Google gears up for YouTube Music Key launch

Google is reportedly preparing to launch a subscription YouTube music service, called YouTube Music Key, that will offer ad-free and offline access to music and music videos.

According to tech site Android Police, the service will cost US$9.99 (€7.50) per month and will give access to official discographies, as well as concert footage, covers, and remixes.

The news follows reports earlier in the summer claiming that YouTube was gearing up to launch the subscription music offering, despite failing to sign licensing terms with a number of independent record labels.

Speaking to the Financial Times in June, YouTube’s head of content and business operations Robert Kyncl said that it had agreed terms with labels representing 95% of the music industry, but would start to block videos from those it hadn’t reached terms with “in a matter of days.”