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Google Play Music retiring, advice

  • 15-10-2020 8:05am
    #1
    Tec Diver
    Registered Users Posts: 407 ✭✭


    Hi all,
    I got a notification on my phone that Google Play Music will be going away later this year, to be replaced by YouTube Music. I managed to synchronise my songs with YouTube Music, but when I was using it it kept filling the gaps between the songs I already own with ads!
    The Play store has now been closed for buying music, so recently I had to purchase and download an album to my laptop from iTunes and copy it to the phone.

    Any recommendations for an Android app that will replace Play Music and that has no ads? (I may be asking too much these days - wanting to listen to the music I paid for ad free!)


    TIA
    Eoin


Comments

  • #2
    flazio
    Registered Users Posts: 12,781 ✭✭✭✭flazio


    Well, there's Spotify. €9.99 a month and you own ALL the music as long as you keep the subscription. You can download as well.


  • #3
    SteM
    Registered Users Posts: 6,519 ✭✭✭SteM


    flazio wrote: »
    Well, there's Spotify. €9.99 a month and you own ALL the music as long as you keep the subscription. You can download as well.

    YouTube music costs the same though and you can upload your own music so if you have albums that aren't on the service you can rip them, upload them and they get integrated into your YT music catalogue.

    The OP is looking for a free service without ads


  • #4
    donspeekinglesh
    Registered Users Posts: 1,861 ✭✭✭donspeekinglesh


    I don't think there's any free cloud-based solution for listening to your uploaded music ad-free. GPM was unique in that regard.


  • #5
    banie01
    Registered Users Posts: 16,426 ✭✭✭✭banie01


    donspeekinglesh wrote: »
    I don't think there's any free cloud-based solution for listening to your uploaded music ad-free. GPM was unique in that regard.

    Only solutions that spring to mind are either root based or local storage.
    GPM will be a loss in that regard.


  • #6
    davo2001
    Registered Users Posts: 3,316 ✭✭✭davo2001


    Join one of the family Spotify groups here on boards, a years subscription costs €30 so works out at €2.50 per month.

    I've been doing it for years and works out great.

    https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057764331


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  • #7
    Brian CivilEng
    Registered Users Posts: 1,012 ✭✭✭Brian CivilEng


    I don't know if it is something you'd be interested in, but my solution was to set up a Plex server, and host the music myself. They have a great app, PlexAmp, for listening to music.

    I have Spotify too, but they don't have all the music I want and I do have a big collection of mp3s built from CD rips and Google Play.


  • #8
    donspeekinglesh
    Registered Users Posts: 1,861 ✭✭✭donspeekinglesh


    Brian CivilEng wrote: »
    I don't know if it is something you'd be interested in, but my solution was to set up a Plex server, and host the music myself. They have a great app, PlexAmp, for listening to music.

    Do you need Plex Pass for that?


  • #9
    Echoes675
    Registered Users Posts: 256 ✭✭Echoes675


    Get Youtube premium, no ads and all the music library. If you use a VPN to connect to India, then purchase your subscription it is done in Indian Rupees. Cost me less than £5 per month!


  • #10
    Kobe
    Registered Users Posts: 89 ✭✭Kobe


    Depend on your listening habits. I was in the same boat. But to be honest I listen to the same songs most of the time so I decided to buy those songs either in CD form or in MP3 form or just borrow from the library when possible. Then I put them in my phone.
    I used to like the idea of unlimited music on demand, but now I'm sick of not owning the music and just pay monthly to rent the music.


  • #11
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭[Deleted User]


    Echoes675 wrote: »
    Get Youtube premium, no ads and all the music library. If you use a VPN to connect to India, then purchase your subscription it is done in Indian Rupees. Cost me less than £5 per month!

    £5/month? Wadu Hek.

    I have a family YouTube premium account via India, and that's only costing me about €2.50/month for 6 people.


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  • #12
    whomitconcerns
    Registered Users Posts: 4,306 ✭✭✭whomitconcerns


    Echoes675 wrote: »
    Get Youtube premium, no ads and all the music library. If you use a VPN to connect to India, then purchase your subscription it is done in Indian Rupees. Cost me less than £5 per month!

