Google has announced that the YouTube Music app will soon offer the ability to listen to music in the background even to free users on Android and iOS. This means that even non-paying users will be able to listen to YouTube Music music when the screen is off or when they are using another application, without the hassle of having to keep the YouTube Music app constantly open with the screen on.
The functionality is still limited to users in Canada who will be the first to enjoy free background playback on Android and iOS from November 3. Of course, the ads won’t be removed for free users, but the platform will offer a Spotify- like experience that grants 30 minutes of listening before the ad plays.
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As part of this novelty, the company will also be launching a new playback experience that automatically mixes albums, songs and playlists. It is currently unclear whether or when other regions will have free access to background listening via the YouTube Music app.
But the announcement post indicates that more information and expansion plans will come shortly. Google recently announced YouTube Music for Wear OS 2, and you can now continue watching a video on YouTube.com on a mobile device.