All users in Egypt will be offered a free trial for a month on YouTube Premium, which costs between US $3 and $6 depending on the package chosen.
YouTube announced earlier this week that YouTube Music, a music streaming application and YouTube Premium, a paid subscription which provides an ad-free experience on YouTube, will be rolled out in Egypt starting September 10, 2020.
YouTube Music, which has a diverse musical catalogue on YouTube, is designed to help people discover new songs and artists. Music is the second most popular category on YouTube in the Middle East after entertainment.
Key features on the service include a rich musical catalogue from official singles and albums, to covers and remixes; smart search, a feature to help users find songs with just a few lyrics; Discover Mix, which recommends new music based on past listening habits and user likes, offline smart downloads with a limit of 100 songs on mobile devices.
YouTube Premium offers four key features including ad-free viewing; background play, where audio continues to play even if a user exits the YouTube app; offline access where users can download any video on YouTube to watch whenever they want and a YouTube Music subscription that allows premium subscribers to listen to music offline and without ads on the YouTube Music app.
“For over a decade, millions in Egypt have come to YouTube to watch, learn and also listen. With music
being the second most popular category on YouTube, I am excited to launch YouTube Music in Egypt
which will give our users access to the massive music catalogue that exists on our platform, helping them find the music they love. From new releases by Cairokee to iconic classics by Mohamed Abdel Wahab, and of course viral covers to live performances, it’s all here,” Hisham El Nazer, General Manager of Google Egypt said in a press statement.
“We’re also excited to launch YouTube Premium, an ad-free subscription service that allows our users in Egypt to watch all their videos on YouTube without ads, and also enables background play and other amazing features” he continued.
Liliana Abu Dalo, Head of Music Partnerships at YouTube in the Middle East and North Africa added: “We’re proud that Egypt’s rich musical heritage has a home on YouTube and we’re excited about bringing it closer to our users with YouTube Music. Over the years, YouTube played an important role in the success of music labels and artists in the Arab world. We built YouTube Music to help people find and enjoy the music they love whether it’s through official releases, iconic music videos or live performances all while bringing artists closer to their fans.
YouTube Music subscriptions start at approx. USD 3 (or $4.63 for family plans) and YouTube Premium at $3.70 (or $5.56 for family plans). Both services will roll out to all users in the coming weeks, starting September 10.
