YouTube Premium has been around for a while now, nearly seven years. This unique subscription model is for purchase to make your YouTube video content consumption much better, as it rids the user from ads. In addition to removing ads, the YouTube application on smartphones enables background playback, which means one can listen to some podcasts or music hosted using YouTube itself even when the application gets minimized. Furthermore, the user can also download content off YouTube for offline viewing later within the application with the Premium subscription. At the moment of writing, the regular YouTube Premium subscription goes for US$11.99 monthly. Enter YouTube Premium Lite It is hard to disagree that the US$11.99 premium for ad-free YouTube videos seems like a bit of a stretch, but it looks like a more affordable option is also in the workings. The Premium Lite subscription plan is currently being tested in some regions of Europe (Nordic lands and Benelux) to note how the market responds. The new subscription plan gets offered for $US6.99 per month, and it only provides ad-free YouTube videos with no other regular Premium features. While everyone waits for the market feedback and whether or not Premium Lite becomes a permanent subscription model, it is essential to note that unmonetized channels will still work typically. This practice gets followed by online gaming industries such as casino and sportsbooks websites with dedicated YouTube channels used for game reviews and new content to their game portfolios. In that sense, casino websites use their official media to get the latest news, trailers, and anything else that might interest users who haven’t played a game like Roulette or Blackjack online. The best thing about this is that no premium subscription is needed to enjoy this content without ads. There Might Be Multiple YouTube Premium Variants The currently tested Premium Lite is in no way a completed, public version. The variant described above acts as a testing ground for YouTube to push the limits and market demands. Over time, we expect YouTube to carry multiple subscription plans for their users, which could impact YouTube’s ad monetization policies for creators, for better or worse. The paid subscriptions impact the end user’s experience, and there is a strong demand for such features, so it is all about determining the correct price ranges. For example, Netflix has three available subscription models, with differentiating features being the resolution of the movies and shows and the number of users who can simultaneously get logged in watching content. An excellent example of a simple but good enough model accepted well in the market. It is more probable to see modified family subscriptions for YouTube Premium, as this makes more sense for shared YouTube accounts or accounts owned by people living in the same household. In addition, judging by the feedback YouTube Premium has received during its existence so far, we believe there is a high demand for YouTube without ads. In contrast, the rest of the features included in the Premium subscription might cater to a more delicate customer base.
