Short answer: Worth it only as part of YouTube Premium. Standalone, Spotify and Apple Music are better products.
When It IS Worth It
You already pay for YouTube Premium. Getting music as part of the bundle is solid value.
You care about long-tail content. Bootlegs, fan edits, live sessions, niche remixes: YouTube Music wins on catalog weirdness.
When It Is NOT Worth It
You want a polished music-first app. Discovery, queue behavior, and playlist tooling still feel behind competitors.
You care about hi-res quality. Audio quality is fine, not class-leading.
Who Should NOT Buy This
- Users with mature Spotify libraries
- Apple ecosystem users who use Siri/HomePod heavily
- People wanting best-in-class recommendations
Cheaper or Better Alternatives
| Alternative | Price | My Take |
|---|---|---|
| Spotify Premium | $10.99/mo | Best playlists/social layer |
| Apple Music | $10.99/mo | Better for Apple users and library management |
| Tidal | $10.99+/mo | Better for audio quality-focused listeners |
What Annoys Me About YouTube Music
- Random app behavior between video-first and audio-first modes
- Playlist management is clunkier than Spotify
- Recommendations can overfit to recent binge sessions
Final Verdict
Great bundle value, average standalone music product.
Rating: 6/10 — keep if bundled, think twice if standalone.