It Looks Like YouTube Premium Just Got A Quiet Price Hike
YouTube Premium is getting more expensive in the U.S., with monthly and annual prices increasing for the first time in over five years. These increased prices were quietly updated without a formal announcement from the video streaming giant, but are going live instantly.
9to5Google first noticed these changes and reported that the monthly subscription now costs $13.99 per month in the U.S., going up by $2. The yearly subscription has also been bumped up by $20 and now costs $139.99. If you are subscribing using the YouTube app for iOS, you might have to pay $18.99 every month, accounting for Apple's 30% share in recurring monthly subscriptions. Prices have also been revised for those subscribing only to YouTube Music Premium, which now costs $10.99 per month or $109.99 annually.
Notably, the pricing for the Premium family plan has remained unchanged at $22.99 per month. A reason for that may be the much more recent price increase this plan saw in October 2022, when prices were raised from $17.99. The family plan allows you to add up to six members and, unlike Netflix, does not impose that all of them live under the same roof to share subscriptions.
YouTube wants you on Premium at all costs
Given the lack of a formal statement, it is unclear whether the prices will also be revised for existing users. The last time YouTube increased prices in 2018, it allowed previously signed-up users to continue paying the older prices. In contrast, the updated pricing was enforced for existing family plan subscribers when prices increased last year. Further, it is not immediately clear if this affects prices in other regions of the world where Premium is offered.
YouTube has been pulling multiple strings to get more people off the free boat. These tactics may range from restricting users from using ad blockers to showing more multiple unskippable ads that may be as long as 35 seconds. The company is also adding ads between Shorts to compel more users to switch to the paid camp.
Despite YouTube's spiteful ways of getting new Premium subscribers onboard, the features its paid tier offers are worth the spend. Besides an ad-free viewing experience, you enjoy benefits such as playback with the screen off and get to try — and share your feedback on — experimental features before others. YouTube has also been testing a more refined video quality for 1080p resolution mode, thanks to a better video bitrate exclusively for Premium users.