YouTube Music keep pausing on Android? Here’s what to do

It’s been 2 years since YouTube Music replaced Google Play Music and it seems that the app is still not fully ironed out. Users are vocal about issues and the features missing on all platforms, especially Google Forums and the unofficial subreddit. One of them reported a problem that is frequently mentioned online and it concerns YouTube Music pausing mid-playback on Android. If YouTube Music keeps pausing on your Android, too, check the instructions we provided below.

Table of contents:

1. No background play for non-premium users
2. Check the network or Bluetooth connection
3. Lower the audio quality
4. Disable Battery Optimization
5. Reinstall YouTube Music

Why does YouTube Music keep pausing on Android?

YouTube Music might stop playing on Android if there are connection issues with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth (in case you use wireless headphones/earbuds/car system). Also, the music will pause if any third-party app plays any sound or if you tried to play music in the background without a premium subscription. Finally, the local data might be corrupted or the Battery optimization limits the app.

You’ll need a Premium subscription to use YouTube Music in the background and with a locked screen. Definitely disable battery optimization for YouTube Music. Finally, you can clear local data or reinstall the app.

1. No background play for non-premium users

YouTube Music will pause if you don’t have a YouTube Music Premium subscription and try to play in the background or with the locked screen. So, if you want that capability, we’re afraid that you require a premium subscription. At this moment, YouTube Premium is $11.99 per month but the price can vary in different regions. This is a better deal in comparison to $9.99 for just Premium YouTube Music.

With it, you get ad-free YouTube on all your devices and YouTube Music Premium is included. This also allows downloading music or YouTube videos to local storage for offline viewing and some other benefits.

2. Check the network or Bluetooth connection

On the other hand, if you do have a premium subscription but YouTube Music keeps pausing, you should check if the network is not causing problems. If you play offline music, make sure that the tracks list is updated. Also, we got some insights from the Reddit community that certain tracks might not be playable, which may cause the app to pause the playback instead of skipping it.

Also, in case you play music on wireless headphones/earbuds or use a car system, make sure that your phone is close by. You can also try unpairing and pairing the device again. If that didn’t help, move to the next step.

3. Lower the audio quality

Some users suggest lowering the audio quality as the songs are buffering on the highest one (256kbps AAC). You can do that in the app settings and, hopefully, the issues will stop once you transfer to Normal quality. We understand that this shouldn’t be a thing, but it seems that Google still needs a lot of work to make YouTube Music a valid successor to Google Play Music. In addition, try playing only tracks available in the YouTube Music library instead of your own tracks that you uploaded to Music storage.

Here’s how to lower the audio quality on YouTube Music:

1. Open YouTube Music on your Android.
2. Tap on your account icon at the top right corner.
3. Open Settings.
4. Select Audio quality on a mobile network and choose High or Normal.
5. After that, select Audio quality on Wi-Fi and choose High or Normal, too.

4. Disable Battery optimization

Another possible reason for YouTube Music stopping mid-playback is the aggressive system app management. Some Android skins tend to kill the apps in the background to save battery. You can avoid this by disabling Battery optimization for YouTube Music.

Here’s how to disable Battery optimization for YouTube Music on your Android:

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Apps.
3. Choose YouTube Music from the list of installed apps.
4. Open Battery.
5. Disable Battery optimization or set it as Unrestricted.

5. Reinstall YouTube Music

Finally, you can try clearing local data or reinstalling the app. Have in mind that this action will delete all downloaded music so you’ll need to get it again. Other than that, there are no real drawbacks, and, based on reports, these steps solved the problem for most users.

If you want to clear data from YouTube Music, navigate to Settings > Apps > YouTube Music and open Storage. Once there, tap clear data and, after you confirm, restart your Android. If that didn’t help, you can navigate to Play Store, locate and expand YouTube Music, and tap Uninstall. Reinstall the app and check for improvements.

That’s a wrap. Thank you for reading and don’t forget to share your thoughts, questions, or suggestions with us. Is YouTube Music comparable to Google Play Music in service quality? Tell us in the comments section below.

Editor’s note: This article was initially published in July 2022. We made sure to revamp it for freshness and accuracy.

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