood mixes
No offline mode	Full offline downloads

Same ecosystem. Different purpose.

You still get video when you want it – but YouTube Music Premium is engineered to make music listening smooth and frictionless.

This is why the free trial is so valuable:

Most people have never experienced YouTube without the interruption. They have never experienced YouTube as a pure streaming music engine. They only know the “cat video” type streamer.

The 30 days gives you time to feel what streaming feels like when video, audio, remixes, and rare uploads all live together.

Hidden Gotchas (Read These Before You Start)

YouTube Music Premium is clean overall… but there are a few things people misunderstand or don’t notice until after the trial starts. Nothing here is “bad”, but it’s good to walk into the 30 days with eyes open.

1. Auto-renews at the end of the 30 days

Like most streaming trials, if you don’t cancel before the 30 day mark, you’ll get billed the next month rate ($10.99 USD/month).

You can set a reminder in your phone. YouTube Music says that they will send a reminder 7 days before the trial expires so you can look out for that too.

Most people forget. This isn’t just a YouTube thing – it’s every service.

2. Credit card required up front

You can’t do this with a no-card signup.

This is normal for most music platforms, but I’m calling it out because people occasionally assume that because it’s YouTube, you don’t need a card.

3. Library personalization takes a bit to get accurate

The first few days the algorithm is learning you. It’s powerful – but it needs signals.

This is why 30 days matters. You get enough time for YouTube Music to show you what it really thinks your patterns are.

4. YouTube Music Premium is NOT the same as YouTube Premium

Some people think this trial unlocks everything across the main YouTube platform. Not exactly. They are separate subscriptions.

YouTube Premium unlocks Music Premium inside it…
…but getting Music Premium alone does NOT unlock full YouTube Premium.

I’ll explain this deeper and why this matters in the pricing section below.

For now – just don’t mix the two mentally while testing the trial. Focus on the Music experience first.

5) Not every music video has a perfect audio transition

Most do. YouTube is insane in this department. But sometimes the sound quality between the official video and a fan upload might not feel identical.

So if you run into something weird – just tap into the official audio version instead.

Getting the Most Out Of Your YouTube Music Premium Free Trial

You have 30 days to take advantage of this free trial. You want to use these 30 days like a stress test, not a casual play around.

Here’s how to get way more from the trial than the average user:

1. Start building playlists immediately

Don’t wait for the algorithm to “get you.” You need to give it food.

Throw in:

• Favorite childhood bangers
• Daily repeat artists
• A few niche genres you like to bounce between
• 10+ tracks you skip often elsewhere

This speeds up personalization fast.

2. Try listening without watching

Don’t just use it the same way you use normal YouTube.

Turn your screen off.
Put your phone down.
See how it feels as a pure music experience.

It’s completely different.

3. Download playlists for offline – especially your gym & commute mixes

This feature quietly becomes the “this is worth paying for” moment.

Test it this way:

• Download a gym playlist
• Go to the gym
• Leave WiFi and data turned off
• Feel how good it is to not think about connection at all

This is a massive upgrade that people don’t realize until they try it.

4. Use it like a discovery engine – not a library

Don’t treat this like Apple Music.

Treat this like YouTube.

Search weird stuff.

• Brazilian funk
• French rap
• Anime battle OSTs
• 90s mixtape edits
• Boiler Room sets
• Caribbean dancehall freestyles

This is the platform where those things actually exist in abundance.

5. Use “radio based on song” and “quick mix” aggressively

This is where YouTube’s algorithm shows off.

Spotify tries to be safe and mainstream.

YouTube isn’t scared to go deep niche – and this is why it hits so hard for serious music heads.

6. Test video-to-audio switching during everyday life

This is the #1 feature most people end up paying for long-term.

A single tap switches between video to audio and back. This is something no other platform does well.

7. Go back to regular YouTube a few times during this trial

This is important on purpose. Occasionally switch apps and check out the regular YouTube.

You need to compare that annoyance feeling of ads, no background play, forced visual watching… vs this smooth freedom.

The contrast is what locks in the value psychologically.

How To Sign Up To YouTube Music Premium Free Trial

The signup flow for YouTube Music Premium is actually simple. You can do this in under 3 minutes. I recommend doing this on mobile (Android or iPhone), but it works the same on desktop too.

Step 1: Go to the official trial page

Visit the free trial page here. You can learn all about the service before you sign up.

Step 2: Click the “Try” button.

To get started, click on the “Try 1 month for US$0”. You’ll need your credit card ready though.

Step 3: Sign in with your Google Account

You can use the same Google account that you use for your regular YouTube login. Just authenticate and you’re almost done.

If you’re already logged in, you will be taken straight to the next step.

Step 4: Pick a plan

If it’s just you, continue with “Individual” which is chosen by default.

There are also a “Family Plan” and a “Student Plan” – both of which give free trials also.

Step 5: Add your payment method

You can add your payment method here. It’s required.

Choose from credit/debit card or PayPal. You wouldn’t be charged at all. This is so that they can continue your subscription after the 30 days without interruption.

Step 6: Confirm and start listening

You’ll see a welcome message once your payment method has been accepted. Click done and you’ll be able to start listening.

That’s literally it. You can now download the YouTube Music app on your device and start exploring.

Time Required: 2-3 minutes.

My Experience with YouTube Music Premium

Although I signed up on desktop, I wasn’t going to use it to listen. YouTube Music Premium works best on mobile – you get the best experience that way and notice the difference more.

It doesn’t feel like Apple Music or Spotify and honestly, that’s a good thing.

Interface quality

The interface is clean, modern and always in dark mode. If you use the same account you use for YouTube, it already knows what you like.

