This free YouTube Music function simply vanished behind a paywall

In case you use YouTube Music free of charge, sadly, Google has determined to lock considered one of its greatest options behind a paywall.

The function in query is lyrics, which, because the title suggests, lets customers view the total lyrics of the tune they’re listening to within the app. It first launched in 2020 and, till not too long ago, was accessible to all customers at no further 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 broadly over the previous few days, affecting many extra customers. Stories about this on Reddit have additionally began popping up.

Whereas lyrics at the moment are 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 monthly, 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 will see a bar above the lyrics exhibiting what number of free viewings you might have left, together with an choice to “Unlock lyrics with Premium.”

Why is YouTube Music doing this?

Spotify nonetheless provides lyrics free of charge…

There are a whole 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 record. YouTube Music has now executed 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 transformation. That mentioned, there’s been hypothesis concerning the reasoning. One doubtless clarification is that YouTube Music depends on providers like LyricFind and MusixMatch to supply and show tune lyrics within the app, which presumably include prices. To assist offset these prices, Google could have determined to lock lyrics behind a paywall (by way of Android Authority).

It is also value noting that whereas YouTube Music is now locking lyrics behind a paywall, Spotify, considered one of its greatest opponents, nonetheless provides lyrics free of charge. Spotify really examined placing lyrics behind a paywall in 2024, however after going through important backlash, it backed off and by no means rolled it out absolutely. Apparently, Google missed that memo.

I am going to admit that YouTube Music nonetheless provides strong worth, particularly because it’s bundled with YouTube Premium. Nonetheless, the truth that tune lyrics are not free seems like a foolish determination. Quite than convincing extra customers to subscribe, it might find yourself pushing individuals towards one other platform, like Spotify.