YOUTUBE STRUGGLING TO ADD SUBS: REPORT

Google is struggling to pull in subscribers for its music services such as YouTube Music, the Wall Street Journal reported.Growth from December through March has been flat according to figures given to the Journal.

In the 10 months since Google created a premium tier at YouTube Music, it has added 6m subscribers taking it to 16m total. During the same period, Spotify added 20m subs and Apple Music secured 10m. While YouTube is the #1 free streaming service, it sits in fourth place behind Amazon Music, which has about twice as many subscribers.

The failure of YouTube to attract subscribers led to Google’s first quarter ending

$1b short of Wall Street revenue estimate.

The Journal reported that YouTube generates about 15% of the parent company Alphabet’s revenue, according to analysts. Original video programming and services to cord-cutters have not caught on either.

Naturally, a Google spokeswoman contradicted the Journal reporter and said music subscribers grew 60% year-over-year through March, but did not provide exact figures.

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