YouTube Premium and YouTube Music on the iPhone, Thursday, June 11, 2026

YouTube Premium Tutorial – Ad-Free Playback

Siena demonstrated the ad-free playback feature of YouTube Premium using a Double Tap podcast video about the Mantis Q40.

• Details
  • Siena: Showed that YouTube Premium plays videos without ads at the start, end, or mid-video interruptions, contrasting with the free version which interrupts videos approximately every 10 minutes.
  • Ali: Confirmed he also values the ad-free benefit and noted he pays $16.99/month for YouTube Premium versus $10.99 for Apple Music, finding YouTube Premium more cost-effective.
  • Rob: Confirmed he enjoys YouTube Premium and uses it extensively for playlists.
• Conclusion
  • YouTube Premium eliminates all ads, including mid-video interruptions, which is one of its primary benefits over the free tier.

YouTube Premium Tutorial – Background Playback and Screen Lock

Siena demonstrated the ability to lock the phone screen and switch to other apps while a YouTube video continues playing.

• Details
  • Siena: Showed that locking the phone screen does not stop video playback under YouTube Premium; the video continues and can be paused/played from the lock screen.
  • Siena: Also demonstrated switching to the Mail app while a video played in the background, then returning to YouTube, which resumed at the same position.
  • Palmer: Noted that on Pixel, pausing and locking the screen is possible but may drain battery more if the screen remains on.
  • Siena: Clarified that locking the screen while listening will still drain some battery, but pausing before locking helps preserve it.
• Conclusion
  • YouTube Premium allows background playback and screen-lock listening; the free version stops playback when the screen is locked or the app is backgrounded.

YouTube Premium Tutorial – Video Download for Offline Listening

Siena demonstrated how to download a YouTube video for offline playback.

• Details
  • Siena: Navigated to the “More Actions” menu on a video and selected “Download,” showing quality options (Full HD, High, Medium, Low).
  • Siena: Showed how to access downloaded videos via the “You” tab at the bottom of the YouTube app, then navigating to the “Downloads” section and finding the “Your Downloads” heading.
  • Dave: Asked how to play a downloaded video later; Siena demonstrated the full process of re-downloading and locating the video in the Downloads section.
  • Siena: Also noted that YouTube Premium remembers the last video played and the position at which it was paused, even after closing and reopening the app or switching devices.
  • Palmer: Confirmed that the free version requires restarting the video from the beginning after closing the app.
• Conclusion
  • Downloaded videos are accessible under the “You” tab → Downloads → “Your Downloads” heading.
  • YouTube Premium saves playback position across sessions and devices; the free version does not.

Brave Browser as a Free Ad-Blocking Alternative

Palmer raised the topic of using Brave Browser to watch YouTube ad-free without a Premium subscription.

• Details
  • Siena: Mentioned Brave Browser as an option for ad-free YouTube viewing on the free tier due to its built-in ad blocker.
  • Palmer: Asked whether signing into YouTube on Brave would still result in ads; also noted an AI feature in Brave he was unfamiliar with.
  • Siena: Indicated she had not used Brave recently but expressed interest in testing it on both phone and computer.
• Conclusion
  • Brave Browser is a potential free alternative for ad-free YouTube viewing; Siena committed to experimenting with it and reporting back.

YouTube Premium Tutorial – Creating and Collaborating on Playlists (YouTube App)

Siena demonstrated how to create a new playlist in the YouTube app and set it up for collaboration.

• Details
  • Siena: Created a new playlist called “Toys and Games from Our Childhood,” set visibility to Public, and enabled the Collaborate toggle.
  • Siena: Sent a collaboration invite to Rob via Gmail directly from the YouTube share sheet.
  • Rob: Mentioned he had already created a playlist called “Rob and Sienna Fun Playlist” and set it to Unlisted, asking whether collaboration was possible.
  • Ali: Clarified that collaboration requires the playlist to be set to Public; Unlisted and Private do not support collaboration.
  • Rob: Confirmed he could share a playlist link without collaboration on Unlisted.
  • Siena: Added the Kerplunk game video to the new collaborative playlist as a demonstration.
• Conclusion
  • Collaborative playlists must be set to Public in YouTube.
  • Collaboration is a YouTube Premium-exclusive feature; viewing public playlists is available to all users regardless of subscription tier.

YouTube Music Tutorial – Searching, Filtering, and Playing Songs

Siena demonstrated YouTube Music’s search and filter functionality, using “Me and Mrs. Jones” by Billy Paul as an example.

• Details
  • Siena: Showed filter options including Show Song Results, Show Video Results, Show Artist Results, Show Album Results, Show Featured Playlist Results, and Show Podcast Episode Results.
  • Siena: Highlighted that YouTube Music can pull songs directly from YouTube if they are not available as standalone tracks in YouTube Music.
  • Palmer: Noted he typically searches via the YouTube website and finds it easier to locate results there compared to YouTube Music.
  • Ali: Clarified that the experience differs significantly with Premium.
• Conclusion
  • YouTube Music offers granular search filters and can surface YouTube videos alongside music tracks in search results.

YouTube Music Tutorial – Saving Albums to Library and Downloading for Offline Listening

Siena demonstrated saving an album (The Beatles’ Anthology Collection) to the YouTube Music library and downloading it for offline use.

• Details
  • Siena: Navigated to the album via Show Album Results filter, opened it, and used the “Save to Library” button to add the full album.
  • Siena: Demonstrated downloading the album for offline listening from the Library section, noting it was a large multi-disc set.
  • Siena: Showed how to navigate the Library tab (4th tab at the bottom), apply filters (Show Albums, Show Downloaded), and switch between grid and list views.
• Conclusion
  • Full albums can be saved to the YouTube Music library and downloaded for offline listening directly from the Library section.

