Google is once again raising the price of YouTube Premium. This time, the service will go up by an additional two dollars, peaking at $13.99 instead of the previous $11.99 USD. That’s an increase that, although seemingly small in the monthly scheme of things, leads to an additional $20 per year out of your pocket […]
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YouTube Premium subscribers can now test a new 2x speed gesture
In today’s fast-paced world, it’s no surprise that people are constantly seeking ways to consume content more efficiently. Whether it’s long-form podcasts, tutorials, or educational videos (like the Dead Internet Theory video that I just watched at 2x speed), there are a lot of people who prefer to boost the playback speed to save time […]
Continue ReadingYouTube Music goes social: Comments for individual songs begin appearing for some users
YouTube Music recently got a significant UI change with the introduction of the left sidebar for playlists on its homescreen. It also added a sleep timer, episodes for later and more when podcasts came to the app to expand its horizons. Now, per Reddit users in the r/YouTubeMusic community (Kudos: 9to5Google), a brand new commenting […]
Continue ReadingThe latest YouTube experiment will let you lock your touchscreen while watching videos
YouTube is testing a new experiment called “Avoid accidental taps with Lock Screen“. As the name suggests, you’ll be able to disable your device’s touch input while a video is playing so that you don’t accidentally tap another suggested video, scrub through the existing one, or pause and play it when you didn’t intend to. […]
Continue ReadingYou can save $50 off NFL Sunday Ticket for a limited time
Since Google and YouTube announced the news that many NFL fans have been waiting ages for – the removal of NFL Sunday Ticket from the clutches of DirecTV – many of us have already locked in the deal that will give us unlimited access to nearly every NFL game every Sunday. And if you signed […]
Continue ReadingYouTube may introduce bite-sized playable games in place of some video advertisements
In an internal Team YouTube email sent to a select group of employees and then somehow leaked to The Wall Street Journal, a new gaming initiative was tossed around in conversation. At this time, there’s no word on whether it will even be available for public use, but it’s called ‘Playables’, and at its core, […]
Continue ReadingYouTube Music’s new sidebar wants you to stop forgetting about your playlists
I fired up YouTube Music this morning and to my surprise, the user interface had undergone a significant transformation. The addition of a left-hand sidebar caught my attention immediately. The sidebar now includes Home, Explore, and Library navigation options, with a clear emphasis on playlists. It appears that Google recognized that many users tend to […]
Continue ReadingDon’t miss this last chance to save $100 on NFL Sunday Ticket for this fall
It was big news back at the end of 2022 when Google announced that they had secured the rights for NFL Sunday Ticket for the 2023 season. If you are a football fan, you know that service has long been with DirecTV and for those of us not interested in buying that particular satellite-based television […]
Continue ReadingYouTube is introducing 30-second TV ads that you can’t skip unless you pay for Premium
In a twist of fate, Google is now playing with the idea of introducing a less ideal viewing experience for YouTube users on their living room televisions. Instead of the normal advertisements you get if you’re not paying for Premium each month, the platform will soon show you 30-second advertisements that simply can’t be skipped. […]
Continue ReadingYouTube TV passes 6 million subscribers, and I still can’t understand why anyone would pay for this
I’ve not been at all subtle about the fact that I don’t believe in traditional cable-style streaming in an age of on-demand services. However, I know that it’s still a viable option for many, and streaming itself has become the new cable, asking people to pay for something they used to pay to get rid […]
Continue Reading“Ad blockers are not allowed on YouTube”: Video platform cracks down on workarounds to Premium
In order to avoid paying for YouTube Premium, many users employ an ad blocker in their browser in order to improve their experience and keep their wallet from being drained by Google. However, according to a user on Reddit (Kudos: 9to5Google), who provided the screenshot seen below, the tech giant has started to crack down […]
Continue ReadingYouTube is testing a pretty significant visual redesign for its Now Playing video page
It looks like YouTube is testing a new design for the page of the video you’re watching that could do away with the right-hand sidebar. The experiment is only available to a handful of people, and it’s probably one of the most significant changes we’ve seen to the platform in quite some time. Typically, this […]
Continue ReadingYouTube Premium will now let you queue videos and “continue watching” on mobile, more
I’m not much an advocate of many of Google’s services these days (call me jaded), aside from things like Keep, Calendar, Tasks, and so on, mainly because they benefit me as someone who likes to journal and keep life in alignment amidst the chaos. However, one service that Google has done a lot right with […]
Continue ReadingGet ready for karaoke night with YouTube Music’s new real-time lyrics feature
YouTube Music for Android is currently rolling out a new feature: real-time lyrics! Gone are the days of tiny, unmoving text that was a struggle to read, especially for those with less-than-perfect vision. As you listen to your favorite songs, watch the lyrics highlight in sync with the artist on a larger, more legible scale. […]
Continue ReadingYouTube begins featuring a dedicated ‘Podcasts’ tab on channel pages for easy listening access
Last year, Kai Chuk, YouTube’s new podcasts lead and decade-long company veteran, was brought on by Google to improve the platform’s listening experience. While it’s been possible to listen to and watch podcast-style content on YouTube before now, it’s not been marked as a ‘Podcast’ per se. As a result, users have had to consume […]
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