Mobile Tech

Unveiling the Ultimate YouTube Strategy for Apple Music Enthusiasts

Published

4 hours ago

February 26, 2026

A side-by-side 3D render of the YouTube play button icon and the Apple Music note icon against a unified dark background, illustrating how the services complement each other.

YouTube introduced its more affordable Premium Lite service in the US almost a year ago, offering a reduced ad experience. Now, the platform is lowering the cost of entry for two other premium services: background playback and offline downloads.

Initially, YouTube Premium Lite was designed to allow users to watch YouTube with fewer ads. However, the main difference from the free version was the reduced ad experience. Notably, it did not eliminate ads entirely, except for “most” videos on YouTube. Music videos remained an exception, requiring users to upgrade to the full YouTube Premium subscription at $13.99 per month to enjoy ad-free music content.

Aside from music videos, YouTube Lite also lacked features like downloads and background playback, which were exclusive to YouTube Premium. This made the $7.99 monthly plan less appealing, as it fell between the free version with ads and the full Premium experience.

Google has not disclosed the popularity of YouTube Lite, but the platform has now decided to enhance the Lite service by including background play and downloads at no extra cost, starting this week.

Background Play and Downloads are now available on YouTube’s Premium Lite subscription service, responding to user feedback.

Subscribers can enjoy ad-free, offline, and background playback on most videos, starting today and rolling out gradually.

However, music videos will still include ads for Lite subscribers and remain ineligible for background playback and offline downloads. This is due to the higher licensing costs associated with music content, which have always been a significant factor in YouTube Premium subscriptions.

In addition to music videos, Lite subscribers may still encounter ads when searching, browsing, or watching Shorts on the platform. Exclusive features like jump ahead, queuing, and continue watching remain reserved for YouTube Premium subscribers.

Although YouTube Premium offers additional perks, the updated Lite plan now appeals to users who prefer ad-free viewing of regular content without the need for a full Premium subscription. This makes Lite a great complement to music streaming services like Apple Music or Spotify, allowing users to enjoy diverse content without doubling up on music subscriptions.