YouTube Premium Gets Price Hike - First Increase Since 2023

YouTube announced price increases for Premium and YouTube Music subscriptions in the U.S., the first hike since July 2023. New subscribers pay the higher rates immediately, while existing customers see changes during their June billing cycle.

New Pricing

Individual plan: $13.99 → $15.99/month Family plan: $22.99 → $26.99/month Premium Lite: $7.99 → $8.99/month YouTube Music individual: $10.99 → $11.99/month YouTube Music family: $16.99 → $18.99/month

The family plan saw the largest increase at $4 per month. YouTube justified the hikes by saying they help maintain service quality, support creators, and fund the 300 million+ track library.

Subscriber Notification

Current subscribers receive email notifications at least 30 days before the new price takes effect. YouTube has 125 million Premium and Music subscribers globally as of March 2025.

Industry Trends

YouTube joins other streaming services raising prices. Netflix increased costs in March, Spotify hiked rates in January, and Amazon added a $5 monthly fee for ad-free Prime Video.

90-SECOND AD CONTROVERSY

YouTube denied reports that users are seeing 90-second unskippable ads on its TV app. The official Team YouTube Twitter account posted: "YouTube does not have a 90-second non-skippable ad format. This isn't something we are testing right now. We're looking into this further."

However, numerous users on Reddit and other platforms reported encountering these lengthy ads. According to YouTube's official policy, non-skippable ads on the TV app should not exceed 30 seconds. Google said the issue resulted from a software bug and the company is working to fix it. Many observers view the incident alongside the Premium price increase as part of YouTube's strategy to push users toward paid subscriptions by making the ad-supported experience increasingly frustrating.