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Ludatyk

macrumors 603
May 27, 2012
5,956
5,123
Texas
Premium users don’t have ads.
I understand that, but the other benefit for premium users is background audio. I can close the YT app and still have the video playing in the background, but if free users are able to just use PiP when closing the app… then background audio becomes pointless.
 

auwkeung

macrumors regular
Original poster
Apr 8, 2008
104
33
This my problem with how YT plans to implement it… it’s server side. It can be taken away in a moments notice.

And on top of that… they announce that free users will be able to use PiP too, then.. what’s the point of being a premium user. I rather for them not to implement PiP at all… if they are vague about us using it.
Yes I really don't know why YT is being so inconsistent over this...Other platforms have been allowing PiP for years (Netflix, Amazon Prime, BBC etc).
If they allow Premium users to play video at the background, I don't see the reason why they have to disallow PiP...let alone they are now extending such support to non-Premium users.
 

Snapperjw

macrumors 6502
Oct 8, 2007
341
295
I understand that, but the other benefit for premium users is background audio. I can close the YT app and still have the video playing in the background, but if free users are able to just use PiP when closing the app… then background audio becomes pointless.

You have a good point here. if they make PiP available to all then this does take a step into the premium functuonality and I wonder if YouTube are concerned that this might take away some of their premium market. One aspect of premium I use is the ability to listen to content when not having the app open on the screen.

I doubt they have fully thought this through which may be another reason why they are being so slow to actually rollout the feature. They are testing it, hence controlling access on the server side.
 

Ludatyk

macrumors 603
May 27, 2012
5,956
5,123
Texas
You have a good point here. if they make PiP available to all then this does take a step into the premium functuonality and I wonder if YouTube are concerned that this might take away some of their premium market. One aspect of premium I use is the ability to listen to content when not having the app open on the screen.

I doubt they have fully thought this through which may be another reason why they are being so slow to actually rollout the feature. They are testing it, hence controlling access on the server side.
I listen to some podcast the other day that mention YouTube found away to incorporate ads into PiP, not sure if that's true... but this implementation is a long time coming. I'm sure they have carefully considered how to keep monetizing their product, it's going to premium users first... could entice free users to subscribe.

My only issue with how PiP is rolling out... that it shouldn't be behind a paywall. And I believe there was behind the scenes lobbying to allow this to happen.
 

seezar

macrumors 6502a
Jan 18, 2018
596
608
I understand that, but the other benefit for premium users is background audio. I can close the YT app and still have the video playing in the background, but if free users are able to just use PiP when closing the app… then background audio becomes pointless.
Doesn't the background audio option allow you to also turn the screen off and still listen to what is playing? Can't do that with PiP.
 

Ludatyk

macrumors 603
May 27, 2012
5,956
5,123
Texas
Doesn't the background audio option allow you to also turn the screen off and still listen to what is playing? Can't do that with PiP.
Good point. But is that a feature premium users value over PiP, I would honestly prefer PiP over background audio if given the choice.

My point being… regardless if background audio allows me to turn off the screen while playing. If PiP is given to all users… premium subscription is pointless to me. There are rare cases I use background audio with the screen off… If I’m watching content on YT my eyes are engaged.
 
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seezar

macrumors 6502a
Jan 18, 2018
596
608
Good point. But is that a feature premium users value over PiP, I would honestly prefer PiP over background audio if given the choice.

My point being… regardless if background audio allows me to turn off the screen while playing. If PiP is given to all users… premium subscription is pointless to me. There are rare cases I use background audio with the screen off… If I’m watching content on YT my eyes are engaged.

Understood that use cases differ. My daughter uses background audio all the time to listen to live music on YouTube. In that use case she keeps the screen off because she’s using the feature as a music player basically. I think that’s what a lot of people use the background audio feature for.
 

Ludatyk

macrumors 603
May 27, 2012
5,956
5,123
Texas
Understood that use cases differ. My daughter uses background audio all the time to listen to live music on YouTube. In that use case she keeps the screen off because she’s using the feature as a music player basically. I think that’s what a lot of people use the background audio feature for.
And to be fair, that’s why Youtube Music exist.

However, I’m not a fan of Youtube Music at all… no support for SplitView/SlideOver and the UI is awful. I’m still confused to this date as to why they abandon Google Play Music in favor of Youtube Music.
 

seezar

macrumors 6502a
Jan 18, 2018
596
608
And to be fair, that’s why Youtube Music exist.

However, I’m not a fan of Youtube Music at all… no support for SplitView/SlideOver and the UI is awful. I’m still confused to this date as to why they abandon Google Play Music in favor of Youtube Music.

Yeah I agree with that, Google ruined their music platform. While I get YouTube music with my YouTube premium subscription, I still pay for Apple Music. Had they kept Google play music, I would have just used that.
 

Snapperjw

macrumors 6502
Oct 8, 2007
341
295
End of the day this feature is still not actual live. There is no PiP that is production ready.

YouTube are a disaster, they announce a feature but don‘t say WHEN it is actually going live. Who knows could be 2022 🤷🏻
 

Oddgeirf

macrumors member
Jun 9, 2008
33
4
It also works here in Norway today.
Premium subscriber
 
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Snapperjw

macrumors 6502
Oct 8, 2007
341
295
These are still the early days. It took them two years to roll out dark mode in Gmail.

I think you are correct - Looks like it’s going to be two years from when YouTube announced PIP to it actually launching. Still no PIP 🤷🏻
 
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