In May 2018, Google renamed what was once called YouTube Red as YouTube Premium. The service itself hasn't changed much and still offers many of the same benefits. The only big addition is a new music streaming service called YouTube Music Premium (not the same as Google Play Music).
But the question remains:Is it worth paying for YouTube Premium?
The truth is, YouTube Premium is a mixed bag. It really depends on you and how much value you put on the available features. Here's what you need to know to make an informed decision before you sign up for YouTube Premium.
Oddly enough, YouTube Premium's $12 per month price tag seems like too much and too small at the same time. And when you compare it to other subscription-based media services like Spotify, Amazon, and Netflix, the waters get even murkier.
For example, Netflix is $8 per month, Amazon Prime is about $10 per month, and Spotify Premium is $10 per month. YouTube Premium costs more than each of these services, but does it offer as much as they do? Not really.
On the other hand, Twitch proves that thousands of users voluntarily agree to pay $5 per month to individual channels all for an ad-free experience, the ability to chat while channels are in subscriber-only mode, and other lighting features with no tangible benefits.
So, keep the $12 per month subscription cost in mind as we review everything YouTube Premium has to offer. Only you can decide if the selling price is reasonable. (Note that YouTube Premium comes with a 3-month free trial.)
The biggest selling point of YouTube Premium is that it removes advertising from all videos on YouTube, whether those videos are YouTube originals or not (more on that later). Unfortunately, $12 is a steep price when ads can be blocked for free. (We don't condone that).
In fact, the growth of ad blocking is one of the driving forces behind YouTube Premium. YouTube has long been known as the king of free videos, but those videos are expensive to host and stream. If people continue to block ads, YouTube has no choice but to pursue alternative revenue models.
We understand. Ads are annoying, especially when you have to sit through a minute-long ad just to watch a 30-second YouTube clip. Do you want to get rid of them? YouTube Premium allows you to do it in a way that allows the service to stay in business.
If you're perfectly happy watching ads on YouTube, there are still a few other features that may justify the price of YouTube Premium for you. For example, the second big selling point is that some of the money goes towards producing original content.
As of this writing, the following shows are the best YouTube Originals ever released:
And there are many others to explore. Many shows let you watch their first few episodes for free, so head over to the YouTube Originals page and see if anything catches your eye.
But yes, these series and movies are only available to those who have a YouTube Premium subscription. Are they on the same level as the original content put out by Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime? Not entirely, but it's clear that YouTube has a completely different target audience in mind.
Google Play Music has a lot to love Top 7 Google Play Music Features Top 7 Google Play Music Features Is Google Play Music Worth Trying? Here are seven of the most compelling features you'll find within Google's streaming music service. Read More For free, you can upload up to 50,000 songs and stream them on any Google Play Music compatible device whenever you want.
But YouTube Premium includes a free All Access subscription to Google Play Music, which lets you create custom radio stations, stream any song from the Google Play Music library without ads, and download songs for offline playback.
Note that an All Access subscription to Google Play Music costs $10 per month. So if you're already paying for an All Access plan, you can also upgrade to YouTube Premium. It costs pretty much the same, but you get so many extra features.
If you are not already using the YouTube Music mobile app, you should give it a try. It takes all the music available on YouTube and puts it at your fingertips, letting you stream music wherever you go.
The app is useful even as a free user, but it shines with a YouTube Premium account due to the additional features:no ads, keeps playing music in the background even when you switch to another app, and downloads songs and playlists to play them without any problems. Connection. (But you can't listen to downloaded songs outside of the app, which is where a tool like a YouTube playlist downloader 5 YouTube Playlist Downloaders to Grab Videos in Bulk 5 YouTube Playlist Downloaders to Grab Videos in bulk Want to watch YouTube videos Offline:Here are five apps and tools that will allow you to download a full playlist from YouTube in a few clicks Read More How much data YouTube uses "Wondering how much data YouTube uses? In this article, we crunch the numbers and show you how to reduce your YouTube data usage. Read More.)
With YouTube Premium, YouTube Music is a strong contender for the best music streaming mobile apps. What is the best way to stream free music on Android? What is the best way to stream free music on Android? There are plenty of free music streaming apps for Android, but how are they different and which one is your best option? Read more . For the YouTube Gaming and YouTube Kids apps, YouTube Premium removes all ads and allows downloads for offline playback.
What if you don't believe in the whole YouTube Premium movement? How will it impact you as a regular viewer who just wants your daily dose of cat videos and all the other nonsense that YouTube delivers so well?
Well, it won't. Nothing in regular YouTube is changing.
You can think of YouTube Premium as an extension or addition to "regular" YouTube. YouTube will remain as is in the ad form, but there will now be a separate VIP section (if you wish) where Premium subscribers can watch originals.
Although nothing directly changes with regular YouTube, the existence of YouTube Originals can have an indirect but real impact on content creators who do not benefit from the revenue. See our thoughts on why YouTube Originals are bad for creators. 4 reasons why YouTube Red is bad for the YouTube community. 4 reasons YouTube Red is bad for the YouTube community. Google just announced YouTube Red. YouTube is a different kind of service with a huge community. So is YouTube Red good or bad for the video site in the long run? Read more.
But the real problem is that YouTube is trying to take control of something that has traditionally been user generated.
There are stories of popular YouTube creators being "forced" into the YouTube Originals program (refusal meant removal of their videos), while lesser-known YouTube creators weren't even notified about YouTube Originals.
It's clear that YouTube doesn't care about smaller channels that aren't popular enough to be Originals partners. So what will happen to them when the program ramps up and they are left in the dust? By supporting YouTube Premium (which pays for YouTube Originals), you may be supporting the death of YouTube as we know it.
If the ads don't bother you, don't get Premium. If you have no interest in the content of the originals, don't get Premium. If you don't use the YouTube mobile apps, don't get Premium. If you hate the direction YouTube is headed, you don't support Premium.
YouTube Premium actually offers a lot for $12 per month, but it's only worth it if you're going to use all of those features. The only time I can say yes to YouTube Premium is if you're already paying for an all-access subscription to Google Play Music. Otherwise, it's a tough decision, and I personally lean towards No. YouTube TV, on the other hand, may be the best cable replacement for cord cutters Why YouTube TV is the best cable replacement for cord cutters Why YouTube TV is the best cable replacement for cord cutters YouTube TV is one of the many options available for cord cutters now. Here's why YouTube TV is better than its competitors. Read more.
