Google recently made a quiet price increase to its YouTube Premium subscription service, raising it by $2 from $12 to $14 per month. This change was noticed on the updated signup page and reported by 9to5Google. Additionally, the annual subscription price for YouTube Premium increased from $120 to $140, which still provides a saving of $28 compared to paying month-by-month. Alongside this, Google also increased the price of its Music Premium subscription from $10 to $11 per month, following similar price increases by Apple and Amazon. Interestingly, these price adjustments were not accompanied by any official announcement or explanation from Google.
YouTube Premium offers several benefits to its subscribers, including ad-free viewing, offline video playback, and background playback. With the Premium subscription, users can continue watching videos even when the YouTube app is minimized or their phone screen is turned off. Furthermore, YouTube Premium allows for higher-quality 1080p streaming on select platforms.
This isn’t the first time Google has increased the cost of its Premium plans. Last year, Google raised the price of its family Premium plan to $23 per month, and existing month-by-month subscribers were charged the new fee starting the following month. However, when YouTube rebranded its previous subscription service, YouTube Red, to Premium in 2018, it retained the $10 price for existing subscribers and continued honoring it for certain users.
Interestingly, while Google is increasing the prices of its Premium subscriptions, it is also cracking down on ad-blockers. YouTube has been taking measures to prevent users from viewing videos without ads by displaying pop-ups that warn users their ability to play videos will be blocked if they do not disable their ad blocker or whitelist the site. The pop-up message emphasizes that ads are essential for YouTube to remain free for its billions of users worldwide and encourages users to subscribe to YouTube Premium for an ad-free experience, ensuring that creators can still be compensated for their work.
These recent developments indicate that Google is attempting to strike a balance between generating revenue and providing a quality experience for its users and creators. As more users invest in ad-blockers, it becomes increasingly necessary for platforms like YouTube to find alternative sources of revenue. By increasing the prices of its Premium subscriptions, Google aims to monetize its platform while still offering valuable features and improvements to its subscribers.
While the price increase may be disappointing for some users, it’s important to recognize the ongoing costs and investments required to maintain and expand a platform like YouTube. Google has made significant investments in developing original content and improving the overall user experience, and these efforts need to be supported financially.
In conclusion, Google recently raised the price of YouTube Premium by $2 to $14 per month, with an annual subscription option now priced at $140. Additionally, the price of Music Premium increased from $10 to $11 per month. These price adjustments were not accompanied by an official announcement. YouTube Premium offers various features, such as ad-free viewing and offline video playback. Despite the price increase, Google is actively discouraging the use of ad-blockers and promoting YouTube Premium as a way to support creators and enjoy an ad-free experience. It’s crucial to recognize the ongoing costs associated with maintaining and improving a platform like YouTube and understand the need for these price adjustments.
