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Yes—if you still have the roughly $7.99 monthly rate and use the benefits. But it is no longer a Google Play Music subscription in any meaningful product sense. Google Play Music was replaced by YouTube Music, and surviving legacy accounts may now provide YouTube Music Premium or YouTube Premium benefits. The crucial catch is that the old price is account-specific: canceling or changing plans could mean losing it permanently.
The $8 subscription began as Google Play Music All Access
Google introduced Google Play Music All Access in May 2013 at $7.99 per month. Its main proposition was on-demand access to a large music catalog without buying individual albums or tracks. A decade later, the price may survive on some accounts, but the original service does not.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Google Play gift code | $200.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Google Play gift code | $50.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Google Play gift code | $25.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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Google Play gift code | $100.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
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Google Play gift code | $200.00 | Buy on Amazon |
Google Play Music was eventually replaced by YouTube Music. The legacy subscription described in the original retrospective evolved into the YouTube subscription ecosystem rather than continuing as an unchanged Play Music product. Droid Life’s 2023 account documented a surviving $7.99 monthly subscription and its transition into YouTube’s services.
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What you may actually have in 2026
Google’s current terminology distinguishes between two products:
#1 Best Overall
- No returns and no refunds on gift cards. Good for use on the US Google Play Store only. Terms apply - see below.
- Google Play gift codes can be used on the Google Play Store, the official app store for Android, to purchase apps, games, and more.
- To redeem, enter code in the Play Store app or play.google.com.
- Endless games to explore: Find and play old and new favorites – from mind-bending puzzles to epic quests and more.
- Just the app you’re looking for: Millions of apps means millions of ways to get things done, learn something new, and maybe even meet someone special.
- YouTube Music Premium: ad-free music, background playback, audio-only playback, and downloads.
- YouTube Premium: the Music Premium benefits plus broader YouTube benefits, including ad-free viewing and background playback where supported.
YouTube’s help documentation says YouTube Premium includes all YouTube Music Premium benefits. That does not prove that every former Play Music subscriber received the same package, however. Your account’s current membership label and benefits are what matter.
Check your exact membership
- Visit youtube.com/paid_memberships while signed in to the Google account being charged.
- Select Manage membership.
- Record the membership name, monthly price, billing provider, renewal date, and listed benefits.
- Test the features you actually use: ad-free YouTube video, ad-free Music playback, locked-screen playback, downloads, casting, car playback, and smart-speaker access.
Billing may be handled by YouTube, Apple, Google Play, or a third-party partner, so the management and cancellation route can vary. Google explains these exceptions in its membership cancellation guidance.
Why the legacy rate is valuable
At $7.99 per month, the subscription costs $95.88 over 12 months before taxes. Over 120 uninterrupted months, the nominal total would be $958.80:
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- No returns and no refunds on gift cards. Good for use on the US Google Play Store only. Terms apply - see below.
- Google Play gift codes can be used on the Google Play Store, the official app store for Android, to purchase apps, games, and more.
- To redeem, enter code in the Play Store app or play.google.com.
- Endless games to explore: Find and play old and new favorites – from mind-bending puzzles to epic quests and more.
- Just the app you’re looking for: Millions of apps means millions of ways to get things done, learn something new, and maybe even meet someone special.
$7.99 × 120 months = $958.80
That figure is historical spending, not guaranteed savings. Its present value comes from what the account provides today. If the plan includes full YouTube Premium, the price can be especially attractive because it combines music access with ad-free YouTube video. Even a music-only membership may be worthwhile for someone who listens frequently, uses downloads, or relies on background playback.
The account may also contain years of playlists, liked songs, recommendations, uploads, and listening history. Those are not separate financial assets, but they create real switching friction. Rebuilding habits on another service takes time, and a replacement may cost more.
Compare the deal with real alternatives
Do not compare the legacy rate with a competitor’s temporary trial or a per-person family-plan price. Compare the benefits you would actually replace.
Rank #3
- No returns and no refunds on gift cards. Good for use on the US Google Play Store only. Terms apply - see below.
- Google Play gift codes can be used on the Google Play Store, the official app store for Android, to purchase apps, games, and more.
- To redeem, enter code in the Play Store app or play.google.com.
- Endless games to explore: Find and play old and new favorites – from mind-bending puzzles to epic quests and more.
