YouTube Music Implements Premium Paywall for Lyrics Feature
YouTube Music has initiated a widespread rollout of a Premium paywall for its lyrics feature. Lyrics within the platform now necessitate a YouTube Premium or Music Premium subscription for full access. This marks a significant shift for users who previously enjoyed unrestricted access to song lyrics.
Limited Free Access and Restriction
Users are permitted five free lyrics views before a subscription becomes mandatory. Once this limit is reached, only the initial lines of a song's lyrics are displayed, with the remainder blurred and unscrollable. This change has undergone testing for several months and is now being widely implemented globally.
Lyrics within YouTube Music now require a YouTube Premium or Music Premium subscription for full access, with a five-view free limit before content is blurred and unscrollable.
Subscription Tiers and Benefits
For users in the United States, YouTube Music Premium is priced at $10.99 per month. This subscription tier provides several key benefits, including ad-free playback, background listening, offline downloads, and access to AI features.
For a more comprehensive experience, YouTube Premium is available at $13.99 per month. This subscription extends all the advantages of Music Premium to the main YouTube application, offering an ad-free experience across the entire platform.
Google's Subscription Growth and Revenue
Google has recently reported impressive figures regarding its paid consumer services. The company boasts over 325 million paid subscriptions across its various platforms, showing strong adoption for Google One and YouTube Premium. This growth highlights a successful strategy in converting users to paid models.
Financially, YouTube's performance remains robust. In 2025, the platform's revenue from ads and subscriptions collectively exceeded $60 billion, underscoring its significant contribution to Google's overall earnings.