According to reports, YouTube intends to reinstate its Premium Lite plan for customers who like to watch without advertisements but do not want to pay for unnecessary features like YouTube Music.
Bloomberg reports that this new subscription tier will provide ad-free access to YouTube’s extensive video collection, which includes educational and podcast programming. Music videos will not be accessible under the plan, though, and users would need to purchase the more costly YouTube Premium membership to see them without advertisements.
The source states that the US, Australia, Germany, and Thailand are among the countries where the new version of YouTube Premium Lite is anticipated to launch. Google has been testing a new ad-free YouTube subscription for some time, offering it in a few areas and intending to grow it further with the help of its partners, a YouTube representative told the outlet.
According to reports, this plan is intended for those who want a less expensive option to YouTube Premium, which is presently available in the US for $13.99 per month, and who mostly watch non-musical videos.
According to reports, content producers may also be impacted by the decision to provide consumers with a comparatively less expensive membership option. Ads now account for the bulk of YouTubers’ income. However, YouTube is trying to attract more paid users and change its income model to subscriptions by offering more paid subscription alternatives on the site. This might affect how content producers make money off of their work.
Notably, YouTube has already experimented with a less expensive premium tier. In 2021, YouTube Premium Lite was first made available in a few European nations, including Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden. This membership package, which costs €6.99 a month, allows users to watch videos on all YouTube applications without any advertisements. Other premium services like background listening, offline downloading, and access to YouTube Music were not included, though.
In October 2023, following two years of testing, YouTube decided to end Premium Lite. The firm stated that it needed to improve its strategy in light of partner and user input when it decided to scrap the initiative. Before their YouTube Lite subscriptions were terminated, users were offered a complimentary one-month trial of the full YouTube Premium service.
Now that a new version of Premium Lite is supposedly in the works, YouTube seems to be bringing the idea back with some changes that will help the company and its subscribers. Although precise features and price have not yet been verified, the reintroduction of YouTube Premium Lite may provide viewers who mostly watch non-music material an inexpensive alternative to enjoy an ad-free experience.
After the worldwide deployment, the new subscription plan is anticipated to come in India. For individuals, YouTube India’s Premium subscription now costs Rs 149 per month, Rs 459 for three months, and Rs 1,490 for a year. YouTube also has family and student subscriptions, which cost Rs 89 per month for qualified students and Rs 299 per month for up to five more members.
