Google has now made the New Release Radio on Google Play Music available for all users. Basically, it's a special station on the app that delivers users a daily selection of new music they might like based on their listening history.
Google Releases New Release Radio Feature For All
The feature, however, isn't actually new — it's been out for close to a month now, but only for Samsung users. New Release Radio was positioned as an exclusive feature for Samsung smartphones, though it seems like original plans have changed.
Google now says that releasing the feature on the Galaxy S8 first was its way of gathering feedback before initializing wider rollout plans. Yet some Reddit users discovered that the app was indeed intended as a Samsung exclusive. Why Google withdrew exclusivity plans remains a question, but then again, everyone is getting New Release Radio, so there's really nothing to complain about.
Whether Google intended for the feature to remain exclusive to Samsung phones or release it to other phones later on is still uncertain. That question aside, it should come as awesome news that all Google Play Music users will now get New Release Radio, regardless if they're using Samsung phones or not.
New Release Radio: How It Works
Per Google's blog post, the feature actually uses machine learning to pick out new releases from the past two weeks based on a user's listening history and musical taste. Basically, the feature is a great, quick way to discover new music tailored to that specific user.
Google says the feature will be available throughout Google Play Music or by simply searching for "New Release Radio." The station is free for radio listeners and subscribers worldwide. Google will also deliver constant updates to the feature with latest releases.
Google Play Music is Google's proprietary on-demand music service, rivaling Spotify, Apple Music, and Tidal. It boasts a catalog of over 40 million songs, though the service is still not available in some countries. An all-access subscription costs $9.99 a month, but standard accounts can listen to up to 50,000 songs from their personal libraries at no cost.
Those who haven't tried the service may sign up to avail Google's free 30-day trial, much like other streaming services that offer free trial periods. It's available for both iOS and Android but can also be accessed via a web app on the Google Play website.
Thoughts about Google Play Music or New Release Radio? Feel free to sound off in the comments section below!
