Like it or not, YouTube Music is the future of those invested in Google’s Music platform. There are a number of criticisms of the app and platform as a whole, a lot of them valid and not just subjective. One this certainly is valid, is the issue with using YouTube Music in a country where the service is not offered.
The simple version: If you have YouTube Music premium and travel to a country where you cannot purchase the service, you couldn’t use it… Until now!
There have been complaints about this to Google previously, including on their support forums as noted by the team at Android Police. Users simply get a notification that they are in an unsupported area.
The support page for YouTube Music has been updated since I last checked it and now specifically states you can use your service in unsupported regions for up to 6 months. This extends slightly further to downloaded music for up to 30 days before it is automatically cleared from your device.
According to the AP article, they’ve had two separate contacts from readers as well as other evidence putting weight behind this. The readers have confirmed previously unsupported places are now allowing YouTube Music to be used.
Things have changed over the past few days. Two tipsters have told us that they can access YouTube Music in Taiwan and Belarus, even though the service isn’t officially available there. Two other users in Puerto Rico and Algeria appear to be in the same boat — we reached out to them but haven’t heard back.
The footprint of YouTube Music will continue to expand as Google Play Music fades into obscurity. Once my personal upload library and Playlists are moved to YouTube Music, I’ll make the transition over: Will you?
