YouTube Music gearing up to launch in MENA

YouTube Music, Google's latest music-streaming push, is gearing up to launch in the Middle East for the first time.

The company is set to be holding a music-related event in Dubai in September, where presumably it will announce the official availability of YouTube Music in the region as well as pricing.

YouTube Music finally arrived in the US at the tail-end of May last year, with initial availability in US, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico and South Korea. 

YouTube Music is available as both an ad-supported free app and as a premium subscription. For a subscription fee you get ad-free music, the opportunity to listen to music in the background and use other apps, and download functionality.

YouTube is pushing this as the app where 'it's all here'. Meaning that whether you want music videos, albums, remixes, live performances or covers, you will be able to listen and view them through this app. 

YouTube, quite rightly, is also touting context as a key part of this app - functionality that can currently be found in Google Play Music. For instance, it is changing the music it offers on the home screen of the app on an almost minute by minute basis, so that you are served music recommendations that suit the time of day. 

Being Google, search is also a big part of the app, particularly the ability to search lyrics and things like 'the whistling song' and it will try and serve you the particular track or video you actually want. 

We'll report back once an official announcement has been made, along with pricing details and availability.

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