Over the past few years, we have enhanced YouTube Music to deliver a comprehensive listening experience, and have also added features to make Google Play Music users feel right at home. Starting today, we’re excited to officially begin inviting Google Play Music listeners to effortlessly transfer their music libraries, personal taste preferences and playlists to YouTube Music, their new home for music listening and discovery.
Over the past few years, we have enhanced YouTube Music to deliver a comprehensive listening experience, and have also added features to make Google Play Music users feel right at home. Starting today, we’re excited to officially begin inviting Google Play Music listeners to effortlessly transfer their music libraries, personal taste preferences and playlists to YouTube Music, their new home for music listening and discovery.

For now, users will continue to have access to both services. We want to ensure everyone has time to transfer their content and get used to YouTube Music, so we’ll provide plenty of notice ahead of users no longer having access to Google Play Music later this year.

Easy Transfer and Transition
We know many listeners have spent a lot of time creating their perfect music and podcast libraries in Google Play Music, so we’ve made it simple to move both to their new homes. All Google Play Music users will soon receive an email with detailed instructions on how to begin transferring your full Google Play Music history and content, as well as podcasts, to their new homes.

Music fans will be able to start the transfer process of their music library to YouTube Music by following these simple steps:
  • Download the YouTube Music app (iOS/Android).
  • Click on the transfer button in YouTube Music, and your uploads, purchases, added songs and albums, personal and subscribed playlists, likes and dislikes, curated stations and personal taste preferences will move right over.
  • Your updated recommendations will appear immediately on the YouTube Music home screen, and we’ll notify you via email and notifications when your music library transfer is complete and your music is in the “Library” tab.


And if you’re a podcast listener, you can visit this web page and transfer your subscriptions and episode progress to Google Podcasts with a single click. Google Podcasts is our dedicated podcast player available for free on Android and iOS, and accessible from Google Assistant, Google Search, Google Home and more.

We’re looking forward to Google Play Music users transferring their libraries, so they can begin listening and exploring on YouTube Music and Google Podcasts.

Your New Home For Music: YouTube Music

For listeners new to YouTube Music, the streaming service is your personal guide to the world of music, simply organised in an app and web player. A bit more on what YouTube Music has to offer:

  • Catalog: YouTube Music offers over 50 million official tracks, albums and high quality audio, as well as deep cuts, B-sides, live performances, and remixes you can’t find anywhere else.
  • Listen everywhere: Explore YouTube Music’s audio-first music app, desktop and smart speaker experience.
  • Recommendations: Discover new music through YouTube Music’s home screen recommendations and personalised mixes - My Mix, Discovery Mix, and New Release Mix - based on taste, location, time of day and Play Music preferences after transferring.
  • Official Playlists: Listen to thousands of official playlists from both YouTube Music and Google Play Music.

We’ve listened to Google Play Music user feedback and recently introduced additional new features to YouTube Music for fans to enjoy. Some of the YouTube Music features we’re most excited to share include the following (with more updates on the way!):

  • Playlist Creation: We’ve increased playlist length from 1,000 to 5,000 songs to make room for even more of your favorites songs.
  • Uploads: You can listen to your uploaded and purchased music from Google Play Music after your transfer, or add up to 100,000 personal tracks to your library in YouTube Music (an increase of more than 50,000 compared to Google Play Music).
  • Offline listening: Paying members can download any song, playlist, music video or let smart downloads (Android only for now) do it for you so you always have something to listen to, even when you don’t have service.
  • Lyrics: Lyrics offer highly visible access to follow along to tracks.
  • Explore Tab: An all-new Explore tab offering one go-to place to discover new music and YouTube Music’s vast catalog of playlists through New Releases and Moods & Genres sections.

Pricing

Existing pricing is the same between Google Play Music and YouTube Music. Fans can enjoy the ad-supported version of YouTube Music for free, or enjoy YouTube Music Premium, a paid membership that gives listeners background listening, downloads and an ad-free experience for NZD$12.99 a month. Or you can try YouTube Premium to extend ad-free, background listening and offline playback across all of YouTube for NZD$15.99.

