YouTube Premium subscribers are in for a treat with a suite of new experimental features and a cost-saving bundle option with Google One. These updates aim to enhance the user experience and provide more value to subscribers.

Previously, YouTube Premium members could test only one experimental feature at a time. Now, subscribers can opt into multiple experiments simultaneously via youtube.com/new. This change allows users to explore and provide feedback on several upcoming features concurrently.

Among the latest experiments are:

• High-quality audio: Subscribers can enjoy enhanced audio with a bitrate of 256kbps on music videos, offering clearer and more immersive sound.
• Picture-in-picture for YouTube Shorts on iOS: iOS users can now watch YouTube Shorts in a picture-in-picture mode, allowing for multitasking while viewing short-form content.
• Smart downloads for recommended shorts: This feature automatically downloads recommended Shorts for offline viewing, ensuring users have access to content even without an internet connection.
• AI-powered skipping on web browsers: Initially launched on mobile devices, this feature uses artificial intelligence to help users jump directly to the most-watched parts of a video, now available on web platforms.
• Faster playback speeds on mobile: An upcoming feature will allow mobile users to increase video playback speed up to four times, providing more control over viewing experiences. While YouTube has not specified an exact release date, they have indicated it’s coming “soon.”

In addition to these features, YouTube Premium is offering a bundled subscription with Google One. Subscribers to Google One Premium plans (starting at $9.99 per month for 2TB of storage) can avail of a $2 monthly discount on YouTube Premium. This effectively reduces the YouTube Premium subscription cost to previous pricing levels, providing added value for users who utilize both services.