Using YouTube without a premium subscription can be very annoying due to the ads. You try to watch a video and there are at least two ads ahead of the content, if the video is long, you will probably be interrupted by more ads. This alone already serves as a catalyst for users to go into the company’s premium tier. But that is not enough for you, YouTube Premium tries to sell its subscription with some neat features to enrich your experience. If you’re an avid YouTube user, there are 5 new features that can make the subscription more interesting.
5 New Features to Improve YouTube Premium, can it attract more subscribers?
1 – Video Queues
YouTube Premium now added a queueing system on phones and tablets. This has been on testing since January and is finally making its way to users. It’s available for computers through the website. With the feature, you can create a queue of videos to be played, add new ones to it, and change positions for the ones that you already have. That’s a neat feature that should be improved over time.
2 – Google Meet integration with YouTube
The second feature to join YouTube’s roster of features is deeper integration with Google Meet. The new feature allows Premium members to host Google Meet sessions where all attendees, regardless of whether they are Premium or free users. It allows all attendees to watch the same YouTube video. In a few weeks, YouTube promises to add the feature to FaceTime users on iOS via SharePlay.
3 – Resume Playback
The third feature gives users the ability to resume their watching exactly at the spot where they left off. This sounds trivial, but believe me, it was not available. The feature is now live on Android, iOS, and in the Web version.
Gizchina News of the week
4 – Smart Downloads
The fourth new addition to YouTube Premium is dubbed “Smart Downloads”. It adds recommended videos straight to your library, ready for offline viewing. The feature will aid you if you forget to download videos before your trips. Worth noting that this was previously available, so we don’t know exactly what is new here.
5 – Enhanced 1080p bitrate for YouTube Premium users
The final feature will add a new bitrate for 1080p HD resolution videos. As per the company, this will make the videos “extra crisp and clear, especially for videos with a lot of detail and motion”. This particular feature will reach Premium users in the coming weeks.
YouTube keeps its race to make the Premium tier a valid option for those who enjoy the content on the streaming platform. We will see if this will be enough to raise the number of active subscribers. The company recently added multi-view support for YouTube TV in a bid to attract more Sports users. Late last year, the company started to work on a Live lyrics feature for YouTube Music.
YouTube Premium is growing in subscribers every year
Back in the last year, YouTube’s report confirmed the milestone of 80 million Music and Premium subscribers globally, including users in trials. Interestingly, this was a 30 million member increase from 50 million in 2021. The new features being added probably come in light of the platform’s success. Also, they are some extra benefits for those who have been enjoying the platform. YouTube Music tries its best to become a valid alternative to Apple Music and the leader Spotify.
When it comes to video streaming, YouTube still stands as one of the leading platforms. Its versatility of content makes it one of the strongest platforms for all kinds of content, streaming, and lives. Although the competitor raised with the likes of Twitch, YouTube keeps a strong position in the market. We are curious to see the numbers announced by the company later this year.
