A 2012 Nielsen report pegged YouTube as the primary way teens listen to music — beating our radio, iTunes and CDs. Not a shocker: It's free, has a huge library, a great search engine attached to it, and did I mention it's free?
There are now rumblings via Billboard that YouTube will be launching a subscription music service this year to compete with Spotify, rdio and the other current players, while also providing a "premium" tier to complement VEVO.
Billboard reports that there will be a free unlimited tier — supported by ads — and a paid version, both tied into a new YouTube mobile app.
How does this effect music videos?
Well, if videos are just something hidden behind a window or otherwise minimized, then this could effect viewcounts, which could effect budgets and trickle on down. But it could also form the next step in the entwining of music and video into one product: After all, would "Wrecking Ball" and "Gangnam Style" have been big hits if not for sticky videos that you were compelled to watch, rewatch and share?
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