Google has introduced a new feature to YouTube Music, bringing it more in line with a capability that has long been offered by Spotify. The feature, called live lyrics, displays scrolling lyrics alongside the song as it plays, making it easier for users to follow along with the lyrics and sing along. Spotify has offered a similar feature for years.
To access live lyrics on YouTube Music, users need to navigate to a song with attached lyrics and go to the Lyrics tab in the Now Playing screen. The feature highlights the line of lyrics that is currently being sung in a brighter white, while the screen scrolls down as the song progresses. The updated version of live lyrics on YouTube Music offers larger text and improved visibility compared to the older lyrics screen.
While this feature is a welcome addition to YouTube Music, there are a few limitations to note. The live lyrics feature is currently available on Android and iOS platforms only, and not all songs have access to the tool. Additionally, the feature works locally on the device and is not yet available across all devices or platforms like Spotify’s offering.
This addition is part of Google’s effort to enhance YouTube Music and compete with other music streaming platforms. YouTube Music has been gradually evolving since it replaced Google Play Music, and the introduction of features like live lyrics shows Google’s commitment to improving the user experience and offering features that are in line with industry standards.
Google has also been working on other music-related projects, such as a tool that identifies songs by humming or recording a portion of the song. This experimental feature aims to provide users with an easy way to identify songs even when they don’t know the title or artist. Additionally, Google is exploring ways to protect music industry professionals against AI tools that use music data.
Overall, these quality-of-life changes and new features contribute to the ongoing development of YouTube Music as a competitive music streaming platform.
