YouTube Music is experimenting with limiting access to its lyrics feature for non-Premium subscribers. Free users encountering the test are restricted in the number of lyric views they can access before receiving a prompt to upgrade to YouTube Premium for unlimited access.
This approach mirrors a move by Spotify last year, when the streaming service initially placed its lyrics feature behind a Premium paywall. After significant backlash from users, Spotify reversed the change and restored free access. YouTube Music’s trial has raised similar questions about how restricting content may affect user satisfaction.
The limitations were first reported by Reddit user Xinfinte, who noted encountering a restricted number of lyric views accompanied by prompts to subscribe. Other Reddit discussions suggest YouTube Music sources lyrics through services such as LyricFind and MusixMatch, which may involve licensing costs, potentially motivating the decision to limit free access.
Both Spotify and YouTube Music are clearly exploring ways to convert free users into paying subscribers. Spotify leverages features like Connect for seamless multi-device playback, while YouTube Music is bundled with YouTube Premium, which provides ad-free content across the platform. It remains uncertain how users will respond to YouTube Music’s lyrics paywall, though the broader benefits of ad-free video streaming may reduce frustration compared with Spotify’s earlier approach.
