By most metrics, YouTube Premium and Music have been a major success. In a new blog post, the platform notes that it reaches over 125 million subscribers (trials included) globally. Now, YouTube wants to boost those numbers further by introducing YouTube Premium Lite.
As the name implies, YouTube Premium Lite gives users a cheaper way of experiencing most of YouTube Premium’s perks. YouTube has been testing the service with a pilot program in Thailand, Germany, and Australia. Now, American YouTube fans will have the option of a more affordable way to reduce ads.
Currently, YouTube Premium, which allows you to stream videos and music ad-free, costs $13.99 per month. It also boasts features like the ability to download videos and background playback.
By contrast, Premium Lite, which costs $7.99 per month, makes “most” videos ad-free — but not all. As detailed in YouTube’s blog post announcing the news, video categories like gaming, fashion, and news will remain ad-free under the Premium Lite tier.
However, the ability to watch music and music videos ad-free will remain a luxury that is reserved for YouTube Premium subscribers. The same goes for features like background playback and offline downloads.
“Since launching YouTube Music and Premium, we’ve focused on giving subscribers a variety of ways to enjoy their favorite content, and Premium Lite is the latest step in that evolution,” the blog reads. “YouTube Music and Premium, and the expansion of Premium Lite, also continue to create additional revenue opportunities for our creators and partners.”
The feature was rolled out in the US on March 5, with the pilot countries set to follow in the coming weeks.
