High-Quality Audio and 4x Playback Now on YouTube Premium

Key Highlights

• Feature Expansion: YouTube Premium features like faster playback speeds and high-quality audio are now accessible on more devices.
• Playback Speed: Users can adjust playback speeds from 0.5x to 4x on Android, iOS, and the web.
• Audio Quality: A new “High” audio quality option at 256kbps is available for music videos and Art Tracks.
• Subscription Benefit: The core benefit of an ad-free experience remains unchanged for the $13.99-per-month subscription.

Google is expanding access to YouTube Premium features like faster playback speeds and high-quality audio to more types of devices. Most people subscribe to YouTube Premium to remove ads from YouTube and access to YouTube Music, but Google also includes a variety of “power-user” features that give subscribers more granular control over their viewing or listening experience. Now those features will be available in more places.

What playback speed options are available with YouTube Premium?

YouTube Premium’s faster playback speeds (in 0.5x increments from 1x to 4x speed) are now available on Android, iOS, and the web, after initially only being available in the mobile YouTube app. This feature allows users to customize their video viewing experience significantly.

Users can choose to speed up or slow down playback based on their preference, enhancing the overall usability of the platform. The flexibility in playback speed is particularly beneficial for educational content, allowing users to consume material at their desired pace.

How has audio quality improved for music videos?

In terms of the music side of the house, the big change has to do with audio quality. When you’re watching a music video, Google says you’ll now be able to select “High” from the audio settings and listen at a 256kbps bitrate. This change applies to “Art Tracks” as well, which are videos of songs available on the wider YouTube platform that don’t have an official music video.

The “High” quality option was originally only available in the YouTube Music app, but now Google says you can access it across the Android and iOS versions of both YouTube Music and YouTube. This enhancement ensures users enjoy better sound quality when streaming their favorite tracks.

What is the main benefit of a YouTube Premium subscription?

None of these updates change what the main benefit of a $13.99-per-month YouTube Premium subscription is, of course, but for the price, it’s good Google is trying to unify the experience across devices. The primary advantage remains the ad-free experience that allows for uninterrupted viewing.

The continuous updates and enhancements suggest Google is committed to improving user experience across platforms, making the subscription increasingly valuable to its users.