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.