YouTube Music Tutorial – Playlists, Collaborative Playlists, and Cross-Platform Sync

Siena demonstrated playlist management in YouTube Music, including creating a collaborative playlist and the synchronization between YouTube and YouTube Music.

• Details
  • Siena: Showed the Library’s playlist view, including personal playlists (Canadian Music, Favorites, Ali and Sienna’s Music) and demonstrated saving “Me and Mrs. Jones” to the “Ali and Sienna’s Music” playlist.
  • Siena: Created a new playlist called “Rob and Sienna’s Favorite Music,” set it to Public, enabled collaboration, and sent an invite to Rob via Gmail.
  • Siena: Explained that playlists are synchronized across YouTube and YouTube Music, meaning video playlists created in YouTube are accessible in YouTube Music and vice versa.
  • Rob: Confirmed he would join the collaborative playlist promptly so Siena could restrict new collaborators afterward.
  • Jackie: Asked whether users without YouTube Premium could view public playlists; Rob and Siena confirmed that viewing is available to all users, while collaboration is Premium-only.
  • Ali: Noted the group also has a collaborative playlist that members are welcome to add to.
• Conclusion
  • Collaborative playlists require YouTube Premium and must be Public.
  • Viewing public playlists is free and available to all YouTube users.
  • Playlists sync across YouTube and YouTube Music, supporting both video and music content in a single playlist.

Subscription Cost Comparison – YouTube Premium vs. Apple Music vs. Spotify

Ali and Siena discussed the value proposition of YouTube Premium relative to other streaming services.

• Details
  • Ali: Previously paid $10.99/month for Apple Music for 2–3 years before switching to YouTube Premium at $16.99/month, finding the broader feature set more worthwhile.
  • Siena: Agreed, noting she also moved away from Apple Music and now uses YouTube Premium, SiriusXM, and Audible as her entertainment stack.
  • Rob: Also uses Spotify alongside YouTube Premium; raised a question about unlocking explicit content on Spotify on the computer.
  • Siena and Ali: Agreed the Spotify explicit content question would be addressed as a separate topic in a future session.
• Conclusion
  • Both Ali and Siena concluded that YouTube Premium offers better overall value when consolidating streaming services.
  • Users are encouraged to evaluate which services best meet their needs rather than subscribing to multiple overlapping platforms.

Platform Transition: Zoom to Google Meet

Ali formally announced the upcoming transition from Zoom to Google Meet, effective September 2.

• Details
  • Ali: Cited Google Meet’s greater user-friendliness and Zoom’s ongoing problems in key areas as the reasons for the transition. Emphasized a 3-month transition period with full support available.
  • Siena: Added that Google Meet has resolved previous issues affecting iPhone/iPad users and those without Google accounts. Confirmed that late arrivals will be able to join meetings even after recording has started.
  • Siena: Announced that individual and group office hours will be available to help members test their setup and ask questions before the official rollout.
  • Palmer: Thanked the team for the announcement.
• Conclusion
  • Official transition to Google Meet takes effect September 2 (first Techstravaganza Afternoon of the fall).
  • A 3-month transition period with office hours and individual support sessions will be provided.
  • Members can email support@textravaganza.ca for individual assistance.

Office Hours Scheduling for Google Meet Transition

The team discussed which days to offer office hours to support the transition.

• Details
  • Siena: Proposed Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays as available days; also offered Thursday mornings (10 AM–noon).
  • Ali: Preferred not to use Fridays or Thursday afternoons/evenings; suggested Mondays and Thursdays initially, then revised to Mondays and Tuesdays.
  • Rob: Noted Thursday mornings are typically occupied by staff commitments (when not on strike).
  • Palmer: Suggested starting with two days and adding more as needed.
  • Ali: Confirmed the final schedule would be decided at the Tuesday team meeting.
• Conclusion
  • Mondays and Tuesdays are the leading candidates for office hours days.
  • Final scheduling to be confirmed at the Tuesday team meeting and announced via newsletter.

Chat Group Streamlining – WhatsApp Only

Siena announced the consolidation of community chat groups.

• Details
  • Siena: Announced that Messenger and Discord groups will be discontinued; WhatsApp will be the sole group communication channel going forward.
  • Siena: Offered individual onboarding sessions for members not yet in the WhatsApp group or unfamiliar with the app.
• Conclusion
  • WhatsApp is the only ongoing group chat platform.
  • Members needing WhatsApp setup assistance can contact Siena directly or email support@textravaganza.ca.

Booking Page for Office Hours

Ali and Siena briefly discussed setting up a booking page for individual and group office hour sessions.

• Details
  • Ali: Suggested a booking page to streamline the scheduling process and asked whether bookers would receive reminders.
  • Siena: Confirmed she has or is setting up a booking page and wants to ensure reminder emails are sent to bookers.
  • Ali: Noted the team could discuss booking service options further.
• Conclusion
  • A booking page will be set up and linked on the Techstravaganza website.
  • Booking details and office hour dates will be communicated via the newsletter.

Newsletter Subscription Reminder

Ali and Siena reminded attendees and podcast listeners to subscribe to the Techstravaganza newsletter.

• Details
  • Ali: Encouraged members to subscribe if not already doing so, noting a pop-up appears for first-time website visitors.
  • Siena: Explained that the newsletter includes session agendas, links, and blog updates delivered directly to subscribers’ email.
• Conclusion
  • Newsletter subscription is available at the bottom of the Techstravaganza website and via a first-visit pop-up.

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