YouTube has introduced a new subscription plan called Premium Lite, which is priced at $7.99 per month, compared to $13.99 for the full Premium service. Premium Lite offers fewer features, lacking ad-free viewing for music content, downloads, and background playback. However, it promises “most videos ad-free” across various categories, although ads may still appear on music, Shorts, and during browsing. Currently available as a pilot for US users, it will soon expand to customers in Germany, Thailand, and Australia, with plans for broader availability later. YouTube claims over 125 million subscribers globally, including trial participants.
YouTube has introduced a new offering called Premium Lite. As implied by the name, this option costs less than YouTube Premium, yet also includes fewer features. To clarify the differences, YouTube has shared the image below.
With Premium, users enjoy a completely ad-free experience—aside from the sponsored segments found in many videos—as well as the ability to download videos and access background playback. In contrast, Premium Lite does not offer these perks.
While downloads and background playback are not available with Premium Lite, users can expect “most videos ad-free” in categories like gaming, fashion, beauty, and news. However, it’s worth noting that ads may still appear in music content, Shorts, and during searches or browsing, as indicated in the fine print.
The cost for Premium Lite is $7.99 per month, compared to Premium’s $13.99, allowing users to save $6 each month, equating to $72 annually. Is it worth it? That’s a question only you can answer.
This Premium Lite option is currently available as a “pilot” for users in the US, and will soon be accessible to all YouTube users in Germany, Thailand, and Australia, where it has been offered on a limited basis up to now. YouTube states it plans to extend Premium Lite pilots to more countries throughout this year.
YouTube proudly claims to have over 125 million subscribers globally for its Premium service, although this figure does include those on trial periods. Lite appears to be a strategy to attract more users by appealing to those who don’t wish to use YouTube Music for listening to music or downloading content.
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