- Just the app you’re looking for: Millions of apps means millions of ways to get things done, learn something new, and maybe even meet someone special.
| Service or plan | Price signal | Best fit | Why you might not switch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legacy Google/YouTube membership | Approximately $7.99 monthly for eligible accounts | Single users who use YouTube and YouTube Music | The price may be grandfathered and difficult or impossible to restore after cancellation |
| Spotify Premium Individual | $12.99/month on Spotify’s U.S. page | Listeners who prioritize discovery, playlists, social features, and broad device support | It does not replace YouTube’s ad-free video benefits, and it costs about $60 more per year than $7.99 |
| Apple Music Student | $6.99/month on Apple’s U.S. page | Eligible students who prioritize Apple’s ecosystem, lossless audio, or spatial-audio features | It does not provide YouTube Premium video benefits; individual and family prices should be checked at checkout |
| Free, ad-supported YouTube Music | Free tier availability varies by feature and region | Casual listeners who can accept advertising and fewer playback conveniences | Background playback, downloads, and ad-free listening may be unavailable or limited |
Spotify’s current U.S. pricing is listed on its official Premium page. Apple lists its student offer and audio features on its official Apple Music page. Prices can vary by country, taxes, billing channel, eligibility, and promotions.
Important limitations
It may not mean ad-free everything
YouTube Music Premium benefits include ad-free music, but podcasts can still contain creator-read promotions or other embedded advertising. Do not interpret “Premium” as a promise that every spoken-word program is free of all promotions.
Features vary by device
Downloads and background playback are primarily mobile-app features. YouTube also notes that the YouTube Music app is not available on living-room devices in exactly the same way as the main YouTube app. Test the service on your own phone, car, television, speaker, and casting setup. See Google’s device and availability guidance.
Rank #4
- No returns and no refunds on gift cards. Good for use on the US Google Play Store only. Terms apply - see below.
- Google Play gift codes can be used on the Google Play Store, the official app store for Android, to purchase apps, games, and more.
- To redeem, enter code in the Play Store app or play.google.com.
- Endless games to explore: Find and play old and new favorites – from mind-bending puzzles to epic quests and more.
- Just the app you’re looking for: Millions of apps means millions of ways to get things done, learn something new, and maybe even meet someone special.
The old product and user experience are gone
Keeping the price does not preserve the original Google Play Music interface, catalog organization, upload workflow, recommendations, or device experience. The subscription may be excellent value while still being a different product from the one you originally joined.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Should you keep it?
Keep the legacy membership if you still pay about $7.99, use YouTube or YouTube Music several times a week, depend on background playback or downloads, or value years of Google-based music history. Keeping it is also compelling if it includes full YouTube Premium and you would otherwise pay for a separate video or music service.
Reconsider it if the price has risen substantially, you mostly listen elsewhere, another household member already covers your music, or you need features such as lossless audio, spatial audio, separate family profiles, or a different catalog and recommendation system. Students, families, and users with carrier or household bundles should compare their eligible alternatives rather than assume the legacy plan is automatically cheapest.
Best Value
- No returns and no refunds on gift cards. Good for use on the US Google Play Store only. Terms apply - see below.
- Google Play gift codes can be used on the Google Play Store, the official app store for Android, to purchase apps, games, and more.
- New finds, old favorites, one card. Choose a unique gift card design featuring your favorite games or apps. This card can also be used for anything else on Google Play. There’s something for everyone, so find what’s yours. Go Play.
- Easy to use: With a Google Play gift code, you never have to worry about expiration dates or fees.
- Endless games to explore: Find and play old and new favorites – from mind-bending puzzles to epic quests and more.
The cancellation risk is the big catch
Do not cancel simply to see whether you can rejoin at the old price. The $7.99 rate is not presented as a normal current public sign-up offer. It should be treated as a grandfathered account benefit, and there is no responsible basis for promising that Google will restore it after cancellation.
Before making a change, capture your current price and membership details, verify whether YouTube video benefits are included, and compare the full annual replacement cost. If you do cancel, Google’s documented path is YouTube paid memberships → Manage membership → Deactivate → Continue to cancel → choose a reason → Yes, cancel. Benefits normally continue through the end of the paid billing period, but that should not be confused with a guarantee that the old rate can later be recovered.
Bottom line
The $8 plan is not a preserved Google Play Music subscription. It is a surviving legacy price attached to a newer YouTube membership. For a single user who still gets meaningful YouTube Music or YouTube Premium benefits, approximately $7.99 per month remains an unusually strong deal. Just verify what your account includes—and assume the price may be gone for good if you cancel.
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
