Not to be outdone by Apple Music and Spotify, Google rolled out its own family plan for streaming music junkies. The Google Play Music family plan allows up to six users to access an unlimited streaming library — as well as YouTube Red — for a single monthly fee of $14.99. That's a whole lot of music for a low price, but how does it stack up to the competition?
Apple's family plan is nearly identical to that of Google, allowing up to six people to stream Apple Music's entire catalog for the same $14.99. Spotify's group plan is far less wallet-friendly; paying $14.99 only lets you add one other user to your plan, and you'll have to pay an extra $5 for every additional listener you want to add after that. Spotify's plan also maxes out at five family members for $29.99.
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YouTube Red is Google's secret weapon. Everyone on a Google Play Music family plan will automatically have access to YouTube's premium tier, which removes ads from videos and will soon provide access to YouTube's upcoming Red-exclusive shows and movies. Apple and Spotify don't compete in this area.
Other than that, all three major services provide unlimited access to a library of more than 30 million songs. There are a few notable exclusives; if you or your loved ones swear by Taylor Swift, you can only find her on Apple Music. It's also worth considering each service's unique features. Spotify offers podcasts and automatically-generated workout playlists, Play Music makes it easy to store songs from your personal collection and Apple Music's curated playlists make it easy to find something new.
