YouTube is the largest streaming platform in the world, offering hours and hours of entertainment. If you’re someone that loves the platform, there’s a pretty good chance you’re using Premium, which allows you to skip the ads, and also throws in some other perks as well.
Of course, paying for YouTube Premium isn’t for everyone, but if you’re a dedicated subscriber, you’ll be happy to know that new features are now rolling out. The platform is introducing several improvements, like support for high-quality audio within YouTube Music, faster playback speeds, and access to Jump ahead on smart TVs and game consoles.
It’s getting better and better
For the most part, these are simple changes, but they can make a world of difference depending on the person. High-quality audio has been a part of the platform for some time now, but it has never been universally available through the app. But users can now access this setting, so long as they are listening to “official/premium music videos and Art Tracks.”
Those that want to get through more content will be happy to know that they can watch YouTube videos at up to 4x speed, with the ability to ramp up in half increments. While this feature was available in the apps for iOS and Android, it can now be accessed through the web interface as well, which is pretty convenient.
The final addition is that Jump ahead is now a part of the interface for the YouTube app on smart TVs and game consoles. Jump ahead is a huge addition, since it will allow you to skip to parts that are important. Furthermore, the feature is also pretty handy if there are promotional spots within the video, allowing you to skip what you don’t want to see at the touch of a button.
For the most part, this is a pretty solid update. If you’re an iOS user, YouTube also shares that Shorts Smart Downloads and Picture-in-Picture modes are now available for Apple devices. Again, you will need to be a Premium member to access all of these features, and the price can vary depending on your location.
In the US, you’ll be paying quite a bit, with the standard plan costing $13.99/month. There’s also a Premium Lite option, which will ditch all the additional perks and just remove ads from YouTube for $7.99/month. If you haven’t tried it before, we would say it’s worth checking out. Whether you keep it is going to be up to you.
