YouTube Premium Lite adds background play and downloads
Source: 9to5Google
YouTube Premium Lite adds background playback and offline downloads

Just under a year after expanding to the US, YouTube Premium Lite is adding background playback and offline downloads for “most videos.”
As with the ad‑free benefit, that restriction translates to “most non‑music content, excluding Shorts.” This leaves you with access to gaming, fashion, beauty, news, and other content. Ads continue to appear “on music content, Shorts, and when you search or browse.”
YouTube Premium Lite members ($7.99 per month in the US) will now be able to download videos for offline playback when there’s no internet connection. Additionally, they will be able to essentially listen to videos while their screen is off.
YouTube says it “heard feedback about wanting these additional features included in the service.”
Offline downloads and background playback are rolling out starting today and will be available “everywhere Premium Lite is available” in the coming weeks.
YouTube Premium ($13.99) is still required for “additional features” like queuing, continue watching, and jump ahead.
