Danny Weber
15:31 10-09-2025
A. Krivonosov
YouTube Music is testing a lyrics cap for free users, nudging upgrades to Premium. We explain the paywall and licensing costs via LyricFind/MusixMatch in brief.
YouTube Music is once again experimenting with limits for free listeners. The platform now partially locks lyrics, nudging people to upgrade to Premium after several views. Spotify tried a similar move earlier but scrapped the paywall following a backlash from users.
YouTube Music relies on LyricFind and MusixMatch to display lyrics, which carries costs, so a cap looks like a straightforward way to monetize the feature. From the user side, the change is grating, especially if you’re used to a free service. At the same time, a Premium plan unlocks extra perks, including ad-free YouTube video and family sharing.