**High-Quality Audio and Faster Playback: What’s New for YouTube Premium Subscribers**
*By Dwaipayan Roy | Sep 27, 2025, 11:36 AM*
YouTube has officially rolled out a series of exciting new features for its Premium subscribers, following initial teasers earlier this year. These updates enhance the overall user experience across various devices, bringing more control, better audio quality, and smarter video navigation.
**Faster Playback Speeds Up to 4x**
One of the standout additions is the ability to increase playback speeds up to 4x, adjustable in fine increments of 0.05x. This feature is now available directly within the YouTube app on Android, iOS, and on the web. Previously, users had to visit a special experimental page (youtube.com/new) to access this functionality, but it is now seamlessly integrated for easier use.
**Enhanced High-Quality Audio Streaming**
YouTube Premium subscribers can now enjoy high-quality audio streaming at 256kbps on the main YouTube app for both Android and iOS devices. This upgrade applies to official and premium music videos as well as Art Tracks, matching the audio quality traditionally available on YouTube Music.
**New Features for Smart TVs and Gaming Consoles**
For those watching on smart TVs and gaming consoles, YouTube has introduced a new feature called *Jump Ahead*. This tool allows users to quickly skip to the most interesting parts of a video or revisit key moments they might have missed, making the viewing experience more efficient and engaging.
**Updates for YouTube Shorts on iOS**
YouTube Premium’s latest update also brings improvements to Shorts on iOS devices:
– **Picture-in-Picture Mode:** This lets you keep Shorts playing in a small floating window while you browse other content on your device.
– **Smart Downloads:** This feature automatically downloads your favorite Shorts based on your previous watch history, ensuring you always have fresh content available offline.
With these updates, YouTube continues to elevate its Premium offering, delivering richer audio quality, enhanced playback control, and smarter content discovery for subscribers across all platforms.
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/science/youtube-premium-subscribers-get-4x-playback-speed-boost/story
