YouTube Music is rolling out restrictions on song lyrics for non-Premium users, marking another step in Google's strategy to convert free users to paid subscriptions. The streaming service now displays a warning when users hit the Lyrics tab: “You have X views remaining, unlock lyrics with Premium,” starting at five views before requiring a subscription.

This change follows Google's earlier move to close background playback loopholes on YouTube. The lyrics restriction appears to be rolling out widely after a September trial period where only select users encountered the paywall prompt. Now many more users are reporting the limitation, suggesting Google has completed testing and adopted the new policy across its platform.

YouTube Music Premium costs $11 per month in the US, while YouTube Premium—which includes ad-free video, background playback, and Music Premium—costs $14 monthly. The company hasn't issued official confirmation of the lyrics change, though it typically takes several days after implementation to release formal statements, as happened with the background playback restrictions.