YouTube Tests Premium Lite Subscription: Fewer Ads At Half The Price

YouTube, the leading global video streaming platform, is currently experimenting with a new subscription model called Premium Lite, offering fewer ads at half the price of its regular premium subscription.

As reported by a Threads user, jonahmanzano, YouTube Premium Lite is priced at $8.99 per month, which is nearly 50% less than the full Premium subscription, typically priced at $16.99. It is still unclear whether this Lite version will be offered as an annual plan.

At present, there’s no confirmation regarding the availability of YouTube Premium Lite in India. The regular premium service in India costs Rs 149 per month, so if the Lite version launches, it may be priced around Rs 75 per month.

Given the recent price hike for YouTube Premium, the Lite subscription is designed to show fewer ads to users. A report from The Verge mentions that YouTube is trialing this plan in select countries like Germany, Thailand, and Australia.

According to YouTube’s official comparison chart, Premium Lite subscribers will enjoy an ad-free experience on most videos, but ads will still appear on music content and short videos. Unlike the full Premium subscription, Lite users won’t have access to features like ad-free music streaming, offline downloads, or background play.

YouTube initially tested Premium Lite in 2021 across Europe, but the service was discontinued before it could officially launch.