YouTube is reportedly set to launch Premium Lite, a cheaper subscription service for those looking to remove ads from the platform.
First launched back in 2014, YouTube Premium was created to give users the ability to watch music videos without having to sit through ads.
It’s since been expanded to offer an ad-free experience across all videos and access to YouTube Music, the Google-owned platform’s competitor to Spotify.
As YouTube Premium’s price continues to rise, however, the company has been testing a cheaper version called Premium Lite and it’s reportedly coming to the United States soon.
Premium Lite coming to US according to reports
Bloomberg reported the news on February 20, 2025, revealing that the service will focus on offering podcasts and how-to clips without advertising.
According to a person familiar with the launch, “Premium Lite” will be announced for launch soon in the US, Australia, Germany, and Thailand.
“As part of our commitment to provide our users with more choice and flexibility, we’ve been testing a new YouTube Premium offering with most videos ad-free in several of our markets,” said a YouTube spokesperson.
“We’re hoping to expand this offering to even more users in the future with our partners’ support.”
YouTube made bank in 2024, reportedly raking in over $36 billion in advertisements, alone.
It’s unknown how much the new subscription would cost in the United States, but it’s undoubtedly going to be cheaper than the existing Premium offering that comes in at $13.99 a month.
However, Aussie users who have already gained access to the service are reporting a monthly price of $11.99, which converts to just $7.50 USD.
This change comes just after YouTube revealed that ads on the platform have made the Google-owned company over $36 billion in revenue throughout 2024 alone.
Despite the push towards getting users to sign up for YouTube Premium in order to access videos ad-free, many are still reporting ads showing up on videos across the platform.