YouTube hikes Premium subscription cost in US for first time in three years

YouTube has increased the price of its Premium subscription in the United States for the first time in three years, with changes taking effect from the next billing cycle.

The individual YouTube Premium plan has risen from $14 to $16 per month, while the family plan has increased by $4 to $27 per month, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

A more affordable YouTube Lite tier, which offers ad-free viewing for most videos but excludes YouTube Music Premium and still includes ads in Shorts and music content, is now priced at $9 per month. YouTube Music Premium has also increased by $1 to $12 per month.

A company spokesperson said the price adjustment is intended to support features most valued by users, including ad-free viewing, background playback, and access to a library of more than 300 million tracks on YouTube Music.

The move aligns with a broader trend of rising streaming subscription costs in the US, following earlier price increases by Spotify, and before that Netflix and Disney+.

YouTube Premium was launched in 2018 as a rebranding of YouTube Red, which debuted in 2015. According to the company, combined subscribers of YouTube Music and Premium worldwide have exceeded 125 million.

By Jeyhun Aghazada