YouTube is probably the biggest collection of multimedia content on the internet and it’s somehow the internet’s TV. Sometimes you just want your T.V. on in the background while you do other things; especially when it’s a music show on.
Even with all the music available on YouTube, the app will not let you minimize it to the background and continue playing while you do other things on your phone. But if you have the YouTube Red subscription, you can!
The reason for this is very simple. YouTube is a free platform and it’s supported by ads that advertisers pay top dollar for. If you create a playlist, it means you’ll not be seeing the ads that are show before, during or at the end of individual videos.
If YouTube allows these ads to run without you seeing them, then the advertisers will not get value for their money. YouTube is protecting the advertisers’ interests by preventing you from playing videos in the background.
It’s restrictions like these that make advertisers prefer to advertise on YouTube and the internet generally compared to mainstream T.V. As an advertiser, I’d prefer to advertise on an internet platform where I can actually target a particular demographic to get the best results from my ads. And with restrictions like these on YouTube, I’ll be sure my ads are actually being seen.
YouTube red subscribers prefer to pay a monthly subscription and not see ads at all on YouTube. That’s why they are able to play YouTube videos in the background.
There are however a few hacks people are using to play YouTube in the background. But Google is working hard to tighten up these loop holes so that it gives maximum priority to the advertisers. If you’re just trying listen to YouTube videos in the background, you might feel hard done. If you’re an advertiser paying thousands of dollars for ads, then this should be a good thing.
