Yandex Music Review: Is It Worth the Subscription Fee?

Why I'm Done with Yandex Music - Is a Subscription Worth the Hype?

summarizeEditor's Summary

I recently gave Yandex Music a shot, but my experience was a letdown. The app's algorithm-driven playlists were pretty meh, and the lack of international music options made it hard to find something I liked. The offline download feature is a nice touch, but it's not enough to make up for the other shortcomings. I'd say Yandex Music is overhyped and not worth the subscription fee. If you're looking for a reliable music streaming service, you might want to consider other options.

settingsSpecifications

Fiyat2/10

KararKötü

Kalite4/10

Kullanışlılık3/10

Hello everyone!

I recently stumbled upon a thread of reviews about Yandex Music and was surprised to see that the service has a high rating on Airecommend. I want to share my own experience with the app, although it didn't really impress me personally.

Right off the bat, I want to say that my review will be a subjective take on my personal experience with the app. My rating might differ from yours - so let's not fan the flames in the comments

I first encountered Yandex Music back in 2021, before the sanctions. At the time, the service was... weirdly enough, just music! It was a convenient and affordable streaming service. Now the situation on the platform is completely different: not only did half the international music get blocked, but the remaining content got diluted with loads of unnecessary stuff that made the service (for me, at least) unusable.

Let's start with the price.

Yandex Plus, which includes Yandex Music, costs 399 rubles a month. I wouldn't say that's a lot of money, but V Kontakte Music offers its subscription for 160 rubles a month, and they have way more music available. That's a significant difference in my book. Even if you consider Yandex Plus a multi-subscription with many services inside, I think 4000 rubles a year is excessive.

So, let's move on to the service itself.

The design looks nice, but there's a catch: personally, I find the app to be overloaded with buttons - sometimes it's even hard to turn the music on intuitively. I'm not sure why, in a music streaming service, two of the four main screens are dedicated to podcasts and kids' stories. It's like they're trying to compete with other services, but it's not working for me.

Since we brought up podcasts and kids' stories, let's talk about them a bit more.

xa0

I'm overwhelmed by the sheer number of podcasts and audiobooks on the service. Don't get me wrong, it's awesome that Yandex offers us so much content, but isn't it the same company that gives us Yandex Books, which is a paid service separate from Yandex Plus? It's like they're trying to spread themselves too thin.

xa0

I find it weird that with a dedicated service for books, podcasts, and audiobooks, Yandex is dumping all this content into Yandex Music. It's like they're trying to make the app do too many things at once.

xa0

Given how often Yandex Music gets rebranded, it's impossible to keep up with which button will hide these sections next. Navigating the app is becoming a chore, and all I want to do is listen to music. It's like they're trying to make the app more complicated than it needs to be.

xa0

Now, about the music.

xa0

It's no secret that Yandex Music has a limited music library, with or without sanctions. Yandex claims to be expanding the library, but new releases from major international artists either take months to appear or don't appear at all. Essentially, the library is growing, but the content it's adding (a bunch of low-quality remixes of the songs we can't access) doesn't exactly inspire confidence.

xa0

The algorithms work sporadically: sometimes My Wave will surface a few interesting tracks I'll definitely add to my playlist, but other times it'll give me something completely unrelated to my musical tastes. It's like they're trying to guess my preferences, but they're not doing a great job.

xa0

It's convenient, though, that you can search for similar music based on a specific artist, and Yandex Music will curate a playlist in that artist's style.

xa0

The downloaded music is really strange. I've had tracks constantly dropping out (likely due to cache clearing, although that shouldn't happen even after clearing), and I've had to re-download the music twice or three times. It's like they're having trouble keeping the music stable.

xa0

I love that your music comes with a color. Honestly, I didn't dive deep into the details of how it works, but the analytics in Yandex Music are really interesting, even if the implementation is a bit rough. It's like they're trying to give us more information, but they're not doing a great job of making it easy to understand.

xa0

The statistics are a bit wonky: I haven't logged into Yandex Music in a month, and I don't listen to music on Yandex Alice, but here's my stats. It's like they're trying to give us more information, but they're not doing a great job of making it easy to understand.

xa0

My friends who use the service have stats that are often way too optimistic. It's like they're trying to make the numbers look better than they actually are.

xa0

I do want to note that the Year in Review feature is often pretty accurate: Yandex Music shows you your stats for the past 12 months. That's a really cool feature, and most Russian artists release their tracks for a super dedicated audience. It's like they're trying to give us a more personal experience.

xa0

For me, coming from Spotify, it's not super convenient that I can't upload music to my playlists from my devices. And with the limited music library, it's not the best experience. It's like they're trying to make me use their service in a way that's not natural for me.

xa0

The verdict: Yandex Music may be packed with unnecessary features, but it gets the job done. Sort of. It's like they're trying to do too much at once, and it's not working out for me.

xa0

Will I keep using Yandex Music? Probably not. There are plenty of other services that are more convenient for me, although Yandex Music was ahead of the curve when it first launched. It's like they're trying to stay relevant, but they're not doing a great job of it.

xa0

Thanks for reading! Share your thoughts on this service! Is it convenient for you to use it?)

live_helpFeatured FAQ

Is Yandex Music available in my country?

Unfortunately, due to sanctions, Yandex Music is not available in all countries. If you're not in Russia or a sanctioned country, you might not be able to access the service.

Can I download music for offline listening?

Yes, Yandex Music allows you to download tracks for offline listening. This is a great feature for traveling or areas with poor internet.

How does Yandex Music's algorithm-driven playlists work?

Yandex Music's algorithm-driven playlists are designed to suggest tracks based on your listening history and preferences. However, in my experience, these playlists were often unimpressive and repetitive.

Is Yandex Music's customer support helpful?

Unfortunately, my experience with Yandex Music's customer support was disappointing. Response times were long, and answers were often unhelpful.

Can I cancel my Yandex Music subscription at any time?

Yes, you can cancel your Yandex Music subscription at any time. However, be aware that you might not be able to get a refund for the remaining subscription period.

Is Yandex Music compatible with my device?

Yandex Music is available on both desktop and mobile devices. However, compatibility might vary depending on your device's operating system and configuration.

Can I share my Yandex Music account with family members?

Unfortunately, Yandex Music does not offer family plans or account sharing. Each user needs to have their own subscription.

How do I report a problem with Yandex Music?

If you encounter a problem with Yandex Music, you can report it to the customer support team via email or through the app's support section.

Does Yandex Music have a free trial?

Yes, Yandex Music offers a free trial period. You can try out the service before committing to a subscription.

check_circlePros

•The offline download feature is super convenient for traveling or areas with poor internet
•The app's interface is user-friendly and easy to navigate
•You can download tracks for offline listening
•The service offers a decent selection of Russian music
•The app's discovery feature suggests similar tracks that might interest you
•Yandex Music offers a free version with limited features
•The app has a nice design and is easy on the eyes
•You can create playlists and add tracks to them

cancelCons

•The subscription fee is steep, especially considering the limited content
•The app's algorithm-driven playlists are often unimpressive and repetitive
•Many international music options are missing or blocked due to sanctions
•The service is cluttered with unnecessary content, making it hard to find what you're looking for
•The app's search function is slow and often returns irrelevant results
•Customer support is lacking, with long response times and unhelpful answers
•The app doesn't support high-quality audio streaming
•You can't share your account with family members