This popular free YouTube function could be locked into its paid Premium plan — and I won't be happy if I have to sign up for another subscription service

• YouTube is experimenting with charging users for its playback-speed tool, a recent experiment reveals
• A Reddit user shared an image that says a YouTube Premium subscription is required to access playback speeds, although it's not appearing for everyone
• If YouTube decides to lock the feature behind a subscription, it could encourage more Premium sign-ups – or turn off free users

While many people subscribe to YouTube Premium, its free experience is still widely used by millions, myself included – but one of its best free features could soon be locked behind the Premium paywall.

Playback speed is one of the platform’s last remaining handy free features, but now there's evidence that reveals YouTube has been experimenting with making it a new paid feature as part of YouTube Premium. If this is true, it will join other Premium benefits such as offline listening, ad-free viewing, and background ...