Some people might say the YouTube experience is being ruined by YouTube Premium price hikes, Google’s tougher stance on ad blocker use, and more annoying YouTube ads. But Google is apparently considering a cheaper YouTube Premium version that might include limited ads.
The YouTube Premium Lite plan isn’t new, as the company canceled the previous version last year. However, Google is now testing a new Lite version in certain markets. Users in Australia, Germany, and Thailand have been able to subscribe to YouTube Premium Lite for less than half the cost of a regular Premium subscription.
Google confirmed to Android Authority that it’s testing “a different version of Premium Lite.” YouTube users in the aforementioned countries might see the new subscription option when they sign up.
A Google spokesperson also told The Verge the YouTube Premium Lite plan has been in testing “with “some users in Australia, Germany, and Thailand for several months (with the most recent one beginning in Australia at the start of this year). We don’t have anything else to share in terms of a broader rollout at this time.”
Finally, a spokesperson also confirmed to Bloomberg that YouTube Premium Lite is being tested, and this time, they teased a wider rollout:
As part of our commitment to provide our users with more choice and flexibility, we’ve been testing a new YouTube Premium offering with most videos ad-free in several of our markets. We’re hoping to expand this offering to even more users in the future with our partners’ support.
The test shouldn’t be surprising, considering Google teased last summer that it might offer additional choices to YouTube Premium subscribers. Reviving the Lite option makes sense.
Users from Australia posted last fall screenshots on social media that showed the new pricing option. YouTube Premium Lite costs AUD 8.99 instead of the AUD 16.99 you’d pay for the Premium version. If you subscribe from an iPhone, the prices increase by AUD 3 and AUD 6, respectively.
Unlike the previous version of Lite, the new test clearly states that ads will appear during YouTube use. You’ll see them on “music content and Shorts,” for example. Users might also see “non-interruptive ads” when they search and browse” the streaming service.
Getting an ad-based cheaper YouTube tier makes sense, considering everyone else is doing it. Hopefully, the ads won’t get too crazy.
Also, it’s not just the ads you have to deal with. YouTube Premium Lite also has other downsides. You won’t get ad-free access to YouTube Music, support for listening to videos in the background, or downloads.
