YouTube Premium Lite comes to Europe: low fee, (almost) no adverts
It is already available in the USA and will be coming to Europe in the next few weeks. YouTube Premium Lite costs half the price of the usual Premium tariff and only offers ad-free videos.
YouTube has added a new version to its premium subscription: YouTube Premium Lite. This has already been introduced in the USA and is now making its way to Europe. It will start in Germany, where it will be available in the coming weeks. It costs less than YouTube Premium, but also offers fewer benefits.
What is YouTube Premium Lite?
The Lite tariff costs €5.99 per month and is less than half the price of the regular Premium offer (€12.99 per month). This allows you to watch videos from certain areas - such as gaming, comedy or education - without adverts. This is one of the main reasons why many users of the platform have been paying for a premium version of the video service up to now.
Source: YouTube
The reasons for the cheaper tariffs are manifold: While most videos are ad-free, adverts can still be displayed for music videos and shorts. In addition, you can neither download videos nor play them in the background with a Premium Lite plan.
The fact that YouTube excludes these functions is no coincidence, as access to the music streaming service YouTube Music is also not included. YouTube prevents you from downloading video playlists and listening to them offline, ad-free and in the background. Because then YouTube Music would be superfluous for many users anyway.
New trial after test run
YouTube Premium Lite is not entirely new. The plan was already tested in 2021 and then cancelled. Now the Google subsidiary has decided to reintroduce the plan. Despite the restrictions, YouTube is certain that the model will meet with interest. The classic premium model has been criticised because the price is set too high due to the YouTube Music it includes. Some users just want the freedom from advertising - this is something that is constantly being discussed on Reddit.
Europe, Asia, Oceania: There are big plans for YouTube Premium Lite
It is already available in the USA, with Germany, Australia and Thailand to follow at a later date. However, YouTube promises that it will "expand the Premium Lite pilot to even more countries this year". However, we don't yet know when and where this will be.
Header image: Shutterstock
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I've been tinkering with digital networks ever since I found out how to activate both telephone channels on the ISDN card for greater bandwidth. As for the analogue variety, I've been doing that since I learned to talk. Though Winterthur is my adoptive home city, my heart still bleeds red and blue.
