What you need to know
- YouTube is rolling out a Lite Premium plan for users in the U.S., which allows people to browse non-music videos ad-free.
- Costing $7.99 per month, this plan seems to be separate the existing YouTube Premium which costs $13.99, and YouTube Music.
- The streaming platform is said to expand its tier to other countries in the near future.
YouTube is basically splitting up its YouTube Premium tier and YouTube Music to bring a new ad-free subscription for those who don't use the app for music videos.
"We've focused on giving subscribers a variety of ways to enjoy their favorite content, and Premium Lite is the latest step in that evolution," YouTube stated in a press release.
The streaming platform added that it will finally expand its new ad-free tier, Premium Lite to users in the U.S. Google began testing Premium Lite first in Australia, Germany, and Thailand, and users who subscribed to it could see reduced ads on their app. This means the ad showed up as either a banner or before the video played, without interrupting their entertainment.
"With Premium Lite, users can enjoy their favorite content with fewer interruptions," YouTube said in the release.
When users subscribe to Premium Lite, they will get to watch the majority of the videos on YouTube like gaming, cooking, and news ie., any non-music videos will show up without ad interruptions at a minimal cost of $8 a month. However, they will have to give up the ability to download videos offline and background play. And here's what the new tier could look like:
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This Lite version could come as a significant downgrade for people on the usual Premium plan, but it could work out great for those who don't watch as many music videos with a free YouTube subscription. Additionally, it brings several Podcasts and playlists without any interruptions for those who primarily use YouTube Music Premium for the above, at a lower cost.
It is important to note that this tier was initially introduced in 2023 and was later discontinued in October of the same year as the company wanted to push users to get the Premium plan.
Talking about YouTube's Premium Lite, Android Central's Michael Hicks said he would definitely be signing up for it since, "It comes for about half the price it costs now, even if it means missing out on offline downloads and other experimental, Premium-only features like 4X-speed videos and higher-quality audio."
While YouTube says that users will start seeing this option pop up today, it seems like it is yet to show up for Android Central's team based in the U.S. However, Google says it won't be restricting this rollout to the U.S. and will make this tier available to all users in other pilot countries as well.
