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YouTube Music vs SoundCloud: catalog facts
YouTube Music	SoundCloud
Freemium Free with ads. Music Premium, available in select countries, is a paid subscription that…	Freemium Free to listen, with paid Go+ subscriptions for listeners and Artist Pro plans for…
Web, Android, iOS	Web
Includes live performances, covers and remixes from YouTube that other services lack Switches between a song’s audio and its music video	Large catalog including remixes, demos and DJ sets Anyone can upload and publish their own audio
The free tier has ads and does not play in the background Downloads need a Music Premium subscription	Some features require a paid Go+ or Artist Pro subscription Closed, centralised platform
Web application, Hosted service	Web application, Hosted service
Closed source	Closed source
License not stated	License not stated
Not stated if an account is needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Not stated if it works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 24, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 24, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.