Google revealed today that it will improve the functionality of YouTube Music for both paying and non-paying customers.

“Last week, we shared with our YouTube Music listeners that background play will soon be available in Canada, free of charge, beginning on November 3, 2021,” a YouTube Music support document explains. “Alongside this update, some features will become exclusive to YouTube Music Premium listeners, such as on-demand music selection and unlimited skips. These changes are coming to Canada first, and we’ll keep everyone posted on global expansion plans – stay tuned.”

As noted, those who listen to YouTube Music for free with advertising will soon be able to listen to music in the background—meaning while they use other apps. But they are gaining additional features too, including the ability to shuffle-play personalized mixes, access activity-based mood mixes (for things like workouts, commuting, and more), and access a collection of thousands of playlists and millions of songs.

Those who pay for YouTube Music Premium have additional privileges, though none of these seem new to me. (I think these are things that have been taken away from the ad-based tier.) These include the ability to listen to any songs on-demand, watch videos on YouTube Music, skip tracks an unlimited number of times, and enjoy YouTube Music without ads.