YouTube Premium family plan gets a $5 monthly price hike

[Shawn Knight]

In a nutshell: YouTube Premium for families is getting a price hike that'll bring the service more in line with its moniker. The YouTube Premium family plan now commands $22.99 per month for new subscribers, up from the previous $17.99 rate. A subscription offers an ad-free YouTube and YouTube Music experience for the primary account holder and up to five additional family members in the same household.

The perk additionally enables downloads for offline viewing and listening as well as background playback so you can use it while interacting with other apps or when your screen is locked.

YouTube spokesperson Marni Greenberg told The Verge that they don't make these decisions lightly, and realize how hard it may be for members. That said, Greenberg added that the new price reflects the complete value of YouTube Premium and will allow them to develop additional features and continue to support the creators and artists that members watch and listen to.

Greenberg added that the price adjustment will impact users in the US, Canada, Japan, Great Britain, Brazil, Indonesia, Turkey and Argentina.

Notably, the cost of an individual YouTube Premium plan remains unchanged at $11.99 per month and still represents a decent value for heavy YouTube users averse to ads.

To show its appreciation for user loyalty, YouTube is allowing some longstanding Premium subscribers to keep their current rate for a few more months. Select members won't see the price hike hit their bill until April 2023. As always, members have the flexibility to pause or cancel their membership at any time.

Google has published a support page where members can share feedback about the updated pricing. Amusingly enough, a note on the page indicates they are experiencing high contact volumes and to expect longer than normal wait times. Furthermore, users won't receive individual responses to their messages but Google ensures it monitors all feedback and opinions will be heard.

YouTube recently conducted a controversial experiment that limited playback of 4K video to Premium subscribers. It presumably didn't go over well as the video sharing platform ended it earlier this week.

Image credit: Adam Fejes

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/96403-youtube-premium-family-plan-gets-5-monthly-price.html

 

[letsgoiowa]

I always think it's really funny that companies think they can raise prices in the midst of an awful recession with the "inflation" excuse. Yeah, we're getting inflation too, so we have less money for you. Sucks to be you: you need to provide more value.

Funny, because I was JUST about to buy the family package just so my baby isn't getting spammed with ads while we play Ms Rachel for him for 5 mins or so.

 

[WhoCaresAnymore]

Here's my comment to youtube.

 

[envirovore]

Thanks, I let them know my thoughts on this.

 

[punctualturn]

I always think it's really funny that companies think they can raise prices in the midst of an awful recession with the "inflation" excuse. Yeah, we're getting inflation too, so we have less money for you. Sucks to be you: you need to provide more value.

Funny, because I was JUST about to buy the family package just so my baby isn't getting spammed with ads while we play Ms Rachel for him for 5 mins or so.

I was perfectly happy paying for all my services, but since Netflix, Amazon and now YouTube decided to raise prices during a recession when they were already posting huge profits (well, maybe not Netflix, but they seem to have "fixed" that) thats when I decided to cancel their services and hit the high seas.

 

[Geralt]

To me, YouTube is very important. Thank God, no hikes here, in Russia... yet.

 

[letsgoiowa]

I was perfectly happy paying for all my services, but since Netflix, Amazon and now YouTube decided to raise prices during a recession when they were already posting huge profits (well, maybe not Netflix, but they seem to have "fixed" that) that I decided to cancel their services and hit the high seas.

Yep, I was paying for Netflix, Amazon, YouTube, and HBO Max. Since the price increases came, we're cutting Netflix, HBO Max, and no longer going to upgrade our YouTube to Premium.
It's like they think consumers have more money than ever instead of the opposite: we're getting ~10% poorer per year and about to get MUCH worse.

 

[dangh]

Sheeps has been trained, sheeps have to be utilised. That's how the frog boiling works, and how the subscriptions works - be it yt, netflix, game pass, amazon prime, cloud...
Every xaas is just there to get you used to pretend conveniance and then to get squeezed for money.

 

[Theinsanegamer]

I always think it's really funny that companies think they can raise prices in the midst of an awful recession with the "inflation" excuse. Yeah, we're getting inflation too, so we have less money for you. Sucks to be you: you need to provide more value.

Funny, because I was JUST about to buy the family package just so my baby isn't getting spammed with ads while we play Ms Rachel for him for 5 mins or so.

