YouTube Launches Affordable Premium Lite Plan: Enjoy Ad-Free Content for Just $8 a Month!

YouTube has unveiled a new subscription alternative that allows viewers to enjoy fewer advertisements compared to its expensive ad-free Premium options. The Premium Lite plan is being launched in the United States starting today at a price of $8 monthly, in contrast to the $14 monthly fee for Premium. Additionally, users in YouTube’s testing regions of Australia, Germany, and Thailand will receive access to Premium Lite in the weeks ahead.

With this subscription, most videos will be viewable without ads, covering topics like podcasts, gaming, fashion, beauty, and news. However, music-related content will be handled differently, as the YouTube Music service is included in the full YouTube Premium package. Therefore, advertisements will continue to appear in music and music video content, as well as in Shorts.

«In discussions with our users, we’ve identified a significant number of individuals who desire an ad-free, seamless streaming experience without necessarily opting for a music service. This insight led to the creation of Premium Lite,» stated YouTube’s chief product officer, Johanna Voolich, in a video announcement. «It’s fantastic as it provides these viewers with additional choices and also opens up a new revenue avenue for our creators.»

Users will likely encounter advertisements while browsing and searching YouTube as well. Furthermore, features such as downloads and background playback, which are integral to the Premium subscription, will not be available to Premium Lite users.

YouTube commenced testing a more affordable subscription option in various markets back in October 2024. During that period, users were offered most content without ads, although «video ads for music content and Shorts, and non-disruptive ads during browsing and searching» were still displayed.

The platform continues to perceive Premium Lite as a trial offering. YouTube intends to broaden this tier to additional countries later this year, along with «introducing more options for users to maximize their subscription benefits.»