Subscribers to YouTube’s cheapest plan now benefit from two features previously reserved for the full Premium offer. However, access to YouTube Music remains excluded from this formula.
YouTube announced this week that it is adding new features to its Premium Lite subscription. Users on this plan can now download videos for offline viewing and enjoy background playback, which means continuing to listen to audio from a video when the app is minimized, another app is in use, or the screen is locked.
A response to user feedback
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According to YouTube, these additions directly respond to requests expressed by users. The platform believes that these new features could encourage some users of the free service to switch to the entry-level paid offer.
The deployment, already effective in the United States, should gradually extend to all eligible markets over the coming weeks.
Launched in March 2025 at a price of €7.99 per month, Premium Lite is the cheapest plan for watching YouTube without advertising on classic video content. Until now, this plan was mainly limited to removing ads, requiring users wanting downloading or background playback to subscribe to the full Premium plan, billed at €13.99 per month.
With the integration of these two features, the gap between the two formulas narrows considerably. The main distinction now rests on access to YouTube Music, which remains exclusive to the Premium offer, both for individual and family subscriptions. The student plan, offered at the same price as the Lite at €7.99 per month, includes YouTube Music, but remains reserved for students registered full-time in a higher education establishment, after verification via the SheerID authentication program.
Differences that remain in advertising
The other point of divergence between the two offers concerns advertising management. While the Premium plan removes all ads, Premium Lite may still display ads on music content, Shorts, search results, and navigation pages. For users who do not need YouTube Music and tolerate a residual advertising presence, the Lite plan now represents a significantly more complete alternative than when it was launched.
A gradual international deployment
Premium Lite underwent testing phases in several countries, including Thailand, Germany and Australia, before launching in the United States in March 2025. The service has since been expanded to numerous markets, including Canada, Brazil, the United Kingdom, India and Mexico, as well as several countries in Europe, Asia and South America.