Google Play Music Unlimited members will be automatically granted the equivalent tier of YouTube Music Premium or YouTube Premium based on the level of benefits with their current subscription, at the same price*.

We can’t wait for you to start exploring YouTube Music features and discovering new music favorites along the way. Have more questions or need help? Check out all of our support resources here.



During the lockdown, seniors throughout New Zealand are using the internet to keep on top of the latest COVID-19 news, purchase their groceries and stay in touch with family and friends. For those not online already, some everyday activities have become a struggle. That’s why Google New Zealand is sponsoring ...


During the lockdown, seniors throughout New Zealand are using the internet to keep on top of the latest COVID-19 news, purchase their groceries and stay in touch with family and friends. For those not online already, some everyday activities have become a struggle. That’s why Google New Zealand is sponsoring SeniorNet New Zealand in an effort to ensure all Kiwis are able to make full use of the internet to remain independent and active in society.

SeniorNet has been working for over 25 years in more than 60 locations across New Zealand with thousands of members, with the aim of creating a social environment for senior citizens to learn the skills they need to thrive in an increasingly digital world. Now, as the country undergoes lockdown restrictions, SeniorNet will transform their business and offering, to ensure those that cannot meet physically are being reached virtually.

SeniorNet Executive Officer, Heather Newell said, “Ironically our biggest challenge during this pandemic has been switching to a completely online learning environment. With Google's help and their learning tools, we can quickly transition to ensure that our members and prospective members are digitally savvy.”

SeniorNet Federation chairperson, Harvey Porteous said “This sponsorship will drive SeniorNet’s ability to continue to deliver the right learning environment and support of their peers, through the development of a virtual learning centre that will provide volunteers and tutors with best practice templates for scalable and accessible technology programs.”

Both Google and SeniorNet hope this will result in long lasting change for our senior community in New Zealand.


Post content Posted by Ross Young, Government Relations and Public Policy, Google New Zealand.

Now, more than ever, it’s important that we support Kiwi teachers and ensure they are equipped with the knowledge and resources they need to succeed. Understanding, creating and using technology are critical skills for all students and teachers, regardless of where in New Zealand they live. This year, our annual CS Educator PD Grants program is focused on bringing access to Digital Technologies training to teachers in our regional and remote communities and to those that might otherwise have missed out on such opportunities.
Now, more than ever, it’s important that we support Kiwi teachers and ensure they are equipped with the knowledge and resources they need to succeed. Understanding, creating and using technology are critical skills for all students and teachers, regardless of where in New Zealand they live. This year, our annual CS Educator PD Grants program is focused on bringing access to Digital Technologies training to teachers in our regional and remote communities and to those that might otherwise have missed out on such opportunities.

Google’s Educator PD Grants program has been running in New Zealand since 2011 and, in that time, has trained over 20,000 teachers. The program aims to equip teachers through practical professional development workshops, giving them the skills and resources they need to confidently teach computational thinking and computer science concepts in new and exciting ways. This year all funded workshops have a focus on access and inclusion, aligning with Google’s global diversity commitment.

The impact of PD Grants for Educators

We don’t historically think of museums as being centres for technology and teacher training, but Tara Fagan at Te Papa Tongarewa Museum in Wellington is leading a team focused on bringing STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Maths) to five rural regions of New Zealand.



Alongside other museums, the Te Papa team will run two day workshops, weaving STEAM based learning through the curriculum, delivered in both Te Reo Māori and English. Tara explained that these workshops “provide us with the opportunity to work with teachers who may have not accessed any form of Digital Technology Professional Learning & Development before”.

The in depth workshops will be bespoke to Northland, Waikato, Hawke’s Bay, Gisborne and Porirua, allowing teachers hands on experience with STEAM tools and resources and the support to incorporate their learnings in the classroom between workshops. The partnerships with local museums ensures that schools and teachers have ongoing local networks and support.

We’re excited to announce the following 2020 CS Educator Grants Awardees, who, like Tara, will motivate and inspire educators around New Zealand.

2020 CS Educator Grants Funding Recipients in New Zealand




Post content Posted by Marie Efstathiou, Program Manager, Computer Science Outreach and University Relations