YouTube Premium Price Hike Hits US Subscribers Amid Streaming Competition
Alphabet Inc.-owned video platform YouTube has increased the price of its ad-free video streaming service, YouTube Premium. The company announced on Friday (10 April) that the monthly fee for YouTube Premium in the United States has been raised from 13.99 dollars to 15.99 dollars. The Family Plan price has increased to 26.99 dollars, up from 22.99 dollars.
This service, which was launched in 2018 under the name YouTube Red, last saw a price increase in March 2023, when the price was raised from 11.99 dollars to 13.99 dollars.
Price changes for other plans:
YouTube Lite: The price of this lower-cost plan, previously 6.99 dollars, has been increased to 8.99 dollars. This plan does not include YouTube Music Premium benefits, and ads are shown in Shorts and music content.
Standalone YouTube Music Premium: Its price has increased by 1 dollar to 11.99 dollars.
Reason for the price increase
The decision to raise prices aligns with competing streaming platforms such as Spotify, Netflix, and Disney+. A YouTube spokesperson said, “This change will help us sustain our most valued features for members, such as ad-free viewing, background play, and access to YouTube Music’s extensive library of over 300 million tracks.”
Last year, YouTube stated that its YouTube Music and Premium services had reached 125 million subscribers worldwide, up from 100 million in 2024. The company believes rising demand for streaming services makes this the right time for a price adjustment, though it has not ruled out further increases in the future.
DBTech/BMT/OR
