This free YouTube Music function simply vanished behind a paywall

Should you use YouTube Music without spending a dime, sadly, Google has determined to lock one in every of its greatest options behind a paywall.

The function in query is lyrics, which, because the title suggests, lets customers view the complete lyrics of the track they’re listening to within the app. It first launched in 2020 and, till just lately, was obtainable to all customers at no additional price whereas streaming songs on YouTube Music.

Nonetheless, 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 far more extensively over the previous few days, affecting many extra customers. Studies 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 affords lyrics without spending a dime…

There are lots of issues on this world that drive me loopy, and options that had been free for years instantly being locked behind a paywall is on that checklist. 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 modification. That stated, there’s been hypothesis in regards to the reasoning. One possible rationalization is that YouTube Music depends on companies like LyricFind and MusixMatch to supply and show track lyrics within the app, which presumably include prices. To assist offset these prices, Google could have determined to lock lyrics behind a paywall (through Android Authority).

It is also value noting that whereas YouTube Music is now locking lyrics behind a paywall, Spotify, one in every of its largest opponents, nonetheless affords lyrics without spending a dime. 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 affords stable worth, particularly because it’s bundled with YouTube Premium. Nonetheless, the truth that track lyrics are not free seems like a foolish determination. Slightly than convincing extra customers to subscribe, it may find yourself pushing individuals towards one other platform, like Spotify.