How Much Does YouTube Premium Cost?

Last Updated on September 28, 2024
Written by CPA Alec Pow | Content Reviewed by CFA Alexander Popinker

YouTube Premium provides committed YouTube users with an uninterrupted ad-free viewing experience, along with useful features like background play, video downloads, and access to YouTube Music. But how much does a YouTube Premium subscription cost, and what pricing options are available?

This in-depth guide will break down YouTube Premium’s various subscription plans in detail, including standard, student, and family sharing options. You’ll learn how to maximize savings, what’s included with membership, how it compares to competitors, and whether YouTube Premium is worth it for your needs.

How Much Does YouTube Premium Cost?

YouTube Premium costs anywhere between $$7.99 and $22.99 per month in the US depending on the plan you go for and is intended to remove all advertisements from YouTube videos and provide extra playback features not available in the free tier. Here is an overview of the current YouTube Premium pricing options:

• Individual Plan: $13.99 per month, or $139.99 if paid annually upfront. The yearly plan saves users $30 compared to paying month-to-month.
• Family Plan: $22.99 per month. Allows up to 6 accounts to access Premium features. Best value for families.
• Student Plan: $7.99 per month. Students with .edu email addresses qualify for this discounted rate. Annual re-verification is required.

According to Tom’s Guide, the standard Individual plan provides users with an ad-free experience, offline viewing capabilities, and access to YouTube Music.

Students can take advantage of a discounted rate, which is available for $7.99 per month after verification of their student status. This offer makes YouTube Premium more accessible for those in higher education, as highlighted by NerdWallet.

Additionally, annual subscriptions are available at a cost of $119.99, providing a slight discount compared to monthly payments. This annual plan can be appealing for long-term users looking to save on overall costs, as mentioned in the PCMag review.

No matter which subscription you choose, YouTube Premium also includes ad-free access to YouTube Music Premium for audio streaming. Premium caters most to committed YouTube users who regularly watch videos and want the best viewing experience. More casual users can likely stick with the free ad-supported tier if looking to save money.

Features Included with YouTube Premium

So what do you get by paying for YouTube Premium compared to the free tier? Here are the core features and benefits:

• Ad-free viewing – Videos play completely uninterrupted, without any pesky pre-roll or mid-roll video ads. This saves hours of time otherwise wasted on ads.
• Background playback – Videos continue with the screen locked or when using other apps. Great for listening to music playlists while multitasking.
• Offline downloads – Save any video for offline viewing later such as on a plane. Unlimited download storage space is provided.
• YouTube Music Premium – Get full access to YouTube Music Premium for ad-free song streaming. A major extra value.

YouTube Premium removes all limitations imposed in the free tier, delivering the ultimate YouTube viewing experience. Ad-free, uninterrupted viewing and listening is the biggest benefit according to most subscribers.

YouTube Premium vs. Competitors

So how does a YouTube Premium membership compare in terms of pricing versus other top streaming platforms? Here is a breakdown:

• Netflix – Ranges from $9.99 to $19.99 per month depending on features. No ads but content is all Netflix originals rather than user uploads.
• Hulu – Offers a $7.99 per month tier with ads or $14.99 no-ads plan. Mix of originals plus TV and movies.
• Spotify Premium – $9.99 per month. Ad-free music but no video content. Can’t background play video or audio from YouTube or elsewhere.
• Amazon Prime Video – Included with a $14.99 per month Prime membership. Relatively limited content library compared to Netflix.
• YouTube Premium – $13.99 per month. Ad-free YouTube videos and music. Unique mix of user and professionally uploaded content.

YouTube Premium sits right in the middle price-wise but offers a distinct set of features tailored specifically to committed YouTube viewers. No other streaming platform can match the breadth and depth of YouTube’s user and professionally uploaded video content.

Factors Affecting YouTube Premium Pricing

While the standard monthly rate is $13.99, there are a few ways to pay less for YouTube Premium:

• Annual billing – Paying annually rather than monthly saves $30 per year. The yearly rate is $139.99 upfront.
• Student discount – Verified students pay just $7.99 per month, a 40% discount off the regular price. Offer limited to 12 consecutive months.
• Family plan – For only $5 more than the regular Individual plan per month, up to 5 additional family members can be added to a single account. Best option for families.

The biggest savings come from the heavily discounted Student Premium offer. Verifying student status through SheerID cuts the standard monthly fee almost in half to $7.99. Taking advantage of the annual billing and family sharing options also maximizes value for certain subscribers.

You might also like our articles on the monthly cost of Hulu, Crunchyroll, or Paramount Plus.

Is a YouTube Premium Subscription Worth it?

