last July YouTube The Premium Lite plan has been launched in Taiwan, although it is smaller than YouTube Premium The price of the plan is about 67% cheaper, but it cannot play in the background, so it is not that attractive. For many people, they will still choose the latter.Google Officials have also observed this phenomenon and finally changed their policy earlier, announcing on the official blog that the YouTube Premium Lite plan officially supports the “background playback” and “offline download” functions! Of course, there are still some limitations.
Image source:androidpolice
YouTube Premium Lite finally supports background playback and offline downloading
Prior to this, the main function of YouTube Premium Lite was to allow users to watch most non-music videos without being interrupted by advertisements. That is to say, users did not have to endure advertisements when watching educational, entertainment or news videos. However, the exception was music content and YouTube Shorts, where advertisements would still appear.
Although the YouTube Premium Lite version is cheaper, it has an obvious limitation: it “cannot play videos in the background” and cannot download videos for offline viewing. Therefore, if users switch to other applications or lock the screen while using their mobile phones, the videos will automatically stop. At the same time, in environments without Internet access, such as when traveling abroad or taking a plane, users cannot download content in advance for backup. These shortcomings also significantly reduce its appeal and are often mentioned in user feedback on the official forums.
And earlier YouTube official blog announcement：
你們提出需求，我們聽到了！今天我們宣布，背景播放（Background Play）與下載（Downloads）功能將加入 YouTube 的 Premium Lite 訂閱服務。
From now on, YouTube Premium Lite users can also experience the benefits of background playback and download functions on their mobile phones.
- “Background playback” allows users to continue playing video sounds on their phone even if they switch to other apps or lock the screen.
- The Download feature allows users to save most videos to their device and watch them offline.
Sharp-eyed readers should have noticed that the content above is specially marked with “video” and “most”. Yes, there are restrictions. The official emphasized that the benefits of YouTube Premium Lite are limited to “most videos”, not all, and music content still requires a full Premium subscription to enjoy.
This update won’t change the cost of your subscription, the only caveat is that instead of rolling out to all YouTube Premium Lite users at once, these two new perks will start rolling out starting today and gradually over the next few weeks. If you still can’t, the representative will have to wait a few more days.
Current YouTube subscription plan details in Taiwan
| plan | Subscription price (Taiwan) | What kind of users is it suitable for? |
|---|---|---|
| YouTube Premium Lite | Webpage/Android: 119 yuan/month iOS: 160 yuan/month |
People who mainly want to “watch most non-music videos with fewer ads/cheaper” and who don’t care about the full rights of music content |
| YouTube Premium (Student) | Webpage/Android: 119 yuan/month | People who qualify as students and want full Premium features but are on a budget |
| YouTube Premium (Personal) | Webpage/Android: 199 yuan/month iOS: 260 yuan/month |
People who use YouTube every day and want a complete experience (including background playback, offline downloads, and YouTube Music benefits) |
| YouTube Premium (Double) | Webpage/Android: 299 yuan/month iOS: 390 yuan/month |
It is most cost-effective for two people to use it together; it is cheaper than the family plan and more economical than the individual plan. |
| YouTube Premium (Home) | Webpage/Android: 479 yuan/month iOS: 630 yuan/month |
A group of people sharing the same home (usually up to 5 family members) with the lowest average cost per person |
| YouTube Music Premium (Personal) | Webpage/Android: 169 yuan/month iOS: 220 yuan/month |
The main demand is “listening to music”: people who want ad-free music, background playback, and offline listening, but do not necessarily need YouTube videos to be completely free of ads. |
| YouTube Music Premium (Student) | Webpage/Android: 89 yuan/month | Those who meet student qualifications, are music-focused, and want to obtain Music benefits at the lowest cost |
| YouTube Music Premium (Home) | Webpage/Android: 269 yuan/month iOS: 350 yuan/month |
People who have multiple people at home who mainly listen to music (rather than watch videos) |
Supplement: Prices may be different for different platforms (web/Android vs iOS). The above table is compiled for pricing in Taiwan.
Source: KOCPC Chinese