YouTube plans to launch a low-cost version of paid video without ads
24 February 2025 11:49
Premium Lite will be the name of a new and cheaper version of YouTube’s paid video service that will offer ad-free videos and podcasts, but it will not include music content. This was reported by Bloomberg, according to
According to a source familiar with the plans, the Premium Lite package will soon be introduced in the United States, Australia, Germany, and Thailand.
The service will be aimed at viewers who primarily want to watch programs rather than music videos.
“As part of our commitment to providing our users with more choice and flexibility, we have been testing a new YouTube Premium offering with more ad-free videos in several of our markets. We look forward to expanding this offering to even more users in the future with the support of our partners,” a YouTube spokesperson said in a statement.
It is reported that the launch of Premium Lite comes after Spotify Technology SA started working with video content. Last month, the Swedish company launched a program under which subscribers in certain countries no longer see dynamic ads in video content.
It is noted that the new proposal could change the way content creators, better known as YouTubers, make money on the service. Historically, advertising revenue has accounted for the bulk of their income on the platform. The new package, if widely adopted, could make subscription revenue a more significant part of their business.
To watch music videos without ads, YouTube customers will still need to subscribe to YouTube Premium.
Standard YouTube Premium costs $13.99 per month in most countries. In Ukraine, its price is 99 hryvnias per month ($2.40).
YouTube is betting on AI and interaction with bloggers
YouTube CEO Neil Mohan is confident that artificial intelligence technologies and increased interaction with the authors of popular channels will be the main factors in the further development of the video platform, Detector Media reports citing The Financial Times.
According to YouTube’s CEO, the platform has paid bloggers $70 billion in advertising and paid subscriptions over the past three years. YouTube’s annual revenue amounted to $50 billion.
The Financial Times recalls that the platform has evolved from hosting amateur videos to the largest music and video streaming center, introduced cable TV subscriptions, live sports broadcasts, and profit sharing among bloggers with an audience of hundreds of millions of subscribers.
According to Neil Mohan, YouTube has a huge potential for growth.
“We haven’t even touched the tip of the iceberg in terms of what we can do with technologies like generative artificial intelligence,” he said.
Despite the decline in YouTube advertising revenue in 2023, it grew by 15% to $25.4 billion in the first ten months of 2024.
As reported by
