According to recent DMN Pro data, 73% of YouTube Music subscribers access the platform through bundled plans for royalty calculation purposes. This mirrors a broader trend in the music streaming industry, where major platforms increasingly utilize bundling strategies.

YouTube Music's bundle breakdown includes:

• YouTube Premium Individual, Family, and Student plans
• Approximately 5.05 million bundled accounts as of February 2024
• 70.77% of total subscriptions when counting Student and Family plans individually

The platform's success with bundling largely stems from YouTube's widespread usage, with 83% of American adults using the main platform. YouTube Premium's $3 monthly premium over YouTube Music ($13.99 vs. $10.99) has proven effective in upselling customers to ad-free viewing and additional features.

This trend extends beyond YouTube Music:

• Spotify: ~98% of U.S. subscriptions are bundles (primarily through audiobook inclusion)
• Apple Music and Amazon Music also heavily rely on multi-product packages
• All four platforms dominate U.S. music streaming subscriptions

Industry implications:

• Bundling strategies are likely to persist as platforms compete for market share
• Mechanical royalty calculations for bundles may change under Phonorecords V
• Publishers face potential revenue losses due to bundle classifications
• NMPA is preparing for intense negotiations regarding bundle-related royalty structures

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