YouTube is testing a new version of its Premium Lite subscription

YouTube has begun testing an updated version of the Premium Lite subscription that will allow users to get rid of most commercials for half the cost of a full subscription. Earlier this week, screenshots of the new plan appeared on social media, and today a representative of Google confirmed the information to a number of media outlets. Testing is currently underway in Australia, Germany and Thailand.

Australia, Germany and Thailand.

How does the new Premium Lite plan work?

The revamped Premium Lite subscription offers users to watch content with limited ads. According to the clarified information, most videos will be completely ad-free, but there may be some exceptions. Users may encounter ads when watching music content, Shorts  (short videos) and unobtrusive ads when searching and navigating through the platform.

Adds may appear when watching music content, Shorts  (short videos) and unobtrusive ads when searching and navigating through the platform.

This approach makes the subscription more flexible than the full Premium, while keeping the cost lower. It’s worth noting that this Lite version doesn’t offer additional features such as offline viewing or playback in the background that are available in the full version of YouTube Premium.

Any of these features are available in the full version of YouTube Premium.

Subscription History Premium Lite

The first version of Premium Lite was launched in test mode in Europe back in 2021. However, a few years later, in October 2023, YouTube stopped supporting it. In the first version of the subscription, users received the only benefit of being able to watch videos without ads, but without the other functionality that the full Premium subscription offers.

Now, in 2024, YouTube has decided to try the Lite version again, changing its terms and adding the ability to partially show ads.

Prices for Premium Lite

Tested in Australia, the price for the upgraded version of Premium Lite is $9 per month, significantly lower than the cost of the full Premium subscription, which costs $17 per month in the country. This is in line with previous rates for the Lite subscription, which was also about 50% cheaper than the standard Premium subscription.

A comparison with YouTube’s current subscription prices shows that the mid-tier choice can be quite attractive to users. For example, a standard individual Premium subscription now costs about $14 per month in most regions, while a family subscription costs $23 per month.

And a family subscription costs about $23 per month.

Development Prospects

The emergence of mid-tier subscriptions may prove to be a good solution for users who want to cut down on YouTube ads but don’t need additional features such as background playback or offline access. With the rising cost of streaming platform subscriptions, YouTube Premium Lite may be the best option for those looking for a compromise between affordability and quality of platform usage.

A mid-tier subscription may be a good option for those looking for a compromise between affordability and quality of platform usage.

If testing in Australia, Germany and Thailand shows positive results, YouTube can be expected to expand the availability of this subscription to more users around the world.

YouTube Premium Lite YouTube Premium Lite could be the best option for those looking for an affordable price and quality experience on the platform.