YouTube’s premium services have maintained stable pricing for quite some time. However, Google is raising the prices for YouTube Premium and YouTube Music. We expected the price increase for YouTube Music because other music-streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music have already raised their prices. However, the increase for YouTube Premium feels unexpected and surprising.
New Prices for YouTube Premium and YouTube Music 
The news about the price increase was first reported by 9to5Google. They noticed the changes on YouTube’s landing pages for both Premium and Music services. YouTube Premium will now cost $13.99 per month, and YouTube Music will cost $10.99 per month. It’s worth mentioning that Google hasn’t made an official announcement about the price hike. It’s unclear if they will keep it low-key or if they’ll send out a more formal notice later on. A YouTube spokesperson has commented that they have already sent emails to users in the US. Other regions are yet to receive any of such emails.
Currently, it’s uncertain how the price increases will affect existing subscribers to the services. According to 9to5Google, the prices have not increased for their own plans, suggesting that those who are already subscribed may be “grandfathered in.” Meaning they could continue to pay the same pricing they had when they initially signed up for the service. However, until Google provides official information, the exact impact on current subscribers remains unclear.
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When you subscribe to YouTube Premium, you get several benefits. You can download videos to watch them offline, enjoy an ad-free experience on the platform, access background play (listening to videos with the app minimized or when the screen is off), and use YouTube Music. Additionally, a recent addition to the service is an upgrade in streaming quality from the standard 1080p to 1080p Premium, which offers even better video quality.
How will the Price Increase Affect Subscriptions? 
The price increase could indeed have a significant impact on some users. There is a strong competition from the likes of Apple Music and Spotify which could also play a key role here. While Spotify offers its premium service for $9.99 per month, Apple Music goes for $10.99 every month. It is worth noting that Apple Music also offers users 3 months of free use before applying first charges. This deal from Apple could attract some users of YouTube Music who may not be too happy with the change in price.
To get clarification, it’s important to reach out to Google to determine whether these price increases are permanent, how they will affect those with older plans, and if they are specific to certain regions. Once we receive a response from Google, we’ll update this post to provide accurate information to our readers.
