by Juli Clover
YouTube today updated its Premium Lite subscription plan with new features, including background play and downloads. Subscribers will be able to watch most videos ad-free offline and in the background.

Prior to now, downloads and background play were features that were limited to the more expensive Premium plan. YouTube Premium Lite is priced at $7.99 per month in the U.S., while YouTube Premium is priced at $13.99 per month.
YouTube Premium Lite removes ads from most, but not all videos, and it does not include ad-free access to the YouTube Music app. Most non-music content is ad-free with YouTube Premium Lite, though Shorts still have ads.
YouTube Premium removes ads from all videos, including music content, plus it has extra features like jump ahead, queuing, and continue watching.
YouTube says that background play and downloads are rolling out to Premium Lite subscribers starting today, but it may take a few weeks for everyone to get access to the new features.
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