YouTube Music app improves function to switch between audio and video clip

Paying users of YouTube Premium and YouTube Premium Music will have the option to switch between audio and a video clip with sound at any time in the YouTube Music app. The function currently works with five million songs.

When playing music where switching is possible seamlessly, a button appears at the top of the screen to show the video clip. YouTube claims to have exactly matched the audio clip and the official music video for five million songs, so that it is possible to switch back and forth without noticeable transition.

When users switch from a video to an audio track, additional sounds incorporated into the music video disappear. As an example, YouTube cites long introductions. The audio version is just the song ‘as intended’.

Users who are not interested in music videos can turn off the option to show video clips via the settings menu. Switching between audio and video does not work with the free version of YouTube Music.