YouTube Premium is one of a mountain of subscription plans for streaming services, but it’s for the biggest video-sharing platform on the planet – do you think it’s worth it?
Over the past few years, Google has made a big shift in how it tackles adblockers on its premier video streaming platform. The cat-and-mouse game of cracking down on adblocking on YouTube has had many frustrating effects that might push some people to subscribe to the Premium plan.
We have observed that people fall into two camps: those happy to pay for YouTube Premium and YouTube Music and those who flat out refuse and will do everything to block ads on the service. It’s a tough balancing act, and rightly or wrongly, an ad-supported web has led us to this point.
YouTube is a free service, which is likely the main reason most people are unwilling to subscribe to the paid tier. If you only want internet content for free, then it isn’t worth it to pay for YouTube Premium to get certain features. The water is especially muddied with apps like YouTube Vanced. This effectively circumnavigated many Premium features and allowed you to access things like offline downloads, no ads, Sponsor Block, and other little things that people say they love.
There is an ethical question around using third-party apps that block creator revenue like that, but I think it’s fair that people would want to use them, given that YouTube has introduced many infuriating functions and features over the past few years. YouTube Premium is slated to provide a larger revenue share with creators as you watch them, so in that sense, it could be considered worth it as a means of supporting those uploading videos you enjoy.
Top comment by Matthew Smith
I was uncertain about the worth of it at first, but now being used to YouTube without ads, I don't think I could go back to it. I sometimes accidentally use YouTube on other Chrome profiles, like ones for work, and then the ads come up and I instantly shut it down and go back to my personal account. I also use YouTube Music a lot.
One argument in favor of YouTube Premium is the value proposition. Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max, and other platforms have a finite number of series, movies, and videos you can watch each month. YouTube is constantly growing and is far and away the biggest streaming service on the internet. The quality of content varies wildly, but it is practically endless. For many people, it is replacing traditional media formats – and outright outpacing other streaming giants.
YouTube Music gets bundled into your subscription plan, too. It’s not the best music streaming service, but it has a huge volume of content courtesy of the aforementioned massive media library from which to pull. Sure, it ain’t Google Play Music, but it’s included in the subscription fee in most regions.
The pricing structure for YouTube Premium is 100% an area of righteous contention. The family plan has had a few price hikes in the US and in global regions. It now starts at $22.99 in the US for up to five family members. One piece of good news is the expansion of the “Premium Lite” plan, which is half the price but doesn’t fully cut out ads. VPN users are also facing a big decision in the coming months, as Google will block non-local payment methods that allow for cheaper subscriptions by changing your location.
There are potentially millions of reasons you might think that YouTube Premium is worth it or not worth it. We just want to know what you think. Let us know using the survey below and throw some of your thoughts in the comments section below. With over 100 million subscribers as of February 2024, some people seem to think it’s a service worth paying for.
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