YouTube Music is officially rolling out a Premium paywall for song lyrics, ending free access for many users. After months of testing, the feature is now being deployed in stages and will eventually reach all accounts.
Lyrics have long been one of YouTube Music’s most useful features, allowing users to sing along, understand song lines clearly, and avoid searching lyrics separately on Google. However, this convenience is no longer fully available to free users.
Lyrics Limited for Free Users
With the latest change, YouTube Music now requires either YouTube Premium or YouTube Music Premium to view full song lyrics.
When the update reaches your account, the Lyrics tab on the Now Playing screen will display a new message such as:
- “You have [X] views remaining”
- “Unlock lyrics with Premium”
Free users are allowed five lyric views. Once that limit is reached, only the first few lines of a song will be visible, while the rest of the lyrics are blurred and cannot be scrolled unless you upgrade to a paid plan.
Not a Sudden Change
Although this update may feel unexpected, Google has been testing the lyrics paywall for several months. The rollout is currently happening in batches, which means some users may already see the restriction while others still have free access for now.
At the moment, the lyrics paywall is not yet live worldwide, but a broader global rollout appears to be underway.
YouTube Music Premium Pricing
For users who want to keep full access to lyrics, here are the current subscription options in the US:
- YouTube Music Premium – $10.99/month
- Ad-free music playback
- Background listening
- Offline downloads
- AI features like Ask Music
- YouTube Premium – $13.99/month
- Includes all YouTube Music Premium features
- Ad-free experience across YouTube
- Background playback and offline downloads for videos
Final Thoughts
This move signals Google’s continued push to convert free users into paid subscribers by placing popular features behind a paywall. For users who rely heavily on lyrics, a Premium subscription may soon become unavoidable.
As the rollout continues, more users should expect to see the lyrics restriction appear in their YouTube Music app
via: 9to5Google
