It can be hard to keep count of all of the online subscription fees I'm paying these days; a few quid here or there for films, music, and my terrible, no good Final Fantasy XIV: Online habit that I just won't quit. For the low, low price of a couple of bob a month, I get [[link]] to live the dream of being a magical cat girl adventuring across Eorzea and beyond—which continues to make it worth my while. Unfortunately, YouTube now wants to add to the tidal wave of subscriptions by offering a cheaper Premium tier with fewer features.
For a long time I've [[link]] resisted taking the plunge into yet another subscription with YouTube Premium for $13.99 a month, enduring 30-second ads (or even longer) when I lazily open the app on one of my consoles. Well, now there's a lower price point to tempt me, with for $7.99 a month.
YouTube recently announced that YouTube Music and Premium combined have —so at the very least I know it's not just me who finds those lengthy ads deeply annoying. While the cheaper Premium Lite tier is new to the US, it's already available in a similar pilot scheme capacity in Australia, Germany, and Thailand.
Given that , doubling down on subscriptions is hardly unsurprising. Add to that YouTube's enduring popularity, , and it seems my only recourse is to not so quietly grumble about the platform's life-force draining ad spots. I'm just thankful that seemingly didn't stick around.
YouTube claims that the Premium Lite tier will "create additional revenue opportunities for our creators and partners," though I can't help but feel a little sceptical. To be clear, I've no doubt YouTube and its ad partners will rake it in. However, I fear many creators will enjoy little benefit, if any—seeing the pennies similar isn't exactly filling me with
hope.
In a recent episode of , Chief Product Officer Johanna Voolich explained the intention is not to frequently tack on tiers but to keep the overall subscription service "somewhat simple." Still, if YouTube Premium introduces a tier that excises AI-generated content—and —then perhaps I'll yet become a loyal subscriber.