According to news coming in via Billboard, YouTube is close to launching a two-tiered (free/premium) subscription service with video that aims to be a direct competitor to the pathbreaking service provided by Spotify. The service’s free tier is likely to allow unlimited access to full tracks on all platforms, while the paid tier will allow you to cache music for offline listening with no advertisements.

Although YouTube hasn’t officially announced any plans for the service, it is said that it’s parent company, Google, has already secured licenses from Warner Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, and Universal Music Group in preparation for the launch of the new service. In order to hit the market before the upcoming Beats Music platform, the service hopes to launch by the end of the year with a re-designed mobile application that will allow users to create playlists, listen to music and watch videos in one cohesive experience.

The company however has refused to comment on the product but issued a statement, saying: “We’re always working on new and better ways for people to enjoy YouTube content across all screens, and on giving partners more opportunities to reach their fans. However, we have nothing to announce at this time”.

Many avid YouTube visitors actively use the pre-existing service as a music discovery and streaming platform and this new addition should drastically improve both experiences simultaneously.