Chris LaRosa, an executive who oversees the development of YouTube’s music subscription service, is leaving Google, a spokesperson for the company told TheWrap. LaRosa is the product manager in charge of music at YouTube, and has been at the company working on different parts of its music business for seven years.
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Many of the most popular channels on the world’s largest video site are devoted to music, and a paid streaming service would offer a new revenue stream at a time when its revenue has missed most projections, according to a recent report.
It would also position YouTube as a rival to Beats and Spotify in an increasingly competitive market for streaming music services. Google acquired Songza, a music service best known for its technology, in June.
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YouTube has been plotting the service for some time, and has been vague about when it would debut, pushing its projected release date. LaRosa’s departure is not expected to impact the service’s launch.