YouTube lyrics moving behind a paywall
YouTube lyrics moving behind a paywall
Free YouTube lyrics might be a thing of the past. The streaming giant is continuing to move features behind its Premium subscription paywall. First, it disabled background playback. Now it wants to charge you for song lyrics on YouTube Music.
Screenshots spreading across the r/YoutubeMusic subreddit show new warnings in the app: “You have X views remaining — unlock lyrics with Premium.” The counter ticks down from five, then slams the door shut unless you take out a subscription.
No confirmation from Google
This move has apparently been brewing for months. Back in late 2025, a handful of users spotted the “unlock lyrics” prompt — now, it’s popping up everywhere. Google hasn’t formally confirmed anything yet, but by the time they do, you can bet the switch will already be flipped.
YouTube Music Premium runs about $11 a month in the U.S. (or $14 if you go for full YouTube Premium). In Europe, you’re looking at €12 to €14 for individuals and up to €26 for families — all for features that used to be free.
Cashing in on advertising revenue
Song lyrics might not sound like a big deal to casual listeners. But for artists, songwriters, and anyone who lives for music they have long been an issue. In the early days of the web, hundreds of websites popped up with song lyrics. They cashed in on advertising revenue without sharing it with the writers or their publishers.
This led to numerous lawsuits and an ongoing battle to allow writers to benefit from the revenue being generated. Although the YouTube lyrics move will not endear them to many users, it is nonetheless a good thing.
Ultimately, if money is being made on lyrics (and it is), why should the writers be excluded?
Sidebar: How do you get Lyrics on the Web?
- Spotify: Offers subscribers synced lyrics for free in most regions, powered by Musixmatch. No paywall — at least not yet.
- Apple Music: Lyrics are included in the standard subscription; the app even animates them live as you listen.
- Amazon Music: Gives live lyrics to Prime and Unlimited tiers, with some access for free users.
- Tidal: Still lyric-friendly; no reports of restrictions so far.
Quick question: how often do you read lyrics from YouTube, Spotify or Deezer: often/sometimes/never?
(Michael Leahy. Source: GSMArena, Reddit et al. Photo: ?? / Pexels)