The layout makes it easy to switch between:

• Your Library
• Explore
• Samples (Previews)
• Home

It’s comfortable and easy to use.

Learning Curve

There’s a tiny adjustment for people who come from Spotify or Apple Music because YouTube Music doesn’t treat music like a static catalog. It feels more alive. More rabbit-hole oriented.

But this makes discovery way more satisfying.

Mobile Experience

YouTube Music was made for mobile. On the app, you feel the biggest difference.

• Switching between audio and video is instant
• Offline downloads are super easy
• Background listening feels natural
• Search feels more powerful because it’s basically tapping into the entire YouTube universe

Regular YouTube feels like an app you “watch.” YouTube Music Premium feels like an app you “experience”.

What I Like Most

There are some features that I really liked.

• The familiarity of having the stuff you already listen to on YouTube being in the app. Stuff you shouldn’t find on digital streaming platforms like that fan-made remix of Kendrick Lamar’s “squabble up”.
• The AI-powered section called “Ask for Music” gives you suggestions like “90s rap classics” that creates a radio station with relevant cuts. You can also just type in or say what you want and the AI will create a radio station for you.
• I can finally turn the screen off and the music will still play – even though it’s YouTube.

Compared To Other Streaming Platforms

Here’s how YouTube Music Premium compares with other platforms you’ve probably tried before.

YouTube Music Premium vs. Spotify

Spotify is the king of “playlist culture” and the UI is very polished – but it’s audio-first only. Everything is structured, neat, mainstream and controlled.

If you want clean, predictable listening with very little chaos, Spotify does that extremely well.

But… the discovery ceiling on Spotify is lower.

YouTube Music Premium wins when you want access to:

• remixes
• unofficial edits
• live versions
• deep niche genre content
• international music that never makes it to mainstream DSPs

Spotify is like a tidy record store. YouTube Music is like a wild global warehouse of sound where everything exists.

YouTube Music Premium vs. Deezer

Deezer is slept on and it has some solid sound quality and Flow is decent… but Deezer’s audience and catalog presence just isn’t strong in the video-driven music subcultures.

If you listen to Drill, Trap, Soca, Reggae, Afro beats, Remixes, Latin alt, niche EDM – Deezer is too shallow for those lanes.

Deezer is a good platform… but it’s not built for the type of music people discover on YouTube every day.

The Hybrid Advantage (This Is YouTube Music’s Weapon)

YouTube Music Premium is both sides at once:

• Audio streaming like a normal platform
• Instant pivot to video whenever you want (no other platform even comes close here)

Most people don’t realize how strong this is until they test it daily.

This is why the 30-day free trial is the ultimate way to feel the difference – because YouTube Music isn’t just “better” than other streaming apps. It’s designed for people who already consume music differently.

Pricing After Free Trial (US Only)

Depending on where you’re from, the pricing may vary. So here, I’m just going to be addressing the pricing for the US audience only.

After the trial ends, YouTube Music Premium costs:

• $10.99/month (standard plan)

There are other plans too:

• Family Plan — $16.99/month (up to 5 family members)
• Student Plan — $5.49/month (needs to be verified)

“Wait… how does YouTube Premium tie into this?”

This is where some people get confused – so here’s the simple version:

• YouTube Premium includes YouTube Music Premium inside it.
• But YouTube Music Premium by itself does NOT include YouTube Premium.

YouTube Music Premium is the cheaper entry.
YouTube Premium is the “bigger ecosystem unlock” later if you decide you want the ad-free version of the main YouTube.

For this article, for this trial… I’m just focusing on the Music side because that’s what you’re probably trying to find out about.

Best Value Plan Recommendation

Start with YouTube Music Premium solo.

If later you realize you want full ad-free YouTube (main app) and background play everywhere… then upgrade directly to YouTube Premium.

This lets users ladder up instead of creating an overwhelm up front.

How To Cancel Your YouTube Music Premium Free Trial

Since this is a trial, you have the option to decide whether you want to keep going or not. You can do this on both the desktop website or the mobile app. I usually like using the desktop for things like billing and cancellation.

Desktop (recommended)

1. Go to https://music.youtube.com/ and make sure you’re signed into the same Google account you started the trial with.
2. Click your profile icon (top right).
3. Select Paid memberships.
4. You’ll see YouTube Music listed.
5. Click Manage membership. Then select Deactivate.
6. You’ll get a popup asking if you know you can pause for 6 months. Since we’re cancelling, click Continue to cancel.
7. Confirm cancellation and close.

Note: if you cancel early – you can still keep access through the end of your free trial period. You won’t get charged immediately on cancel.

Cancelling on the Mobile App

If you’re in the YouTube Music app, go to your profile icon, click Paid memberships, choose YT Music Premium and click Cancel.

It’s basically the same thing – just the menu names are slightly different in mobile.

Try YouTube Music Premium

YouTube Music Premium gives you something that most music apps just can’t match.

It blends the entire history of music video culture with the convenience of a modern streaming library all in one place you already know how to use.

And the 30-day free trial is the perfect way to test it.

Try it in your real life:

• gym sessions
• deep focus study nights
• road trip playlists
• sample hunts for beat ideas
• music video rabbit holes when you need that hit of nostalgia

You’ll see fast if this is your main streaming home or not.

You’re not locking into anything. You’re not throwing away money just to “see”.

You’re just trying it with zero risk and actually experiencing the hybrid advantage vs just guessing.

Try it this week and see how it fits your actual daily music habits.

If it doesn’t work for you, cancel before the deadline. But if it does hit… this might replace two other apps instantly.

That’s why this one’s worth the test.