YouTube Music is not exactly known for having the latest and greatest features when compared to competing apps such as Spotify. However, the app has been making good progress this year and has finally added a long-promised feature to its arsenal — live lyrics.
The real-time lyrics feature on YouTube Music has been in the works for quite sometime, including a limited roll out to test users that reported on this feature back in April. Since then, there haven’t been any additional updates on its progress, to the point where many started to wonder if the feature had been nixed.
However, progress on the feature continued and it is now seeing a wider rollout to YouTube Music users on Android and iOS. This was originally reported on by 9to5Google, adding that live lyrics continue to roll out for more songs on versions 6.15 (Android) and 6.16 (iOS) of the app.
YouTube Music Live Lyrics on Android
Unfortunately, live lyrics are not yet available when you are casting your music or when listening on the web or TV-connected apps. The feature is also not available for every single song on the platform, although it looks like support is being added to more songs as time progresses.
Live lyrics are likely powered by MusixMatch, a popular lyrics provider that partnered with Google earlier last year. The lyrics are displayed in a scrolling format, so you can easily follow along with the song. You can also tap on the lyrics to highlight them and rewind or forward to that specific spot where that lyric appears on the song.
It’s good to see Google following through on adding more features to YouTube Music and making this app a worthy replacement to those looking to move away from their current music streaming app. A YouTube Premium subscription includes access to YouTube Music, so essentially, if you are paying for Premium you should be able to save some money and use your already paid for subscription to the Music app as well. Feature parity with other apps is the next step to make that a reality for most.
