Phones Canada Team:
YouTube Music Adds Live Lyrics Feature

YouTube Music, while not known for its cutting-edge features, has been steadily improving this year. Now, the app has finally fulfilled its promise and introduced a long-awaited feature: live lyrics.

The development of the real-time lyrics feature for YouTube Music has been underway for some time. Test users reported on this feature back in April, and since then, progress updates have been few and far between, leaving many wondering if the feature had been abandoned.

However, the team has made substantial progress, and live lyrics are now rolling out to YouTube Music users on both Android and iOS devices. In version 6.15 for Android and version 6.16 for iOS, live lyrics are becoming available for more songs.

Unfortunately, live lyrics are not yet available when casting music or when listening on web or TV-connected apps. Additionally, not all songs on the platform are supported, though it appears that more songs will be added over time.

The live lyrics feature is likely powered by MusixMatch, a popular lyrics provider that partnered with Google last year. The lyrics are displayed in a scrolling format, allowing listeners to easily follow along with the song. Users can also tap on the lyrics to highlight them and rewind or forward to the specific spot where that lyric appears in the song.

This update shows Google’s commitment to enhancing YouTube Music and making it a viable alternative to other music streaming apps. As YouTube Premium subscribers already have access to YouTube Music, this brings added value to their subscription. The next step for Google is to achieve feature parity with other apps, making YouTube Music a compelling choice for most users.

Please note that live lyrics are not available for every song and certain playback methods.