Google might venture into reckless territory with advertising, according to Teknomers.

YouTube Music continues its  experiments  in monetization. Some users have noted the occurrence of advertisements during ongoing playback. In essence, in the middle of your favorite song, the free version of  YouTube Music —and it’s crucial to emphasize this isn’t the paid subscriptions—can abruptly interrupt your listening experience by launching an advertisement page. This can significantly undermine the overall  user experience .

Tests Above All

Until recently, free users of YouTube Music only encountered ads between tracks. However, in a recent finding by 9to5Google, users reported that the album cover is even replaced by a sponsored banner during playback.

The advertisement includes a rectangular image with “Sponsored” written at the bottom left. Additionally, the progress bar turns yellow, and the “Next” and “Previous” buttons become disabled. Users have no choice but to endure the advertisement, leading to a frustrating listening experience.

In another instance highlighted by several Reddit users, a banner appears between the reduced album cover and the playback buttons. Several elements are noted, including a sponsored mention, a dropdown menu, an action button to “Buy Now,” and a link with a URL.

A Clear Hunger

For several months, Google has been testing a redesign of the “Now Playing” interface. The emergence of this new advertising integration could therefore be related to this redesign. As of now, there is no global deployment or announcement regarding these changes.

For Further Reading
The YouTube Premium Lite subscription, which displays fewer ads, is about to show more ads

Regardless, this approach could demonstrate just how far Google is willing to go in terms of  monetization , often at the expense of  user experience . Consequently, this strategy may push users towards a lucrative paid subscription, ultimately leading to more loyal customers for the American giant.