YouTube has finally confirmed its cheaper version of Premium is coming to the US, but subscribers will still get some ads depending on the content they watch.
Premium Lite’s arrival has been rumored for quite some time, with users in Australia, Thailand and Germany first getting to test out the new plan.
On March 5, YouTube revealed that its Premium Lite pilot would be coming to the United States, giving users a cheaper Premium alternative that doesn’t have all the bells and whistles as the standard option.
Unfortunately for those who have grown sick of ads, Premium Lite won’t get rid of all of them, but the price reflects that, with a subscription going for just over half of the current Premium cost.
YouTube reveals $7.99 Premium Lite subscription
While the regular version of Premium costs $13.99 every month, Premium Lite will only set users back $7.99.
“We’ve been testing Premium Lite to make sure we have the right balance of features and benefits for those viewers who want to watch most videos ad-free – whether it’s gaming, comedy, cooking or learning,” Google explained.
Although most videos will be ad-free, advertisements will still be shown on music videos, Shorts and when you search or browse for content.
Premium Lite also won’t allow background play or let users download videos to watch later.
YouTube’s Chief Product Officer Johanna Voolich described this new option as a “basic tier for people who want core, uninterrupted creator content.”
The company plans to expand Premium Lite to more countries later in 2025. Additionally, YouTube revealed that YouTube Music and Premium has reached over 125 million subscribers.
“This momentum is critical to our goal of becoming the No. 1 contributor of revenue to the industry, and we won’t stop until we get there. This momentum is critical to our goal of becoming the No. 1 contributor of revenue to the industry, and we won’t stop until we get there,” YouTube’s global head of music, Lyor Cohen, said.
Premium Lite’s arrival in the US comes as users have grown increasingly frustrated with the number of ads on YouTube and the site’s crackdown on ad-blockers.
Notably, users have reported encountering 60-minute unskippable ads. Around the same time, YouTube raised the cost of Premium, with some families paying nearly $500 a year for their subscriptions.
Content shared from www.dexerto.com.