People got a first glimpse of YouTube Music Key in August of last year through a number of leaked screenshots. A new set of leaked screenshots has once again surfaced on the Internet, hinting "YouTube Red" might be the new name for Music Key.
The rumored screenshots show some text which seems to be the product description for the so-called YouTube Red.
"With YouTube Red, keep videos playing with the screen off. Turn on background play," reads the text.
The background playback feature has long been used to characterize YouTube Music Key. Music Key has the ability to play videos offline or in the background as other apps run.
The text shows up as a notification when the user navigates away from the YouTube app while playing a music video. It also appears when the user tries to re-open YouTube.
At the time of writing, the web interface and the YouTube app still refer to Music Key. Likewise, the promotional page of Music Key seems unchanged. YouTube has yet to announce if it is only doing a simple rebranding or if it will soon roll out more updates to its music service.
Google is set to host a major event next week, and it is no secret that it will unveil its new Nexus phones as well as an updated Chromecast. It is speculated that the international tech giant may also talk about YouTube Red.
It is worth noting that Music Key has been in beta state since last year. As such, rumors say the service may already be ripe for a marketing push.
YouTube introduced its new subscription streaming service Music Key on November 12 last year. Users could get ad-free music, background play, as well as offline listening through Music Key for a starting promotional price of $7.99. Music Key also included a subscription to Google Play Music.
"We want to give fans more ways to enjoy music on YouTube, but also give artists more opportunities to connect with fans and earn more revenues," said YouTube's Music Partnerships Director Christophe Muller.
Last year, YouTube was deemed the largest music streaming service worldwide, accounting for more than half of music streams.
