YouTube Tests Experimental Features With Premium Users

YouTube outlined a new set of experimental features which will begin testing with YouTube Premium subscribers, and could soon be found in the main app, adding more control and access options.

YouTube Premium subscribers can sign up to try its experimental featureswhich may or may not ever become full-fledged elements. It also indicates where it wants to develop new tools, including AI functionality, providing a window into YouTube’s engineering pipeline and what it thinks will benefit the user experience.

This time, YouTube is running a high-quality audio test, with Premium members can experience new audio enhancements, such as 256 kbps audio on music videos, offering more clarity and depth.

It’s also testing AI-generated radio stations in YouTube Music, which allow users to describe what they want to hear, which YouTube’s AI will use as a guide to formulating playlists.

YouTube Music is a popular add-on to the YouTube subscription package, with YouTube Premium and Music surpassing 100 million subscribers combined at the beginning of last year.

The addition of higher sound quality will no doubt appeal to music users, allowing them to listen to the latest tracks through the best listening experience.

YouTube is also testing picture-in-picture for YouTube Shorts on iOS, as well as smart downloads for select Shorts, ensuring faster viewing response.

On the other hand, YouTube is also expanding the testing of its “Jump ahead” feature, with web users now also able to try out the option.

YouTube originally launched Leap Forward with mobile users last Marchwhich uses AI-based detection to help users navigate to the most viewed parts of any video.

Given the short attention span of modern viewers, it could be a popular option that allows you to consume more content in less time, which is also the lure of this last experimental element.

YouTube is also adding more playback speed options, and users can now watch content at up to 4x the normal speed.

I mean, I can’t imagine you’ll be able to see all the details of what’s being said at 4x speed, but maybe for some users this will be a valuable option.

These are interesting tests that could lead to entirely new uses for YouTube content and allow more control over the user experience.

In addition, YouTube’s parent company Google is also offering a new Google One package deal, which will mean that Google One subscribers will also get YouTube Premium as part of the deal.

That could help boost YouTube Premium numbers, though that’s also worth noting YouTube increased the price of YouTube Premium worldwide last September, which could affect wider adoption.

Perhaps, then, offering bundled deals is a way to keep YouTube Premium growing, despite the potential impacts, and there are some other enticing elements of YouTube Premium, including ad-free viewing and audio-only listening.

And now you also get access to these plugin experiments that will be available to Premium subscribers for a limited time.

You can learn more about YouTube’s experiments here.