Bruh, adblock is free.

 

[Revolution 11]

I was perfectly happy paying for all my services, but since Netflix, Amazon and now YouTube decided to raise prices during a recession when they were already posting huge profits (well, maybe not Netflix, but they seem to have "fixed" that) that I decided to cancel their services and hit the high seas.

I am still waiting for a good sea shanty about PC piracy.

 

[kiwigraeme]

If my son shows me something on his Ipad - I'm amazed the amount of adverts - I don't have premium - and don't see adverts on YT , or YT Music - except in video adverts/sponsors .
Keep seeing doomsayers about Chrome changes coming .

Maybe I will find my Raspberry Pi 3B - I have hiding somewhere and build a pieface to eat those adverts - everyone says easy as to build a pi-hole

Yes I don't get downloads , or upload my music - don't need that anyway

 

[Rocky4040]

Wait what there are people that pay for Youtube..lol I guess they have the movies and TV shows that must be the pay part of it all. I pay 10.99 CAD a month for Amazon in Canada it gives me Prime everything they have to offer. Movies, Tv shows, Music, Prime shipping, Prime Pricing for stuff. What can Youtube offer me in that price range that I can use so many services for $10.99 a month that's right nothing they have nothing in the pay department that would make me want to pay for their services.

Heck even Netflix for the price has nothing but me and 2 others combine by paying part of the Netflix monthly which makes them some what useful that way. When Netflix tries to cut actions like this off from people like us that are doing this trust me if they think their sub numbers dropped last year. When they cut us all off from family sharing and try to steer us all towards that ad based crap sub their numbers will drop like a lead lake to the bottom of the lake in triple digits this time around.

Why can these companies not see that their sub counts drop slightly every time they raise the monthly sub price. Netflix is seeing bigger numbers because they have been over greedy for about 6 years now raising the sub price every year for the last 6 to 7 years and their sub numbers have dropped because of it. They seem blind to the fact that the numbers are dropping like crazy and try to lay the blame on everything else and refuse to see what is actually causing their numbers to drop.

Here is a hint Netflix and Youtube and every other company that has subscription services for things like streaming etc etc. If you lower your prices back to sane pricing your sub counts will go up again and you will make even more money than you did while you had your sub prices way to high. Why because if you increase 10 million subs and you dropped the monthly price you just got 10 ,illion new subbed acounts plus the ones you already had. You make more money.

End of rant...sorry

 

[NumberSix]

I'd happily pay £2 a month for an advert free YouTube but the prices they actually want are insane.

 

[amghwk]

A subscription offers an ad-free YouTube and YouTube Music experience

I use Ublock Origin addon in browsers (both Desktop browsers and Firefox in Android) to block YouTube ads.

And in my phone, I use YouTube Vanced. It's no longer available in its website, but the last version still works and available from apk archive sites like apkpure or apkmirror.
As for my family members, I installed vanced app in their phones too.

As for downloading YouTube videos, there are many browser addons to do that and more. You can even choose to download the video or just the audio. You can also choose what quality you want to download. Search for YouTube Downloader in the browser. I use Firefox, so there are lots of addons.

And YouTube Vanced can already play YouTube videos in picture-in-picture background, or even when the screen is off.

 

[Loli Pop Carbon]

Adblock FTW.

For mobile I just use browser with adblock to watch youtube. It works perfectly fine. No additional apps, no ads.

 

[McMurdeR]

I've got to say, of all the subs I pay, I'd be least tolerant of an increase to YouTube family. It would be the first to go. It's never been especially consistent about what it actually offers. On top of that, outside of a handful of decent channels, the content is generally awful. I originally took it out to get music services for me and the missus, but if that increase comes to Europe I'd be happier moving to a Spotify duo sub.

I don't care much for the YouTube video benefits, and I'd have change for some other sub that actually offers something, like Apple TV or Xbox.

 

[toooooot]

I recently checked deezer which I used some time ago. They removed their 20 dollar premium plan. It is now 10 bucks a month.
They could not sell it for 20.
I dont think youtube premium will be very popular for 22 dollars.
It aint Netflix or Spotify.

 

[letsgoiowa]

Bruh, adblock is free.

Unfortunately, my wife's iPad doesn't have adblock and neither does Google TV.