YouTube Music charges you every month, whether you use it or not. Maybe you switched to Spotify. Maybe the price hike pushed you out. Whatever the reason, this guide shows you how to cancel YouTube Music subscription in few minutes. It covers the web, Android and iPhone. You’ll also learn what happens to your downloads, your playlists, and your money once you hit cancel. No confusing menus. No hidden retention traps. Just clear steps that work today. 

Go to music.youtube.com, click your profile picture, select Paid Memberships and after that click Deactivate next to YouTube Music Premium. Confirm the cancellation. Your plan stays active until the current billing period ends. 

Many people search YouTube Music cancel subscription and land on pages full of ads and no real steps. This post skips that. You get exact clicks for every device, plus a table you can scan in ten seconds. 

Reasons People Leave YouTube Music 

Most cancellations come down to a handful of common triggers. 

• Price increases: Google has raised YouTube Music and YouTube Premium prices more than once in the past two years. A surprise renewal charge often pushes people to leave. 

• Switching services: Some listeners switch to Spotify, Apple Music, or Amazon Music. They want a larger catalog or a lower price. 

• Bundled plans: Some people pay for the entire YouTube Premium, while they only need add free music. They downgrade their plan instead of paying for video features they don’t use. 

• Forgotten trials: Free trials often convert to paid plans on their own. That first charge is usually the trigger to cancel. 

Knowing your reason helps you pick the right fix. A price hike might call for a downgrade instead of a full cancellation. A full switch to another app calls for the steps below. 

What Happens After You Cancel 

Before you click cancel, know what changes and what stays the same. 

• Ad-free listening stops at the end of your billing cycle, not the moment you cancel. 

• Downloaded songs stop playing once your paid access ends. 

• Your playlists, likes, and library stay saved. Google does not delete them. 

• Background play stops on mobile. Music pauses when you switch apps or lock your screen. 

• If you have full YouTube Premium, canceling the music-only plan won’t touch video ads. These are separate products. 

Your data and history stay in your account. If you resubscribe later, your library comes back the way you left it. 

How to Cancel on a Computer (Web Browser) 

This is the fastest way to cancel, and it works for any device you paid through Google on. 

• Open a browser and go to music.youtube.com. 

• Sign in with the Google account tied to your subscription. 

• Click your profile picture in the top right corner. 

• Select Paid Memberships from the dropdown menu. 

• Search your YouTube Music Premium plan and click on ‘Manage Membership’. 

• Click Deactivate, then confirm when asked. 

You’ll get an email that confirms the change. Save it for your records. 

How to Cancel on Android 

Android users can cancel right inside the app. 

• Open the YouTube Music app on your phone. 

• Tap your profile picture in the top right corner. 

• Tap Paid Memberships. 

• Tap Manage Membership next to your active plan. 

• Tap Deactivate, then confirm the cancellation. 

If you subscribed through the Google Play Store, use its menu instead. Open the Play Store, tap your profile icon and then go to Payments and Subscriptions. Find YouTube Music in the list and cancel from there. 

How to cancel on iPhone 

iPhone users often get confused here, since Apple handles billing for many app subscriptions. 

• Open the Settings app on your iPhone, not YouTube Music. 

• Tap your name at the top of the screen. 

• Tap Subscriptions. 

• Find YouTube Music in the list and tap it. 

• Tap Cancel Subscription and confirm. 

If you signed up directly on YouTube’s website instead of the App Store, follow the computerized steps above instead. Check your receipt email to see which billing method you used. 

How to Cancel a Family or Student YouTube Music Plan 

Family and student plans follow the same basic path, with a few extra notes. 

Family plan managers cancel through Paid Memberships on the web, just like an individual plan. This action removes access for every member on the plan, not just the manager. Tell your family before you cancels, so nobody gets caught off guard. 

Student plan holders use the same steps too. If you resubscribe to the student plan later, Google may ask you to verify your student status again through SheerID. 

Cancellation Steps by Device 

What to Check before You Cancel 

A few quick checks save you from surprise charges or lost access. 

• Billing date: check your YouTube Music subscription renewal date so you cancel before it bills again. 

• Payment method: Google, Apple, and phone carriers each need a different cancel path. 

• Family members: canceling a family plan cuts off everyone on it, not just you. 

• Free trial: if you cancel during a trial, billing stops right away and you pay nothing. 

• Annual plans: yearly YouTube Music plans usually do not refund the unused months. 

Common Cancellation Problems 

Most people who try to cancel YouTube Music subscription run into one of these issues. They almost always come down to using the wrong device or billing method, not a broken system. 

• Can’t find Paid Memberships: Try a computer browser instead of your phone browser. The mobile site sometimes hides this menu. 

• No cancel option inside the app: This usually means Apple bills you. Cancel through iPhone Settings instead. 

• Subscribed through a phone carrier: Contact to your career support team, as Google cannot cancel the career billing plan. 

• Still charged after canceling: Make sure you’ve confirmed the last step. The pending request of the cancellation appears ‘active’ until the finish of the payment period. 

A failed YouTube Music subscription cancel attempt is almost always a billing mismatch, not a bug. Match the cancel method to how you originally paid, and it works every time. 

Alternatives to Canceling YouTube Music Subscription 

Canceling completely isn’t your only option: 

• Switch to the Individual Plan from the Family plan to reduce your bill without losing music access. 

• Switch to the free, ad-supported tier instead of cutting music out completely. 

• Set a calendar reminder near your renewal date, so you can decide again next month instead of canceling now. 

Summary 

Canceling doesn’t have to eat up your afternoon. Match your device to the right steps above, confirm the final screen, and check your email for the confirmation. Your music library stays waiting for you, whether you come back next month or next year. If you just want to cut costs, try the free tier or a lower plan first. You don’t have to close the door completely. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

Q: Can I get a refund after cancelling YouTube Music subscription? 

A: No. Google doesn’t return money for the incomplete months. Your paid access continues till the end of the current billing period and then it stops. 

Q: Does canceling YouTube Music Premium also cancels YouTube Premium? 

A: No, in most cases. Music Premium and YouTube Premium are billed as separate products. If you have a combined plan of YouTube Premium, then the benefits of both video and music end when you cancel it. This is because they are bundled as a single product. 

Q: Will I lose my playlists if I cancel? 
A: No. Your playlists, likes, and saved albums stay in your account. You only lose ad-free play, offline downloads, and background play. 

Q: How do I cancel if Apple bills me? 
A: Open iPhone Settings, tap your name, tap Subscriptions, find YouTube Music, then tap Cancel Subscription. The YouTube website cancel page will not work for Apple billing. 

Q: What happens to my downloaded songs after I cancel? 
A: At the end of your pay period, they stop playing. You will need an active plan to reuse offline downloads. 

Q: Can I use YouTube Music for free after canceling? 
A: Yes. You can still stream music with ads, though you lose background play and offline downloads on mobile.