YouTube set to launch pay music service

BLADE NEWS SERVICES

LOS ANGELES — YouTube is poised to launch a subscription music service as soon as December, positioning it to compete with Spotify, Rdio, and other digital offerings, people familiar with the matter told the Los Angeles Times.

The Internet’s dominant online video site already is the most popular on-demand music offering in the world. YouTube even has surpassed radio as the leading way teens and young adults listen to songs.

A subscription service would offer additional features, such as a commercial-free experience and the freedom to store music on a mobile device to listen when not connected to the Internet, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

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