#youtube-premium-lite

#youtube-premium-lite

YouTube has announced two big additions to its $8-a-month Premium Lite -- the ability to download videos and the option to keep videos playing in the background for "most videos." Previously, these were reserved for the $14-a-month Premium option.

YouTube Premium Lite launched not quite a year ago, offering a considerably cheaper way to get rid of the omnipresent, teeth-grinding advertising that's become an (almost) inescapable part of the platform. At the time I dismissed it since it didn't block the ads on music (or in the dedicated YouTube Music app/interface), it didn't offer downloads, and it didn't offer background listening on your phone.

While so far YouTube Premium Lite gave you "most videos" ad-free and nothing more, starting now there's also support for background play and downloads for "most videos". This is rolling out "in the coming weeks" everywhere YouTube Premium Lite is available.