Uhm, so what extra value to subscribers did they add recently? Is it just a case of Google’s costs going up or simply their need to make more profit to delight shareholders?
Google raising price of YouTube Premium to $13.99 per month
Submitted 1 year ago by fne8w2ah@lemmy.world to technology@lemmy.world
Comments
MrFlamey@lemmy.world 1 year ago
Whirlybird@aussie.zone 1 year ago
Is it just a case of Google’s costs going up or simply their need to make more profit to delight shareholders?
Yes. Everyone else is raising their prices due to “increased costs”, even if they don’t actually have any increased costs, because it’s a “get out of jail free” card for raising your costs at the moment. Everyone is doing it, so you’re less likely to get negative media coverage if you do it as well.
BromSwolligans@lemmy.world 1 year ago
Sucks for me. I use iOS (I’m sorry) and that’s the original reason I got YouTube Red (back then): they make iOS users pay for background playback. Most of my YT consumption is documentary / essay / spoken word stuff so I need that feature to treat it like a podcast player, basically. Most of the rest of my YT consumption is in my living room, where ad blocking isn’t an option (and I hear even if it was, they’re catching up fighting ad blockers).
I hate the Web 2.0 “enshitification” of platforms, and I hate advertisements, and I’m willing to pay for a good, useful service. But this is a mixed bag. It’s still ‘enshitified’ because most of what it serves me is algorithmic and nothing to do with the hundreds of channels I’ve subscribed to over the 13 years I’ve had this particular account. It’s still chock full of ads because videos do sponsor blocks these days.
And the worst of it is they’ve got you by the balls and there’s really nothing stopping them from being Netflix and just continuing to raise and raise the price. I was an OG Netflix Instant Streaming for Xbox 360 user…years later when they finally booted me off my own family plan, we were paying like…$23 a month? For what had at that point become the worst video service? What stops YouTube from bumping up to $19.99/mo a couple years from now? It’s the only game in town.
OH and they’re also selling all your metrics. That’s the other thing. If I’m paying (through the nose) for a service, it shouldn’t be double-fucking me by selling predictive measures of who I am and what I care about to filthy fucking “advertisers” (for-profit behavior manipulators).
YouTube (like every last piece of Web 2.0) was fun while it lasted. But it is now barely better than worthless.
Bloodyhog@lemmy.world 1 year ago
For clarity: Google is THE for-profit behaviour manipulator selling the manipulation to whoever is having the budget for it. YT, search and all the other products are there to enable that manipulation. No more, no less.
Goodtoknow@lemmy.ca 1 year ago
AFAIK you can use the Brave browser on iOS to listen to background youtube with it’s built in AdBlock
feedum_sneedson@lemmy.world 1 year ago
Imagine paying that, damn.
wholeofthemoon@lemmy.world 1 year ago
Could be $20 I don’t really care when I get music included. Yet you people are paying similar price for one music service aka Spotify lol
feedum_sneedson@lemmy.world 1 year ago
What do you mean “you people”?
andyster@lemmy.world 1 year ago
I feel like this is the best money in streaming. I mostly watch you tube, and primarily on the tv and phone in the app. Frankly I would prefer to have much more of the internet paid for with you know money instead of ads and not use a blocker.
You tube music also has a much better algorithmic playlist than Apple Music.
zefiax@lemmy.world 1 year ago
I agree completely but you won’t get much support on this site as people don’t think about how things can cost money to run.
andyster@lemmy.world 1 year ago
Which is weird considering how the fediverse is paid for at the moment appears to mostly be people paying out of their own pockets.
Discoslugs@lemmy.world 1 year ago
The monthly savings from boycotting youtube continue to rise.
skellener@kbin.social 1 year ago
Enshittification continues…
Eerie187@lemmy.world 1 year ago
I would never pay google for anything. They’re making enough money taking all your data and selling it. I will always use an ad blocker with sponsor block and donate to any content creator that provides good content for me.
coconutxyz@lemmy.world 1 year ago
i wonder what is the ceiling price for most until they will drop it
SeaOtter@lemmy.ca 1 year ago
It’s getting close for me…
popemichael@lemmy.sdf.org 1 year ago
I have a YouTube premium subscription for one reason: I travel a lot and you can’t put an adblocker on an old hotel TV that only has the YouTube app
Once I get to travel less, I’ll go back to only using ublock origin and sponsorship block.
coolfission@lemmy.world 1 year ago
You can try buying an android tv box or hooking up your laptop+wireless keyboard to a hotel TV and install adblock that way.
popemichael@lemmy.sdf.org 1 year ago
True, but flying with that much equipment sucks. Going through the TSA line, getting hit for inspection, just adds more pain.
I barely like traveling with my laptop if I can help it. All I travel with is my backpack, so space is at a premium
Plus, after flying 6 hours, all I want to do is either screen share or log in and not have to worry about setting stuff up.