    Costs me 1.50 a month. But of course I am in Argentina...ahem.....


  • #13
    Brian CivilEng
    Registered Users Posts: 1,012 ✭✭✭Brian CivilEng


    donspeekinglesh wrote: »
    Do you need Plex Pass for that?

    Ah sorry, you do need it for the Plex Amp app. The normal Plex app is free and works OK though.


  • #14
    Tec Diver
    Registered Users Posts: 407 ✭✭Tec Diver


    I do have a fair amount of songs in the collection ATM, but I rarely listen to newer stuff, so I'm not really interested in subscribing to something where I only listen to my own collection.


  • #15
    listermint
    Registered Users Posts: 33,548 ✭✭✭✭listermint


    Tec Diver wrote: »
    I do have a fair amount of songs in the collection ATM, but I rarely listen to newer stuff, so I'm not really interested in subscribing to something where I only listen to my own collection.

    Rip it all to an SD card on device. Rather than phone memory. Job done.


  • #16
    Bluefoam
    Registered Users Posts: 7,694 ✭✭✭Bluefoam


    Deezer is by far the best music streaming app I've used. Whatever way they've put together their algorithm... It's gets me... Gives me music I enjoy and pisses me off less than any other service. Also the app is a pleasure to use

    I had Spotify for a bit and got rid of it fairly quickly... It was obvious to me that they were just pushing music to me to maximise their revenue, it gave me popular ****e that I'd never listen to.

    I use YouTube Music at the moment, because with it, I get add free video streaming. It's grand, but doesn't match Deezer.


  • #17
    grimm2005
    Registered Users Posts: 2,890 ✭✭✭grimm2005


    Echoes675 wrote: »
    Get Youtube premium, no ads and all the music library. If you use a VPN to connect to India, then purchase your subscription it is done in Indian Rupees. Cost me less than £5 per month!

    I would recommend this to the OP also. Discovered it via bargain alerts thread earlier this year. A family plan is coming out for me to between €2.20 and €2.40 a month so 6 people are getting the benefit for less than 50c a head per month (although I'm not stingy enough to ask them for 36c monthly :pac:).

    Sure it's not free like what you had previously but you gain back the lost functionality as well as the entire streaming library all downloadable also as well as ad-free and downloadable Youtube for a price that's almost as good as free.


  • #18
    thenightman
    Registered Users Posts: 561 ✭✭✭thenightman


    Install YouTube Vanced apk. No ads, let's you play on lock screen or over different apps and lots of other handy features. Not handing money over to Google either.

    https://vancedapp.com/


  • #19
    Tec Diver
    Registered Users Posts: 407 ✭✭Tec Diver


    thenightman wrote: »
    Install YouTube Vanced apk. No ads, let's you play on lock screen or over different apps and lots of other handy features. Not handing money over to Google either.

    https://vancedapp.com/


    Thanks I'll check it out.
    I've found the Samsung Music app for my phone, it's very basic, but it's free and allows me to play my music ad free. No frills, so still having a look around.


  • #20
    AllForIt
    Registered Users Posts: 8,264 ✭✭✭AllForIt


    Tec Diver wrote: »
    Thanks I'll check it out.
    I've found the Samsung Music app for my phone, it's very basic, but it's free and allows me to play my music ad free. No frills, so still having a look around.

    But that just plays local files no? There's a million and one apps for doing that.

    I thought you were looking for an app to stream your own files? That's what Play Music is best for.

    I've gong back to using GPM after 'converting' to YT Music which is horrible to use in comparison with the ads and your own content being less easy to access. So currently you can still use both. I'm sure Google are keeping track of how many ppl revert. Hopefully they will take heed and make the new app better.


  • #21
    Tec Diver
    Registered Users Posts: 407 ✭✭Tec Diver


    AllForIt wrote: »
    But that just plays local files no? There's a million and one apps for doing that.

    I thought you were looking for an app to stream your own files? That's what Play Music is best for.

