
Under normal circumstances, the free version of YouTube Music inserts advertisements after several songs. However, Google is now introducing even more ads within YouTube Music—for example, album artwork is being replaced by promotional images.
Specifically, free-tier users now see the album cover on the playback detail page replaced by advertisements. At the bottom, a sponsor label and a timer indicating the ad’s duration are displayed—not just for one, but for two consecutive ads.
During the advertisement playback, users are unable to skip or switch tracks, as both the previous and next buttons are greyed out. They must wait for the two ads to finish before resuming or changing the music. Once the ads conclude, the original album artwork is restored.
This change appears to be linked to Google’s ongoing testing of a revamped playback interface. Although this new interface has been under trial for several months, it has yet to be rolled out widely. When the update is fully deployed, it is likely that most free users will encounter these additional ads.

Of course, for those wishing to avoid advertisements altogether, subscribing to YouTube Premium remains the only option. A Premium membership not only removes ads on YouTube itself but also eliminates all ads on YouTube Music and unlocks additional features.
The free version of YouTube Music includes:
- Listening to podcasts, songs, and music videos
- Audio-only playback for most podcasts, background play, and downloads
- Music effects customization
- Fan badges such as Top Listener
The paid version of YouTube Music adds:
- Background play for most songs
- Ad-free music streaming
- Audio-only mode for songs
- Music downloads and more