YouTube Music is now introducing their lyrics paywall, and this means that free users of YouTube can no longer view all song lyrics. This was being tested on YouTube Music for several weeks, and this decision to make it a paid feature only means that users of YouTube Music Premium and YouTube Premium will enjoy this feature at no additional cost. Although users of YouTube without a paid subscription to YouTube music can enjoy this feature, they are allowed to view some of their songs and then cannot.
How the Paywall Works
Once this feature is active on an account, a card appears at the top of the Now Playing screen in the lyrics tab. It shows messages like “You have (no of) views remaining” and “Unlock lyrics with Premium.” Free users can view full lyrics for up to 5 songs. After reaching the limit, only the first few lines of a song are visible while the rest is blurred and unscrollable, prompting users to subscribe to continue accessing full lyrics.
Subscription Plans and Costs
| Subscription Plan | Monthly Price (USD) | Monthly Price (PKR Approx.) | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube Music Premium | $10.99 | 3,135 PKR | Ad-free music, background playback, offline downloads, AI features like Ask Music |
| YouTube Premium | $13.99 | 3,988 PKR | All Music Premium features + ad-free main YouTube app, background playback, offline downloads, AI features |
Reason for the Change
Google has been testing this for a few months now and believes it’s one way to incentivize people to pay for subscriptions. The lyrics feature is widely used by many, and now making them available only to paid subscribers will prompt free users to subscribe. The approach also accords with Google’s wider revenue ambitions, where YouTube Premium and YouTube Music are fast-growing and increasingly important generators of overall revenue.
User Reactions
The users were frustrated by this change. Some think it is a basic thing that should be free for users, while others think it is a business strategy. From social media remarks, it is clear that some users are contemplating moving to other music services such as Spotify, which offers free users full lyrics. Others may also choose to subscribe to access more lyrics instead of the free, limited ones.