YouTube hikes prices for Premium offerings

YouTube plans to rise prices for its YouTube Premium subscription plan in the US from $11.99 to $13.99 per month.

According to the Google-owned video content service, the YouTube Music Premium plan has also been increased from $9.99 to $10.99 per month.

It marks the first price increase for US subscribers since launching the YouTube Premium package in 2018.

YouTube said subscribers will receive an email notifying them of the new subscription prices and a minimum 30 days period before any price increases take effect. Customers for the Premium offerings will be charged the new cost in the next billing cycle.

Members who subscribed five years ago, including those who signed up originally via Google Play, will also get three additional months at their current plan cost.

The company noted pricing will vary depending on the type of plan and billing that each subscriber has selected.

A YouTube spokesperson said, “We’re updating the price for YouTube Premium and YouTube Music Premium subscribers in the US to continue delivering great service and features. We believe this new price reflects the value of YouTube Premium which allows subscribers to enjoy ad-free YouTube with background and offline play and uninterrupted access to over 100M songs with the YouTube Music app.”

It is expected price increases for YouTube Premium will be extended to other major markets including Canada, UK and Europe. YouTube told Digital TV Europe, “we re-evaluate our pricing on an ongoing basis as conditions change in countries around the world.