YouTube Premium: New Features and Updates for Subscribers
YouTube has been actively promoting its YouTube Premium service to users, and while the main selling point has been the ad-free experience, the company is now offering even more enticing features. In a recent announcement, YouTube unveiled several new updates for its Premium subscribers, including a jump ahead feature, a picture-in-picture option for YouTube Shorts, and a range of “experimental” features. Let’s take a closer look at these updates and what they mean for YouTube Premium users.
Jump ahead: One of the new features introduced by YouTube is the jump ahead feature. While users have always had the ability to skip to any part of a video, this feature makes it even easier for YouTube Premium subscribers to jump to the most popular parts of a video. By double-tapping the right side of a YouTube video and clicking the “jump ahead” button, users will be automatically taken to the section of the video that is commonly skipped to. This feature is powered by YouTube’s internal watch data and AI, but it is important to note that not all videos will have this feature available.
Picture-in-picture for YouTube Shorts: Another exciting update for YouTube Premium subscribers is the ability to use picture-in-picture mode with YouTube Shorts. Previously, this feature was not available for short-form videos on YouTube. With picture-in-picture mode, users can watch YouTube Shorts while multitasking within other apps on their Android devices. This feature is exclusive to Android devices at the moment.
Experimental features: YouTube is also offering Premium subscribers the opportunity to try out three upcoming features before they are released to the general public. Until July 15, subscribers can opt-in to test out Shorts Smart Downloads, which automatically downloads recommended YouTube Shorts videos for offline viewing. This feature is currently only available on Android devices. Additionally, YouTube is testing Conversational AI, an Android exclusive feature that allows users to ask AI questions about the videos they’re watching. The AI will provide answers and recommend content while the video plays. Premium subscribers can try out this feature until July 31. For non-Android users, there is a redesigned watch page to test out, which brings the video title, description, and comments to a new sidebar on the right-hand side. Premium subscribers can try this out until July 8.
Future updates and plans: YouTube has hinted at more updates and plans for YouTube Premium in the future. These include additional Premium controls and download options, as well as the exploration of new Premium plan options for users. This could potentially include family plans or multi-member options, allowing subscribers to share benefits with friends or family members. YouTube is actively seeking user feedback on these features and updates, indicating that they are committed to improving the Premium experience based on user preferences.
In conclusion, YouTube Premium is expanding its offerings beyond ad-free viewing. The new features and updates, such as the jump ahead feature, picture-in-picture for YouTube Shorts, and experimental features, provide added value to Premium subscribers. With more updates and plans on the horizon, YouTube is positioning itself as a premium streaming platform with a range of benefits for its subscribers.