For a small number of people, Google briefly tested a change to YouTube Premium that would make 4K videos unavailable to free users.
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Like YouTube TV earlier this year, YouTube Premium has launched a referral program where existing subscribers get a shareable code that can ultimately net them a year of free service.
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YouTube is one of the biggest places to find entertainment and information online, but like everything else, it doesn’t come free. Ads are the backbone of YouTube, but many have noted over the years that the platform’s advertising has become more and more unsavory. Now, YouTube ads have picked up a vocal critic in Elon Musk, who apparently doesn’t bother to pay to avoid them entirely.
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The latest subscription service in recent months to provide a free extended trial of YouTube Premium is HBO Max. What’s interesting is how both offerings are more similar than not and somewhat compete for the same audience.
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In recent weeks, YouTube very quietly introduced an annual plan for YouTube Premium and Music Premium. It currently features a rather notable discount compared to paying every month, but that ends very soon.
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Microsoft just announced that Xbox Game Pass for Windows PCs will get a new name, simply PC Game Pass. Barely an hour later, Google is already notifying YouTube Premium subscribers about an offer that gives three months of PC Game Pass for free.
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Starting next month, YouTube Music is getting free background listening in a major revamp of the streaming service’s ad-supported tier. As part of that, the YouTube Music app is going audio-only and will no longer play videos if you don’t pay for Premium.
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After we spotted it last month, Google Stadia is getting a new freebie. YouTube Premium subscribers are now being offered an extended Stadia Pro trial for free.
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YouTube Premium delivers an ad-free experience, background play, and several other features, but one of its more underrated perks might be the freebies that subscribers are sometimes offered. Right now, some YouTube Premium subscribers are getting an offer for a free extended trial of Discord Nitro.
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Many complaints about the cost of a YouTube Premium subscription could soon be addressed with a new “YouTube Premium Lite” subscription tier that will provide ad-free video viewing at a new lower price.
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The latest update to Stadia for Android points to a promo for YouTube Premium members and includes more work toward using your phone as a controller for Stadia on your TV.
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In an update today, YouTube revealed that it paid $4 billion to the music industry over the last 12 months, while Premium and Music Premium subscriptions saw notable growth at the start of this year.
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YouTube Premium — previously “Red” — has remained relatively unchanged for the past few years. Google is now surveying subscribers in the YouTube app on their favorite Premium feature.
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Over the past few years, Google has offered perks for its paying YouTube Premium members, such as a free Nest Mini speaker. The latest promo lets YouTube Premium subscribers in the United Kingdom claim a Stadia Premiere Edition bundle for free.
Update 4: This offer is now available in Canada and select countries in the EU, after going out of stock in the US and UK.
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YouTube’s Premium and Music Premium subscriptions continue to add more members, and the Google company now has an interesting “Your Premium benefits” page with stats to quantify your usage.
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Back in February, Google provided an update on YouTube Music/Premium and YouTube TV subscribers. During Q3 2020 earnings, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai announced 30 million, ad-free paying members and another million for the cord-cutting service.
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In January, we spotted YouTube testing a new Premium perk that gives subscribers one free channel membership every month. The Google video site is now making this new benefit official for a limited time in five countries.
This afternoon, the YouTube mobile apps alerted some Premium subscribers about a free Google Nest Mini promotion. None of those users have been able to redeem the offer, with the notification actually a “glitch.”
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Accessing Stadia today requires purchasing the $129 Premiere Edition. However, Google and its partners have given out promo codes on more than one occasion since launch. The latest round sees some YouTube Premium subscribers receiving a three-month trial to Stadia Pro.
During the Alphabet 2019 Q4 earnings call, Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai provided an update on how many paid YouTube Music and Premium subscribers there are. There were also official figures for cord-cutting service YouTube TV.
YouTube Premium today is comprised of ad-free and background playback of videos and music, as well as offline downloads. An upcoming perk could give subscribers paying $11.99 one free channel membership every month.
If you’re a YouTube Premium subscriber, it may be worthwhile checking the app right now to see if you have a free Google Home Mini gift waiting for you to claim.
Over the past 18 months, YouTube Premium and Music Premium has expanded around the world. Rolled out to India in March, the Google video site is particularly popular and competitive.
YouTube in the US offers two distinct subscription services with Premium and TV. Members of the latter that have never tried the former offering — or are currently unsubscribed — are now getting a free 3 month trial.