Winners & losers: YouTube has raised the prices of its Premium subscription plans in numerous international markets across North America, South America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East. This is the company's first price hike in the United States since 2023 and will cost subscribers up to an additional $4 per month.
Following the price hike, the basic YouTube Premium individual plan has increased by $2 per month, from $13.99 to $15.99. The Premium family plan, which allows up to five family members to stream simultaneously, now costs $26.99 per month, up from $22.99. The subscription cost for the annual individual Premium plan has also increased from $139.99 to $159.99.
The Premium Lite tier, launched last year as an affordable alternative to the full-price Premium plan, is also seeing a $1 increase, from $7.99 to $8.99. It offers an ad-free viewing experience for most videos but does not include YouTube Music. It also lacks several useful features, including background playback, offline downloads, and ad-free music and music videos.
Originally announced in April, the latest price hike is already active for all new subscribers, while existing users are beginning to see the changes roll out in their current billing cycles. It is the first price increase for YouTube Premium since 2024, when the company raised subscription prices across Europe, Asia, and South America but kept US prices unchanged.
US prices were last revised in 2023, when the individual YouTube Premium plan rose from $11.99 to $13.99 and the family plan increased from $17.99 to $22.99. The increase came less than a year after YouTube raised prices by $5, pushing the monthly rate to $22.99. That same year, the company also increased the base YouTube TV plan by $8 to $73 per month. It has since risen to $82.99.
As expected, many Premium subscribers have expressed outrage and disappointment at the latest price hike, but YouTube has defended the move, saying the update will allow it to "continue improving Premium and support the creators and artists you watch on YouTube."
YouTube Premium now includes a new time-saving feature called "Auto Speed," which automatically speeds up videos without compromising audio clarity. YouTube is also testing another Premium feature called "On-the-go," which aims to reduce distractions such as comments and other on-screen elements in audio-focused content like podcasts and talk shows.