YouTube Premium Increases Price by $2 per Month; Are Benefits Enough to Warrant New $14 Fee?
YouTube Premium has gone through a significant rebrand since launching in 2014 under the original name Music Key. Now in 2023, the changes continue as YouTube Premium has announced a $2 per month increase for its new and existing users, raising the price to $13.99 a month.
The most popular benefit that those who watch videos via YouTube Premium instead of the website’s traditional free version enjoy is being able to watch ad-free, but there are many others. In June, the service began offering 1080p video. Premium users also can enjoy features that include access to sessions across devices, the ability to watch with friends and family, and a playback queue on tablets, among others. Users can also download videos that can be viewed without WiFi and have the ability for audio to play when not in the app, on other apps, or when the phone is locked.
Last week, the service began running polls to solicit feedback and suggestions from users about what types of features and functionality they would like to see on the premium platform.
“We’re updating the price for YouTube Premium and YouTube Music Premium subscribers in the US to continue delivering great service and features,” a YouTube spokesperson said according to9to5 Google. “We believe this new price reflects the value of YouTube Premium which allows subscribers to enjoy ad-free YouTube with background and offline play and uninterrupted access to over 100M songs with the YouTube Music app.”
Users of the YouTube Premium Family Plans saw a price increase at the end of January, making the monthly payments $22.99. The same can be said for YouTube Music, which increased its monthly total by a dollar to $10.99. Back in March, YouTube TV also hiked its prices by 12%, charging viewers $72.99 per month. Following that price increase, The Streamable suggested that YouTube TV subscribers should get access to YouTube Premium as an added bonus, but Google has not made that part of its subscription packages yet.
YouTube TV
YouTube TV is a live TV streaming service with more than 60 channels for $72.99/month. This plan includes local channels, 32 of the top 35 cable channels, and regional sports networks (RSNs) in select markets. The service includes an unlimited DVR. The Streamable does not recommend YouTube TV. Consider DIRECTV STREAM for a better channel lineup or Hulu Live TV for its free Disney Bundle.