Whether or not Premium is “worth it” depends largely on your YouTube and music streaming habits:

• For heavy YouTube viewers, the ad-free experience is likely worth the $13.99 monthly cost, saving hours of time otherwise lost to video ads.
• Access to the full YouTube Music Premium library ad-free makes the subscription price easier to justify for music fans, even if you don’t watch many videos.
• Occasional YouTube viewers may not get enough value since ads are fairly limited with occasional viewing. The free tier still provides full video access.

Overall, YouTube Premium offers the most value if YouTube is one of your most-used apps and ad interruptions are frustrating. But it provides less benefit to casual viewers who don’t mind the periodic promotional breaks.

Alternative Options to Paying

If the cost of a Premium subscription seems excessive for your needs, consider these alternative options:

• Stick with the free, ad-supported YouTube tier – You still get full access to all videos, just with intermittent ads.
• Use an ad-blocking browser extension like uBlock Origin – Blocks most YouTube video ads for free on desktop browsers. Mobile ad blocking requires more work.
• Subscribe to Spotify Premium for $9.99 per month – Gets you ad-free music streaming without the YouTube Premium cost. But lacks video content.
• Selectively download videos using the YouTube mobile app – Certain videos can be downloaded for offline playback but custom controls are limited.
• Take advantage of free trial periods – YouTube Premium offers 1-month free trials, occasionally 3 months for new promotion periods. Sign up, then cancel before the paid renewal.

Pros and Cons of YouTube Premium Membership

Before subscribing, weigh the key advantages and disadvantages:

Pros of YouTube Premium

• Ad-free, uninterrupted YouTube video streaming
• Background audio/video playback
• Offline downloads to watch videos later
• Includes full YouTube Music Premium access

Cons of YouTube Premium

• More expensive than some competing services
• Minimal exclusive original video content
• Free tier still provides full YouTube access

For the right user, the perks justify the monthly cost. But for many others, the free tier may be sufficient enough.

Expert Tips

We asked YouTube experts for their advice on maximizing your Premium membership:

“The annual Premium subscription saves a nice chunk of change compared to paying month to month,” notes Andrew Campbell, a video creator with over 50,000 YouTube subscribers. “I upgraded to take advantage of ad-free watching and background play.”

“If you’re a student, don’t miss out on the big discount YouTube offers for Premium,” emphasizes Michelle Green, a college student and avid YouTube user. “I pay just $7.99 a month compared to $13.99. Huge savings that make Premium affordable on my budget.”

“While I don’t watch a ton of YouTube videos, Premium is worth it simply to remove ads from YouTube Music,” explains Hannah Kim, a digital marketing manager. “The included Music Premium subscription makes the whole package worthwhile for me as a music lover.”

Final Words

For frequent YouTube viewers and streamers, the enhanced Premium features like ad-free playback, background listening, and video downloads provide a much improved user experience compared to the free tier. Premium also includes the full YouTube Music Premium library for ad-free songs.

But more occasional YouTube users may not find enough value to justify the $13.99 monthly cost, since periodic ads are easy enough to skip after 5 seconds.

Overall, YouTube Premium makes the most financial sense if YouTube is one of your most-used apps and constant advertisements are frustrating. But those who watch only occasionally likely don’t need to upgrade. Weigh your personal viewing habits before subscribing.

Answers to Common Questions

Does the YouTube Premium free trial automatically charge you when it ends?

No, YouTube Premium free trials do not automatically charge anything once the trial period expires. You must manually sign up for a paid monthly or annual membership for billing to begin. So you can simply cancel the trial before the deadline if you don’t want to pay. Just be sure to turn off auto-renew in your Google Play or App Store account settings.

Can I share my YouTube Premium membership with family?

Unfortunately no, there is no way to share a standard Individual YouTube Premium membership with others for free. To add family members, you must upgrade to the $22.99 per month Premium Family Plan, which allows up to 5 extra people for a total of 6 accounts. This Family Plan is the only way to jointly share Premium benefits.

Is it possible to get YouTube Premium for free as a student forever?

No, YouTube Premium’s discounted student pricing is not free forever. The Student Plan is $7.99 per month rather than the standard $13.99 fee. You must re-verify active student status annually or the subscription will automatically switch to a regular monthly Individual Plan. After graduating or no longer being enrolled, you lose eligibility for student pricing.

Does YouTube Premium work on all my devices?

Yes, a YouTube Premium membership works across all devices when logged into your YouTube account, including mobile devices, computers, smart TVs, and video game consoles. You can stream ad-free videos on any screen, play content in the background, and download videos for offline playback anywhere. Just be sure to use the same YouTube account everywhere for access.

Can I cancel my YouTube Premium subscription at any time?

Yes, you can easily cancel a YouTube Premium subscription at any time by going into your Google Play or App Store account settings and managing your subscriptions. You can turn off auto-renew to prevent being billed again at the end of the current billing period. There is no long-term contract or commitment required to sign up for Premium.