YouTube and Google have been working for over a year to actually release their supposed music app, allowing users to listen to the music of YouTube, from various artists, for a price. But today we were greeted with more setbacks and problems for the idea to face. Primarily, the issue is the head of the program, of the YouTube subscription music service, will depart the effort and the company. Chris LaRosa, the ex-head of the effort leaves YouTube this Friday for an unnamed startup company, and we know essentially that. But why is that such a big issue and what do people inside Google and YouTube have to say about it? The Wall Street Journal was able to speak with some unnamed folk and get some answers.
First, the man. Chris LaRosa is leaving YouTube, after being the head and lead of the project to get a subscription music service out of YouTube. The previous head of the effort, Nikhil Chandhok, left in the fall supposedly because the service was similar in reasoning, reportedly, to the departure of LaRosa. The reason for leaving is apparently YouTube’s non-launch of the service (which seems counterproductive, leaving from a high position working on something after the thing not being released, which causes it to be delayed as they find new higher-ups). The service has yet to be seen because of internal disputes at YouTube regarding what the service will cost a user, as well as what the service will actually entail and grant the subscriber over a non-subscriber. Co-workers were not glad to see LaRosa leave the company, saying how the loss was sizeable.
The problems are augmented with LaRosa’s departure from YouTube. First, the service is said to be launched and an app released in the next quarter of a year. Next, there is the fact that YouTube internally has yet to decide on (or share that they have) what the service will entail, how it will work, and what it will cost. But something we do know for sure, sort of, and it’s that the service will possible be available to Google Play Music All-Access subscribers. Beyond that, we have yet to hear any about the future of YouTube’s music subscription service, but stay tuned to catch the latest happenings.