According to 9to5google, Google is going to shut down its Artist Hub on Google Play from April 30 onwards. This means that all the materials and content uploaded by artists through the Artist Hub will be deleted from Google Play Music and the Google Play store altogether. The reason behind this shutdown is that Google intends to replace Google Play Music with YouTube Music in the future. A revamped new version of YouTube Music was launched in May last year and just a few days ago, YouTube announced an expansion of the music streaming service to make it available in more regions.
In the past, the Google Play Artist Hub provided a platform for small indie artists to stream and sell their music or make it available for download through Google Play Music and the Google Play store. Currently, registrations for new artist hub content accounts are closed and those interested are advised to sign up with YouTube Preferred Partners instead.
Starting April 30, the artists already signed up on Google"s Artist Hub will not be able to upload, edit or delete their music, and it will no longer appear on either Google Play Music or the Google Play Store. They will receive their final payments and reports for all sales and streaming activities on May 31, and by July 31 all reports will be deleted off the Artist Hub.
In the email announcing the closure of the Artist Hub, Google addressed those artists who would like to continue working with the firm to make their music available for purchase/download. It recommended them to sign up as YouTube Artists and provided a list of YouTube partners to collaborate with after the shutdown. The recommended list of partners included companies like AWAL, Believe, CD Baby, DistroKid, Stem, and TuneCore.
Source: 9to5google