Strenuous4542@lemmy.somewhat.me 1 year ago
I thought ublock or ad blockers in general didnt work on youtube videos. Do you have any info on how to get that to work?
hschen@sopuli.xyz 1 year ago
Ublock has worked on youtube videos forever, on mobile i use NewPipe or you can use firefox mobile with the ublock addon
gon@lemmy.world 1 year ago
I’ve pre-emptively raised my ReVanced usage to 100% so IDRC.
c0mbatbag3l@lemmy.world 1 year ago
Just got ReVanced working after OG Vanced gave out a few days ago, it’s good to be back!
gon@lemmy.world 1 year ago
You might want to subscribe to !revanced@lemmy.world!
macintosh@lemmy.world 1 year ago
They emailed me thanking me for being a part of their journey for so long and as a gift they are delaying my rate going up by 3 months. Cool……
Pumpkinbot@lemmy.world 1 year ago
“Thank you for being a loyal member! As a gift, we won’t fuck you over just yet.”
Singdell@lemmy.world 1 year ago
What they should do is delay it for a year or more. That way you feel like you lose something if you cancel the subscription. You already is a small percentage of users that pay for YT. If they did it this way people would feel more appreciated and stay longer. That’s what I think anyway.
I have a friend that have a subscription deal that is over 10 years old. It’s a fixed “life long” price for a packaged with a lot of sports. The price today is more than double what he pays. He can’t cancel because of this and just keeps paying even if he really haven’t the time to look at it anymore.
TheChancePants@lemmy.world 1 year ago
Anybody on this thread on iOS, check out Vinegar. It’s a Safari extension for YouTube that converts the YT media player to a generic iOS one, removing ads and allowing PiP and other stuff. Best 2-ish bucks I’ve ever spent.
jungekatz@lemmy.world 1 year ago
Omg i cant thank you enough !!
MaxPower@feddit.de 1 year ago
Oh I thought about subscribing for a couple of months, then again I have cancelled Netflix because money is tight. Now I have another reason not to subscribe to YT Premium.
Thanks, Google!
azalty@jlai.lu 1 year ago
If you had to cancel your Netflix sub, you probably wouldn’t have paid for YT Premium, it’s a lot less worth it than Netflix imo
sf1tzp@programming.dev 1 year ago
Wait, what the FUCK!?!
This price increase is live for new subscribers as seen on youtube.com/premium. Instead of $11.99, YouTube Premium now costs $13.99/month. Meanwhile, it’s $18.99 if you’re subscribing from the iOS YouTube app.
I’ve been paying $4/month over market rate this whole time?
fne8w2ah@lemmy.world 1 year ago
Apple tax.
sf1tzp@programming.dev 1 year ago
I’ve heard about it but didn’t realize someone like google would blatantly do this. SMH
On PC, I’ve never watched ads. Only bought premium after getting an iPhone 2 years ago.
Appreciate being able to support creators while not watching ads ¯_ (ツ)_/¯ , lot of good that did me.
nanyabusiness@lemmynsfw.com 1 year ago
[deleted]sf1tzp@programming.dev 1 year ago
Not really though? Apple makes good hardware and operating systems, and generally have a good privacy-forward stance when it comes to software (in my opinion).
Unfortunately it’s not as cut and dry as “use Gentoo” - if my ad revenue is potentially worth x, lemme just pay x for the service. I know I’m not alone in this sense.
jwagner7813@lemmy.world 1 year ago
Create a problem. Generate a paid for solution. ??? Profit!
PipedLinkBot@feddit.rocks [bot] 1 year ago
Here is an alternative Piped link(s): piped.video/premium
Piped is a privacy-respecting open-source alternative frontend to YouTube.
I’m open-source, check me out at GitHub.
kworpy@lemm.ee 1 year ago
These services think people get their money from trees. Also seriously who even pays for YouTube Premium? There are both adblockers and website download tools, both of which are completely free.
youhavechosenwisely@sh.itjust.works 1 year ago
Restrictive corporate environments who do not allow for custom software installation. I pay for it but with the VPN trick. I am on vanced and sponsor block as soon as I leave the work place. Sucks but that is one of the use cases.
Hamartiogonic@sopuli.xyz 1 year ago
Oh well, too late to join now. Thought about that subscription in the past, but now it’s clearly out of the question.
Rakonat@lemmy.world 1 year ago
Wow, they really didn’t have much reason for me to want to use it before. I dropped Amazon Prime because it was getting too expensive and I was at least using that regularly!
NukeminHerttua@sopuli.xyz 1 year ago
Just stated using Revanced Extended YouTube. One of the best apps there is. Makes everything so much more convenient and with zero cost.
M1k3y@discuss.tchncs.de 1 year ago
Just so that everyone knows:
Dont download patched apks from the internet. Instead, install the patcher from github and a vanilla youtube APK to patch it yourself.
There are no official sites providing revanced APKs and the unofficial sited may contain unwanted software.
NukeminHerttua@sopuli.xyz 1 year ago
Good point!
