YouTube Music

How to Cancel YouTube Music

Online Cancel anytime Moderate ~5 min
AI-Generated: These steps were automatically generated. If you notice any inaccuracies, let us know below. (Confidence: 85%)
Difficulty
4/10
Est. Time
5 min

Quick process

Refund
Not available
Auto-Renewal
Active

Cancel before renewal date

Important Warnings

  • You will retain access until the end of your current billing period
  • Downloaded music will no longer be accessible after cancellation
  • Uploaded personal music library remains accessible on free tier
  • Playlists are preserved but ad-supported playback only
  • Background play and offline features will be removed on mobile

Step-by-step instructions

Go to https://www.youtube.com/paid_memberships while signed in to your Google account

Find your YouTube Music Premium or YouTube Premium membership

Click on 'Manage' next to the membership

Click 'Cancel membership' or 'Deactivate'

Follow the prompts and select a reason for cancellation

Confirm cancellation on the final screen

Tips & Things to Watch For

Carrier and Phone Plan Bundles

Pro Tip

Major carriers (Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T) and phone manufacturers occasionally include YouTube Music Premium or YouTube Premium as part of phone plans or device purchases. Check your carrier benefits before paying separately - you may already have access included for 6-12 months.

YouTube Premium Bundle Includes YouTube Music

Pro Tip

YouTube Music Premium is included with YouTube Premium subscription at no additional cost. If you're considering both services, subscribe to YouTube Premium ($13.99/month) instead of YouTube Music Premium alone ($10.99/month) to get ad-free YouTube, background play, and downloads across both platforms.

What to Expect

Dark Patterns to Watch

  • Cancellation not available through YouTube Music app directly - must use main YouTube site or web browser
  • Multiple confirmation screens with retention messaging
  • Cancellation option buried in account settings rather than prominently displayed
  • Shows personalized content recommendations to discourage cancellation
  • Emphasizes loss of features across multiple screens

Retention Tactics

  • Shows reminder of ad-free listening and offline downloads you'll lose
  • Displays personalized playlists and music library that will be affected
  • May offer pause membership option instead of full cancellation
  • Highlights YouTube Premium features bundled with subscription
  • Shows family plan members who will be affected if applicable
Typical offer: Pause membership for 1-6 months

YouTube Music Plans & What You'll Lose

What you'll lose access to

YouTube Music Premium (Individual)
$10.99/mo
Ad-free music · Yes
Background play · Yes
Downloads · Unlimited
Audio quality · High
YouTube Music Premium (Student)
$5.49/mo
Ad-free music · Yes
Background play · Yes
Downloads · Unlimited
Audio quality · High
Student verification · Required
YouTube Music Premium (Family) 6 users
$16.49/mo
Family members · Up to 6
Ad-free music · Yes
Background play · Yes
Downloads · Unlimited
Audio quality · High
Separate accounts · Yes

After You Cancel

Reactivation

You can reactivate your account later

Content Access

Your content remains accessible after cancellation

Not ready to fully cancel?

Downgrade available

Switch to a cheaper plan instead

Pause available

Temporarily pause your subscription

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