Separate listening mode from the source recording
YouTube Music’s current help defines audio mode as listening without loading video, but also makes an important source distinction. If the only available file is a music video, it can still be played in audio-only mode. Turning off visible video does not therefore guarantee that the underlying recording is the album edition you had in mind. Begin with the intended task: hear the album version, listen to the available performance without its pictures, or watch the video. A song title shared by several recordings is not enough to identify the actual version selected.
Use the item’s mode control before changing every setting
The documented app player offers Song or Video for music, and Audio or Video for podcasts. The publisher says the video option is absent when the creator has not supplied one. An unavailable Video choice can therefore reflect the item rather than a broken display. Music audio-mode entitlement requires YouTube Music Premium or YouTube Premium; podcast audio mode is described for listeners regardless of membership, with content and regional qualifications. Do not use one podcast’s available Audio button as proof that every music item should behave identically under a different account offer. Check the selected item and the actual applicable membership first.
Set the ongoing preference in Data saving
For the published Android route, open the YouTube Music app, select the profile photo, then Settings and Data saving. The controls for not playing music videos and not playing podcast videos are separate choices. Set the one relevant to the intended listening, then return to the actual item to observe the result. This is a media preference, not an instruction to mute the device or turn off its screen and assume video retrieval stopped. Keep the distinction between the setting you chose and the source version the service has available for that recording.
Interpret the remaining result without inventing a missing album file
If audio continues from a music-video source, the publisher’s documented exception may explain it. Do not infer that an independent album file must exist or that reinstalling will create one. Search for the intended album or recording separately if that edition matters to the listening task. A hypothetical comparison note should name the artist, recording and selected mode, rather than compare only cover artwork. The audio-only preference also does not provide a published fixed hourly data amount in this guidance. For a measured-data concern, retain the actual playback context; do not promise a universal saving or complete elimination of network use from a mode label.
Questions answered
Does YouTube Music audio-only always select an album recording?
No. Google says a music-video file can play in audio-only mode if that is the only source available.
Why can the Video option be missing?
The official help says it is unavailable when the creator has not supplied a video for that music or podcast item.
Sources & further reading
Official references for the subjects discussed. Service terms and device software can change.