YouTube announced a new subscription plan on Wednesday (March 5) that allows users to watch ad-free content at an affordable price.
Named Premium Lite, this plan is currently in its pilot phase and offers ad-free streaming for “most videos” at a cost of $7.99 (approximately Rs. 695) per month.
At present, it is only available in the US, but YouTube has stated that it will expand to more regions in the coming weeks. Here are the full details.
YouTube Premium Lite
The lower price means that some features have been removed compared to the standard YouTube Premium plan.
It will provide ad-free streaming of YouTube videos, but YouTube Music is not included. This means users won’t get ad-free music or music video streaming.
According to YouTube, users can still listen to tracks with ads on the app, but they won’t have access to features like background play or music downloads for offline listening.
YouTube emphasized that its new Premium Lite plan will provide ad-free streaming for “most” videos.
However, this does not mean ads will be completely removed. The platform clarified that users may still see ads on music content, Shorts, and while searching or browsing videos.
The Premium Lite plan is currently in a pilot phase in the US and will expand to Australia, Germany, and Thailand in the coming weeks.
Last month, reports surfaced about YouTube launching a more affordable Premium subscription.
Notably, in the US, YouTube’s standard ad-free plan starts at $13.99 (approximately Rs. 1,200) per month.
YouTube is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year and currently has 125 million subscribers, including trial users, according to the company.
Expanding YouTube Premium with new plans is part of the platform’s effort to provide users with more options for consuming content.
