YouTube appears to be testing a controversial new feature that puts song lyrics on its music app behind a Premium subscription, echoing a move Spotify reversed last year after backlash.
In the battle for music streaming dominance, YouTube Music has long had a unique edge. A Premium subscription not only removes ads from YouTube’s massive video library but also includes ad-free YouTube Music, which rivals Spotify and Apple Music in catalog size.
But free users may soon find one staple feature locked away. According to Reddit posts, some YouTube Music listeners are seeing popups warning that they only have a limited number of lyric views left before they’ll need Premium to continue.
It’s unclear if the change is a test or a permanent rollout, but the reaction online hasn’t been kind.
“That’s so lame. YouTube is a fragment of what it used to be,” one user complained.
“It will only get worse from here lol. Subscriptions have always been more profitable compared to advertising, hence this,” another added.
YouTube paywalls lyrics one year after Spotify tried the same thing
Users noted that lyrics themselves appear to come from LyricFind and MusixMatch, third-party services that charge licensing fees. That could explain why YouTube is looking to restrict access. Still, fans argue the move feels like a cash grab.
Spotify faced a similar backlash in 2024 when it paywalled lyrics, only to quickly reverse course and restore free access, calling it an expansion “so more people can enjoy viewing more lyrics globally.”
So far, not all YouTube Music users have been hit with the limit, suggesting this could be a regional or experimental rollout. If the criticism grows, YouTube could follow Spotify’s path and reconsider.
The Google-owned platform has already faced years of frustration over Premium pushes, including unskippable ads, mid-video interruptions, and even ads appearing on pause screens. Now, lyrics may be the latest battleground in its subscription drive.
