YouTube is well-known for its Premium services that provide an ad-free experience, but now Google is gradually expanding its “Premium Light” plan to more countries, offering a similar service at a significantly lower price.
“Premium Light” is a paid monthly subscription that removes most ads on YouTube, but without the extra benefits like YouTube Music, offline downloads, or background play, which are included in standard Premium plans. According to YouTube’s description, the “Premium Light” plan only results in “limited ads,” rather than fully removing them.
Google has been testing this “Light” plan for a while, but in late 2023, it removed the option in many countries. However, the plan wasn’t entirely scrapped, as Google confirmed at the time that testing would continue, with Thailand being one of the first markets.
Recently, more users have reported seeing the option. Jonah Manzano, a singer-songwriter from Australia, shared a screenshot of the plan on Threads. Some users noticed this option going live a few months ago. In Australia, “Premium Light” costs $11.99 per month, which is half the price of the $22.99 standard Premium plan. There is also an $8.99/month option being tested. In Germany, users noticed the plan was available for €5.99/month, again roughly half the cost of the full plan.
It’s still unclear whether Google plans to further expand this offering globally.
As of now, YouTube Premium has more than 100 million subscribers (also accounting for YouTube Music), but prices continue to rise, even for long-time subscribers.
By Andrej Kovacevic
Updated on 19th October 2024