MrSilkworm@lemmy.world 1 year ago
I wonder why would someone raise the price of product no one buys
bezerker03@lemmy.bezzie.world 1 year ago
I pay for YouTube music (formerly google play music). It includes this lol.
gendulf@lemmy.world 1 year ago
My wife and I have unlimited data plans, and we listen to all our music on YouTube. Without a sub, you can’t turn the screen off. Ads are also not an issue on mobile/the TV when you have a sub.
MrSilkworm@lemmy.world 1 year ago
have you thought of trying YouTube through Firefox with add-ons or maybe Revanced (if you’re in Android)? I’m sure that this will solve the screen off issue without the need for a subscription
Locrin@lemmy.world 1 year ago
I only had the lite version of premium so I could watch youtube adfree on my phone and tv, but then they started pushing shorts so hard I had to scroll past them to see my subscriptions so I cancelled. Using adblock in desktop browser now so I can block the shorts shelf.
jungekatz@lemmy.world 1 year ago
Android tv has mysmarttube , adfree youtube
tryptaminev@feddit.de 1 year ago
obligatory notion that you can watch youtube on firefox mobile with ublick and even an extension so the video keeps playing without the screen on.
Locrin@lemmy.world 1 year ago
Yeah, thanks. On iPhone tho and it seems a bit more restricted there.
Goatastic@lemmy.world 1 year ago
This is why I’m starting to use newpipe
scarabic@lemmy.world 1 year ago
Christ. I am a premium subscriber for years but it’s always been on the edge of too expensive even as it is. They’re really pushing it.
Lemmy72737@lemmy.world 1 year ago
Every month I debate whether it’s worth it or not. Now it’s definitely not worth it.
GatoB@lemmy.world 1 year ago
Totally not worth it, uBlock Firefox addon and done
PatientExpired@lemmy.world 1 year ago
oooh I can feel something big is coming - them testing the anti-adblock and raising the prices at the same time. Spotify is going to be in a weird place for me if this goes through.
Youtube blocks adblockers ➡️ More people are “forced” to subscribe to Youtube Premium ➡️ Because of higher price that includes YT music, not sure whether I’ll need Spotify too ➡️ Youtube wins
BromSwolligans@lemmy.world 1 year ago
Spotify has higher bitrate files than YT Music.
PatientExpired@lemmy.world 1 year ago
Don’t think most of us with Bluetooth earbuds can tell the difference 🥲
uollano@hexagonsun.one 1 year ago
Well, I guess I bought the yearly sub in Turkish liras just in time (about $20/year)
iamhangry@programming.dev 1 year ago
Exactly. 13 a month is better to just download Adblock and work on the alternatives. 20 a year, considering the amount of youtube and youtube music I use is a great deal.
aggelalex@lemmy.world 1 year ago
At this point subscribing to YouTube is just one of the dumbest decisions you can make.
Pat@kbin.run 1 year ago
I pay for YouTube premium family as much as I hate doing it, mainly because of my step daughter. It's not easy to block YouTube ads on Roku, and my wife and I weren't a fan of the ads they would be showing before videos we would put on. She travels to her dad's place often so I have the family plan so no matter where she is she won't have to deal with ads.
Rather not be raising a child messed up by advertisements telling her what to think. When she gets a bit older and can understand what advertisements are I'll finally cancel, but she's very young and impressionable.
SamXavia@kbin.social 1 year ago
@aggelalex As a person using YouTube Premium due to my family not understanding how to remove YouTube Ads from there devices, Yes yes it is.
Grant_M@lemmy.ca 1 year ago
Want to fight back? Ask a friend to delete google chrome and switch out of gmail and tell them why.
cyberpunk007@lemmy.world 1 year ago
So first.they butcher Google play music by making it YouTube oremtand now this. Fuck that. Unlock forever. And when it stops working I’ll stop engaging. Sorry Google, but fuck you
yuunikki@lemmy.world 1 year ago
[deleted]BraveSirZaphod@kbin.social 1 year ago
If everyone was like you, YouTube wouldn't exist and all those creators wouldn't be able to do what they do.
Things have costs. You thinking that you're entitled to people's labor for free makes you selfish and entitled, not smart.
"People who actually pay for food when it's possible to just shoplift from grocery stores or dine and dash are idiots!"
Obviously digital content isn't directly analogous to physical theft, but go ask your favorite creators if they'd be okay with all their revenue going to zero.
SmellyHamWallet@lemmy.world 1 year ago
I can’t put those add-on’s/apps onto my TV tho.
coleseph@lemmy.world 1 year ago
That’s a wide brush you’re painting with.
YouTube is the largest repository of information and entertainment in the world and it isn’t cheap to run. I also want to support the small creators that I watch so that it remains a viable income stream and they keep serving me content I consume.
Fuck a price hike and fuck corpo google shit but this is still a steal for my personal watching habits
snake_case@feddit.uk 1 year ago
I’m still not going to subscribe, weren’t they worried about the amount of subscribers the other week!?
problematicPanther@lemmy.world 1 year ago
Holy greed!