The move was confirmed by the company’s head of music for sub-Saharan Africa, Addy Awofisayo. It took effect on 5 December.
“Users in each of these countries will now have access to the YouTube Music app as well as the YouTube Premium experience, which will give viewers access to an uninterrupted viewing on YouTube,” Awofisayo said.
YouTube Music offers users a personalised interface designed specifically for music streaming and enables users to explore songs and music videos on the platform – categorised by genres, playlists and personalised recommendations. YouTube Music offers a range of features, including Smart Search for finding songs with minimal lyrics, the Activity Bar for quick playlist navigation, the Explore Tab for discovering new and popular music, and the Related Tab for personalised content. With Song Lyrics and recommendations powered by Google, the app aims to cater to diverse music tastes.
YouTube Premium, previously known as Music Key and YouTube Red, is a subscription service offering an ad-free experience across the platform, exclusive access to premium YouTube Originals content created in collaboration with site creators, the ability to download videos, background playback on mobile devices, and access to YouTube Music. YouTube Premium subscribers also gain access to YouTube Music Premium, ensuring an ad-free, offline, and background listening experience.
“With the YouTube Music app, we’ve built a dedicated music streaming experience that delivers over 100 million official songs, along with an extensive catalogue of live performances, music videos, remixes, podcasts, and hard-to-find music that you can’t get anywhere else. We’ve taken all of that music content and created a personalised journey through sound that fits your particular music needs and preferences,” Awofisayo said.
In Kenya, YouTube Music and Premium subscription packages range from Ksh419 (about $3) to Ksh949. In Ghana, they range between GH₵9.50 ($0.80) and GH₵30.
In mid-November, YouTube unveiled its latest Premium features and assured users to anticipate forthcoming “exclusive benefits.”
