YouTube has made another move that is likely to irk its customers, after recently stepping up its war on ad-blockers. Having increased the price of its Premium, ad-free subscription in the U.S. in July, it’s now rolling out price increases globally and it’s asking users to pay a lot more than they did before.
Various posts on Reddit have revealed that the subscription price hikes have been implemented in Australia, Europe and South America. For example, one user said their subscription fee for a YouTube Family plan has risen from $30 to $42 per month, starting Nov. 30. Meanwhile, another customer based in Germany said they were now being charged €24 a month for the Family Plan there, representing an increase of €6 per month. In Australia, YouTube Premium Individual now costs A$16.99, up from A$11.99.
But it’s even worse in Argentina, where consumers – already hammered by rampant inflation – are being hit with a shocking 100% increase in the cost of a subscription.
All told, there are reports claiming YouTube subscriptions have increased in Argentina, Australia, Austria, Chile, Germany, Poland and Turkey, 9to5Google reported. It appears to be the start of a global rollout, and though YouTube has not yet made any official announcement, it’s likely the increased costs will be noticed by users in other countries soon.
According to Google, the parent company of YouTube, the increased costs are necessary for it to continue delivering “great services and features”. The price hikes are being applied to Individual, Family, and Student plans for YouTube Premium and YouTube Music Premium. Existing subscribers will start to see the new pricing with their next billing cycle.
The primary benefit of a YouTube Premium subscription is that it eliminates the incessant ads that are forever popping up on the service. Other benefits include audio-only playback for videos, offline downloads, 1080p premium streaming quality, co-watching via Google Meet and the chance to test new features ahead of their general release.
The increased subscription fees will likely upset a certain segment of YouTube viewers who have, until recently, managed to avoid ads on the service with the use of an ad blocker. Last month, YouTube announced it was cracking down by preventing video playback for anyone watching the service with an ad blocker installed, and it appears to have had some success. However, there are still a few workarounds, and some experts say the move will
