New to YouTube Premium? Don’t miss these features

A YouTube Premium subscription means you get a range of additional features and benefits to help you get the most out of your viewing experience. However, as a new member, you may be overwhelmed by all the new features that are available to you. Here are some of the top Premium features you shouldn’t miss.

Play videos whenever you want

The best thing about subscribing to YouTube Premium is that you can watch ad-free videos any way you want. You can download all your videos to your library and watch them offline. You can also go a step further and check out Smart Downloads, which allows YouTube to add recommended videos to your library and download them for you.

To enable smart downloads, tap your profile picture in the YouTube app. Go to Settings > Downloads > Smart Downloads and turn on “Turn on Smart Downloads.” Here you can also adjust the download quality.

Watching videos anytime is not limited to when you are not connected to the Internet. With a YouTube Premium subscription, you can also use Picture-in-Picture (PiP), which allows you to play videos and close the YouTube app. You can finish an entire video essay and browse your Instagram feed at the same time, which is a multitasking dream.

Picture-in-picture feature on YouTube Premium.

Device integration

Thanks to integration with smart devices, you can also watch YouTube videos wherever you want. Outside of the YouTube app, you can stream videos on any device with YouTube access. This applies to any smart TV, game console and streaming device that allows you to sign in to the YouTube app.

If your web browser supports YouTube, you can also use all Premium features via your web browser. Supported browsers include:

GoogleChrome
Safari
Microsoft Edge
Opera
Mozilla Firefox

For audio, you can use audio devices connected to Chromecast or Google Cast and play music from the YouTube Music app. To play videos via Chromecast, sign in to YouTube Premium on your mobile device and click the Chromecast icon. You can now browse and select videos on your phone and watch them on a larger screen.

Control how you watch videos

In addition to ad-free streaming and downloading, a YouTube Premium subscription gives you something incredibly convenient to do when you pause a video. You can easily continue watching where you left off, not only on your original device, but also on any device where you’re signed in with a Premium account. This seamless integration comes with the smart device integration you get as part of your membership.

One more thing you can do with a Premium membership is to skip to important parts of a video by fast-forwarding the video (by double-tapping). This forward button takes you to the next point in the video, which is where most users usually skip.

Premium Jump is not available for all videos on YouTube. It’s also not available for Shorts, premieres, live streams and licensed content such as music, movies and shows.

Another Premium benefit that you can enjoy while watching videos is the ability to queue videos. While this is a feature that can only be used on mobile devices and tablets, it is a good addition for uninterrupted viewing.

You can queue and add videos without pausing or closing the video you are watching.

To further customize your YouTube viewing experience, you can access a range of Premium settings, such as video quality preferences, background playback and downloads, by going to Settings > Additional Settings > Premium Controls in the mobile app.

Chat with your favorite artists

A hidden benefit of a YouTube Premium subscription that you may not know about is access to exclusive content. The premium-only afterparty is essentially a live broadcast featuring your favorite artists, where you can also watch live video and chat.

In addition to watching afterparties and live chats as they stream, as a Premium member you can also access the archive of these afterparties. You can watch replays of previous broadcasts you may have missed, and if you want to view and delete live chat messages, you can do so even if you stop subscribing to YouTube Premium.

Stream your favorite movies and music

This one surprised me. When I first got a YouTube Premium subscription, I just expected the usual: ad-free videos and downloads. But with a monthly subscription, you get the added benefit of free, ad-free videos. Although the options are limited, you still have a good collection to browse.

The easiest way to access free movies is to go to your profile > Your premium benefits and scroll to “Discover your next favorite movie.” Here you can discover a whole range of free movies. You can also go to Explore > Movies & TV and browse the extensive catalog to choose free movies and shows.

With a Premium subscription, you can also download the YouTube Music app and listen to ad-free songs that you can download, sort into playlists and create radio stations from. Your music preferences on YouTube are neatly categorized in a library that you can use just like any other music streaming app. You can also use samples in the YouTube Music app to, among other things, discover new music beyond the videos you watch.

Get yourself a badge

Another benefit you get as a Premium member is building a collection of Premium badges. You can earn badges for a number of milestones you reach as a Premium member, such as listener badges for hours of music streaming. You can also earn badges for how many after parties you watch, PiP usage, and how many videos you download.

To see your Premium Badges, click your profile picture in the app > Your Premium Benefits > Premium Badges.

You’ll stop earning badges associated with Premium benefits if you pause your viewing history, and you’ll also lose access to previously earned badges if you reset your history.

If you’re on an individual YouTube Premium plan, you’ll pay a $13.99 monthly subscription fee. But there are a few more plans you can check out if you want to save costs:

Annual plan: $139.99 per year
Family plan: $22.99 per month (add up to five family members over the age of 13)
Student Plan: $7.99/month