    I've gong back to using GPM after 'converting' to YT Music which is horrible to use in comparison with the ads and your own content being less easy to access. So currently you can still use both. I'm sure Google are keeping track of how many ppl revert. Hopefully they will take heed and make the new app better.
    No, sorry I don't want to stream any music. I just want to have my own music. The only "frill" I would like is to be able to purchase songs or albums, but I can do that on iTunes and copy them from the laptop. I did put a 64GB SD card in the phone recently, lots of space left on it.
    Thanks.


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  • #22
    Fuascailteoir
    Registered Users Posts: 581 ✭✭✭Fuascailteoir


    whomitconcerns wrote: »
    Costs me 1.50 a month. But of course I am in Argentina...ahem.....

    I am doing it all wrong as is 17 euro a month or something like that


  • #23
    whomitconcerns
    Registered Users Posts: 4,306 ✭✭✭whomitconcerns


    Fuascailteoir wrote: »
    I am doing it all wrong as is 17 euro a month or something like that

    Just pop over for a day trip. Sign up on your normal Google account and then come home and use it as normal.

    Lots of tips online how to do it. Not allowed here afaik.


  • #24
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭[Deleted User]


    Fuascailteoir wrote: »
    I am doing it all wrong as is 17 euro a month or something like that
    whomitconcerns wrote: »
    Just pop over for a day trip. Sign up on your normal Google account and then come home and use it as normal.

    Lots of tips online how to do it. Not allowed here afaik.

    https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057939654


  • #25
    AllForIt
    Registered Users Posts: 8,264 ✭✭✭AllForIt


    Tec Diver wrote: »
    No, sorry I don't want to stream any music. I just want to have my own music. The only "frill" I would like is to be able to purchase songs or albums, but I can do that on iTunes and copy them from the laptop. I did put a 64GB SD card in the phone recently, lots of space left on it.
    Thanks.

    My favourite local files media player is Zplayer, it mimics an old Microsoft mp3 player (zunehd). The best thing about it is that it's really easy to find your files quickly, I find, and it's rather nicely designed.

    A popular one with an equaliser is Poweramp but I don't like the new interface. A simple android player I like is Omnia player. That has an equaliser too I think.


  • #26
    matzen
    Registered Users Posts: 287 ✭✭matzen


    CloudPlayer from doubleTwist is excellent if you have your music stored in Gdrive or Dropbox.


  • #27
    long_b
    Registered Users Posts: 4,928 ✭✭✭long_b


    So I downloaded all my music from GPM via Google Takeout.
    They've made a dogs bo**ox out of my collection. All of the tracks are lumped into the same folder.

    Anyone find another way of getting their music back in a useable format?


  • #28
    SteM
    Registered Users Posts: 6,519 ✭✭✭SteM


    long_b wrote: »
    So I downloaded all my music from GPM via Google Takeout.
    They've made a dogs bo**ox out of my collection. All of the tracks are lumped into the same folder.

    Anyone find another way of getting their music back in a useable format?

    Try loading the tracks into a tool like MediaMonkey which can reformat them. It has a very useful organisation function iirc.


  • #29
    law_student1
    Registered Users Posts: 82 ✭✭law_student1


    I had lots of songs I used to play on Google music, downloaded BlackPlayer the other day and it seems quite good


  • #30
    Echoes675
    Registered Users Posts: 256 ✭✭Echoes675


    long_b wrote: »
    So I downloaded all my music from GPM via Google Takeout.
    They've made a dogs bo**ox out of my collection. All of the tracks are lumped into the same folder.

    Anyone find another way of getting their music back in a useable format?


    I lost my hard drive of music a few years ago. Downloaded from GMusic. Total mess. Albums missing tracks, files renamed, tags incorrect. Total boll*cks!
    I had some of my music backed up onto dvd and managed to restore maybe 80% but since then have either been re-ripping my cds as flac or have obtained flac from online sources.


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  • #31
    long_b
    Registered Users Posts: 4,928 ✭✭✭long_b


    Echoes675 wrote: »
    I lost my hard drive of music a few years ago. Downloaded from GMusic. Total mess. Albums missing tracks, files renamed, tags incorrect. Total boll*cks!
    I had some of my music backed up onto dvd and managed to restore maybe 80% but since then have either been re-ripping my cds as flac or have obtained flac from online sources.
    I downloaded the Clementine music player /organiser and it tidied them all up perfectly


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