This free YouTube Music characteristic simply vanished behind a paywall

When you use YouTube Music at no cost, sadly, Google has determined to lock considered one of its greatest options behind a paywall.

The characteristic in query is lyrics, which, because the title suggests, lets customers view the total lyrics of the music they’re listening to within the app. It first launched in 2020 and, till lately, was accessible to all customers at no additional value whereas streaming songs on YouTube Music.

Nevertheless, again in September, Google quietly started testing a change that put lyrics behind a paywall. In line with 9to5Google, that restriction has began rolling out way more extensively over the previous few days, affecting many extra customers. Experiences about this on Reddit have additionally began popping up.

Whereas lyrics are actually largely locked behind a paywall on YouTube Music, free customers aren’t fully shut out. Free customers can now view the lyrics of solely 5 songs per thirty days, and something past that requires a YouTube Music subscription, which begins at $11 a month. When this restriction impacts your free YouTube Music account, you may see a bar above the lyrics displaying what number of free viewings you have got left, together with an choice to “Unlock lyrics with Premium.”

Why is YouTube Music doing this?

Spotify nonetheless gives lyrics at no cost…

There are quite a lot of issues on this world that drive me loopy, and options that had been free for years abruptly being locked behind a paywall is on that listing. YouTube Music has now performed precisely that by placing lyrics which were free for 5 years behind a subscription paywall.

Google, which owns YouTube Music, hasn’t formally defined why it is making this variation. That mentioned, there’s been hypothesis in regards to the reasoning. One doubtless rationalization is that YouTube Music depends on companies like LyricFind and MusixMatch to supply and show music lyrics within the app, which presumably include prices. To assist offset these prices, Google might have determined to lock lyrics behind a paywall (by way of Android Authority).

It is also price noting that whereas YouTube Music is now locking lyrics behind a paywall, Spotify, considered one of its largest opponents, nonetheless gives lyrics at no cost. Spotify truly examined placing lyrics behind a paywall in 2024, however after going through vital backlash, it backed off and by no means rolled it out absolutely. Apparently, Google missed that memo.

I will admit that YouTube Music nonetheless gives stable worth, particularly because it’s bundled with YouTube Premium. Nonetheless, the truth that music lyrics are now not free seems like a foolish determination. Moderately than convincing extra customers to subscribe, it may find yourself pushing folks towards one other platform, like Spotify.