YouTube Premium Lite $7.99 a Month Ad-Free Tier Expands to the US

[MacRumors]

As expected, YouTube has announced the expansion of its $7.99 a month Premium Lite plan to the United States, following a months-long pilot phase in international markets. The new, lower-priced version of YouTube's paid video subscription service functions largely without ads, though music videos on the platform continue to include them.

Today we'll begin expanding our Premium Lite pilot to users in the US. Premium Lite gives viewers a new, more affordable way to enjoy most videos on YouTube ad-free for $7.99 per month. In the coming weeks, we'll also make Premium Lite available to all users in our current pilot countries - Thailand, Germany, and Australia.

According to the Google subsidiary, YouTube Premium Lite is aimed at people who want to consume podcasting, make-up, gaming streams, tutorials, and other core creator content on YouTube that is distinguishable from music.

It's important to note that the new Premium Lite plan does not include the ability to download and background play YouTube videos on devices. For users who want ad-free music on YouTube and YouTube Music, plus offline and background play, YouTube continues to recommend its Premium plan ($13.99 per month).

YouTube said it will continue to expand its Premium Lite pilots to additional countries this year and introduce more ways for users to get the most from their subscriptions. YouTube also revealed today that it now has over 125 million users worldwide who subscribe to YouTube Premium or YouTube Music.

Article Link: YouTube Premium Lite $7.99 a Month Ad-Free Tier Expands to the US

 

[ls1dreams]

Disabling background play for any of these features is just so scummy.

Also suspicious that they say "most videos"

 

[Blackstick]

I can't believe they gate background play as a "feature"... it's a god darn system API free from Apple.

 

[ghostface147]

Damn, no background play. Otherwise, that price works for me. Guess I’ll stick to the $10 plan Verizon offers.

 

[minik]

I think that's a fair price/month. While I'll be keeping my Premium subscription, I only use the YouTube Music portion in my car when I didn't want to plug-in my phone. Downloading and background playback are still a must to me.

 

[djs71a]

I haven't read if there is a Lite Family plan. Does anyone know if that is available?

 

[kalafalas]

Isn’t gating pip behind a paywall against apples rules? How do they keep getting away with this?

 

[surfzen21]

My ad blockers costs $0 a month 🤔

 

[WarmWinterHat]

Isn’t gating pip behind a paywall against apples rules? How do they keep getting away with this?

PiP and background play are different. You can use YouTube in PiP mode on the free tier, while background play means still playing when completely closed.

 

[turbineseaplane]

"most videos ad-free" ≠ "ad-free"

Also, gate keeping "background play" behind a paid tier of any kind should be against App Store rules

 

[Think|Different]

Now this is much, much more reasonable.

 

[alchemistmuffin]

It's important to note that the new Premium Lite plan does not include the ability to download and background play YouTube videos on devices. For users who want ad-free music on YouTube and YouTube Music, plus offline and background play, YouTube continues to recommend its Premium plan ($13.99 per month).

At that point why called it “Premium Lite” when the “premium” feature is not even offered at that tier. Google should’ve just called it “YouTube Plus” at $7.99 price point.

 

[pdaholic]

Vinegar goes well with deep-fried fish and YouTube.

 

[axantas]

I started to stop watching YouTube videos, which *ad* interrupt the con*ad*tent every co*ad* *ad* uple of minutes. Fight them with not eating their stuff. It is useless, I know, but once you recognize the pattern, you even do not try to start these videos - if they want to keep their content unwatched...

 

[turbineseaplane]

I think I'll wait for the YouTube Premium Lite Pro Plus Air plan

 

[carniesandrubes]

My ad blockers costs $0 a month 🤔

And the creators of the content you watch get nothing. You must be so proud.

It's always the ones who have never created or contributed anything of value that rationalize actions like this. Just take.

 

[roland.g]

$8 a month, $100 a year for something that takes me like 8 seconds to skip per video. Love the idea but it’s just another shakedown in an endless list of shakedowns.

 

[pradeepbabloo]

What is "most videos" here? I am not willing to pay to later realize I do see ads on videos I want to watch!

 

[brofkand]

Even with this many creators have sponsored content in their videos too. So you still need SponsorBlock. Might as well run Vinegar too so you don't need this monthly fee.

 

[cocky jeremy]

Disabling background play for any of these features is just so scummy.

Also suspicious that they say "most videos"

Exactly why I'm sticking to the $14 one I've had for 7 years.

 

[joshwithachance]

So YouTube Inferior...

As somebody who watches a lot of music based reaction videos, this is sadly DoA for me.

 

[brofkand]

What is "most videos" here? I am not so willing to pay to later realize I do see ads on videos I want to watch!

Probably whatever YouTube considers to be music, will still have ads. That's how they justify this tier vs. the Premium tier that includes music as well.

 

[iZac]

Still more expensive than my VPN that also blocks adverts incidentally

 

[surfzen21]

And the creators of the content you watch get nothing. You must be so proud.

It's always the ones who have never created or contributed anything of value that rationalize actions like this. Just take.

You're not wrong about that. It was partially a joke.

90% of my YouTube is watched on my TV through a firestick. I don't have an ad blocker on it.

When it comes to creators and musicians I like. I always let the ads play, except occasionally those 90+ seconds ads that I know are 10+ minutes long.

And this may shock people but I buy albums I like and shop around for digital stores that give the creator the best percentage. 😲 For example BandCamp occasionally gives a better percentage to artists and I will buy albums when they do that.

As for creators I HATE WATCH.

As for your statement, "It's always the ones who have never created or contributed anything of value that rationalize actions like this. Just take."

If you knew the depravity of corporate to corporate theft, you'd immediately retract that statement.

 

[BelgianChoklit]

This subscription was in Belgium a whole ago before they pulled it. Why is it available in some places and not in other places?