By Michaela Gordoni
YouTube has hiked up prices once again.
YouTube Premium’s individual plan will jump from $13.99 to $15.99 a month. The family plan will increase from $22.99 to $26.99, Variety reported. YouTube Music’s individual plan will extend from $10.99 to $11.99, and the family plan will change from $16.99 to $18.99 a month.
The price of YouTube Premium Lite will also increase by $1. The prices take effect now for new customers. Current customers will see the new prices go into effect in June.
Related: Will You Cancel YouTube TV Over This Subscription Price Hike?
YouTube Premium allows subscribers to watch videos without ads, get offline downloads and have full access to YouTube Music.
A YouTube spokesperson said, “We’re updating the price for YouTube Premium plans in the U.S. for the first time since 2023 to continue delivering a high-quality experience that supports creators and artists on YouTube. This change allows us to maintain the features our members value most: ad-free viewing, background play, and a massive library of 300M+ tracks on YouTube Music.”
Last year, YouTube stated it had topped 125 million subscribers worldwide for YouTube Music and Premium, up from 100 million the previous year.
YouTube is the latest of streamers to hike prices, but everyone’s doing it: Spotify, Disney+ and Hulu, HBO Max, NBCUniversal’s Peacock, Netflix, Paramount+ and Amazon Prime Video.
GameSpot assessed that YouTube’s price hike will negatively effect gamers and gaming creators. Gamers often turn to YouTube for streams, guides and tutorials, and the change will add to their subscription fatigue. Premium watch time is a main source of income for gamers, and that could go down if less people choose to pay for YouTube premium.
9to5Google’s Ben Schoon isn’t thrilled with the price hike, but he says he and others are willing to pay the price.
“I…don’t feel like I’m suddenly not getting my money’s worth here,” he explained. “YouTube Premium is probably my single-most valuable streaming subscription. YouTube is a part of my daily routine, and it’s the one service I actually feel like I’m getting its full value without trying.”
“Disney+, Peacock, Netflix, etc., I never feel as though I’m using these apps enough to really get my money’s worth,” he added. “YouTube? It’s not a question, and I’m reminded of that every time I watch a video without being signed in”–because when you’re not signed in, you immediately have to watch an ad.
Current subscribers will receive a notice from YouTube at least 30 days in advance of their billing changes which will confirm their new subscription price.
Read Next: Spotify Joins in Streamflation with New Price Hikes
Questions or comments? Please write to us here.
– Content: +2Share:
– Content: +3