One of the things that I will never regret paying for is YouTube Premium. Of all the services that I pay for, YouTube is the one that I use the most (Spotify could arguably match that), so spending no time being forced to watch ads on the platform is something that I will never take for granted.
The only problem is that YouTube Premium is expensive, especially in developed countries, and it is only bound to get more expensive as digital services continue to relentlessly batter us with price hikes. This is why the newly introduced YouTube Premium Lite might save the day for US consumers.
YouTube Introduces Its Premium Lite Plan to Focus on Ad-Free Video Streaming
In the United States, YouTube Premium costs $13.99 monthly. In addition to all the other digital services you might be paying for, such as music services, streaming platforms, and others, you might find that to be too much to spare. I understand if that’s the case, especially as we can all guess that some of YouTube Premium’s pricing goes towards giving you YouTube Music bundled in, even if you don’t need it.
This is what makes Premium Lite, the new paid plan, more suitable for many people. First off, Premium Lite is nearly half the price. You’ll only be paying $7.99, which makes things sweeter. However, the real question is what you get for that lower rate. YouTube says you will be able to watch “most videos ad-free,” not all of them. It mentions the gaming, fashion, beauty, and news categories as some that will seemingly be ad-free.
Obviously, you lose some features, too. Gone are downloads (I personally never use this), background play (this one is handy here and there, admittedly), and ad-free music content, which isn’t a bother for those who prefer other music streaming platforms in the first place. Outside of regular videos, you might encounter ads in Shorts.
YouTube Premium Lite Is Launching in the US But Will Expand to Other Markets
At the moment, the only YouTube users who will be able to give Premium Lite a test run are those who live in the US, as this current run is a pilot program. However, YouTube has stated its intention to expand the new services to users in its other pilot regions, namely Australia, Germany, and Thailand.
YouTube Premium Has Over 125 Million Subscribers Worldwide
A lot of people don’t care about YouTube Music, or ad-blocking, or background play, or any of that additional jazz. All they really want is to be able to watch videos on YouTube without needing to worry about ads before, during, and after their videos. They definitely don’t think it is worth paying $14 a month, and that’s why so many people skirt YouTube Premium and opt for ad-blockers instead.
Despite all the people who are insistent on not paying for YouTube Premium though, the service has been confirmed to have more than 125 million subscribers across the world, though it’s important to note that includes those currently on a free trial. Those are good numbers for the online video platform, and with Premium Lite as a budget option, those numbers should only go up.
