Image of YouTube Premium

YouTube Premium

Product

A subscription service with approximately 125 million subscribers that offers an ad-free viewing experience on YouTube and bundles in the YouTube Music service.


First Mentioned

10/9/2025, 5:01:46 AM

Last Updated

10/9/2025, 5:03:13 AM

Research Retrieved

10/9/2025, 5:03:13 AM

Summary

YouTube Premium is a comprehensive subscription service offered by YouTube, providing an enhanced, ad-free viewing experience across the platform. It originated as Music Key on November 14, 2014, focusing on ad-free music video streaming, before expanding its scope and rebranding as YouTube Red on October 31, 2015, to cover all YouTube content. The service adopted its current name, YouTube Premium, on May 17, 2018, a change that coincided with the reintroduction of a separate YouTube Music subscription. Key benefits include uninterrupted ad-free access to all videos, offline downloads, background playback on mobile devices, access to premium YouTube Originals, and full access to YouTube Music Premium. As of recent reports, YouTube Premium has garnered over 125 million subscribers, and discussions have emerged regarding potentially making some original content available on an ad-supported basis. YouTube CEO Neal Mohan highlighted its success as a key subscription product during an interview on the All-In Podcast.

Referenced in 1 Document
Research Data
Extracted Attributes
  • Type

    Subscription service

  • Trial Offer

    1-month trial for $0

  • Current Name

    YouTube Premium

  • Headquarters

    San Bruno, California, USA

  • Key Features

    Ad-free access to all YouTube content, download videos for offline viewing, background playback on mobile devices, access to premium YouTube Originals programming, access to YouTube Music Premium, enhanced bitrate 1080p Premium video quality, queueing on mobile devices, smart downloads, listening controls, Google Meet live sharing, Premium afterparties

  • Owner/Operator

    YouTube

  • Previous Names

    Music Key, YouTube Red

  • Subscriber Count

    Over 125 million

  • Individual Plan Price

    $13.99/month

  • Premium Lite Plan Price

    $7.99/month

  • Inception Date (as Music Key)

    2014-11-14

Timeline
  • Service launched as 'Music Key', offering ad-free streaming of music videos from participating labels on YouTube and Google Play Music. (Source: summary, wikipedia, wikidata, dbpedia)

    2014-11-14

  • Service was revised and relaunched as 'YouTube Red', expanding its scope to offer advertisement-free access to all YouTube videos, not just music. (Source: summary, dbpedia)

    2015-10-31

  • Service was rebranded as 'YouTube Premium', coinciding with the return of a separate YouTube Music subscription service. (Source: summary, wikipedia, dbpedia)

    2018-05-17

  • Reports indicated YouTube was planning to make some original content associated with the service available on an ad-supported basis. (Source: wikipedia, dbpedia)

    2018-XX-XX

  • YouTube Premium boasts over 125 million subscribers, as highlighted by YouTube CEO Neal Mohan. (Source: related_documents, wikipedia)

    Recent

  • Introduced '1080p Premium', an enhanced bitrate version of 1080p for higher quality viewing. (Source: web_search_results)

    Recent

  • Introduced 'YouTube Premium Lite' as a cheaper plan focusing primarily on ad-free viewing. (Source: web_search_results)

    Recent

YouTube Premium

YouTube Premium (formerly Music Key and YouTube Red) is a subscription service offered by the American video platform YouTube. The service provides ad-free access to content across the service, as well as access to premium YouTube Originals programming produced in collaboration with the site's creators, ability to download videos and listen background playback of videos on mobile devices, and access to the music streaming service, YouTube Music, along with other benefits. It has over 125 million subscribers. The service was originally launched on November 14, 2014, as Music Key, offering advertisement-free streaming of music videos from participating labels on YouTube and Google Play Music. The service was then revised and relaunched as YouTube Red on October 21, 2015, expanding its scope to offer advertisement-free access to all YouTube videos, as opposed to just music. YouTube announced the rebranding of the service as YouTube Premium on May 17, 2018, alongside the return of a separate, YouTube Music subscription service. Later in the year, it was reported that YouTube was planning to make some of the original content associated with the service available on an ad-supported basis.

Web Search Results
  • Use your YouTube Premium benefits - Google Help

    YouTube Premium is a paid membership that amplifies your experience on YouTube. Learn more about Premium benefits below, or browse Premium membership offerings. Understand all that Premium has to offer with the Your Premium benefits page Watch videos without ads With YouTube Premium, you can watch millions of videos without interruptions by ads before and during a video. You will also not see third-party banner ads and search ads. [...] With your Premium membership, you can continue watching videos right where you left off for an uninterrupted viewing experience. If you stop watching a video, we’ll save your spot so that you can resume watching videos across multiple devices. Available on: YouTube Premium. Modify playback with Premium controls With a Premium membership, you can multi-task and enjoy videos at your own speed with Premium controls. Skip through content, change your playback speed, and more. [...] With YouTube Premium, you can watch videos in 1080p Premium. 1080p Premium is an enhanced bitrate version of 1080p. An enhanced bitrate provides more information per pixel, resulting in a higher quality viewing experience. Videos are only eligible for an enhanced bitrate if they were uploaded in 1080p. You won’t find the 1080p Premium option for: Live Streams Shorts Videos uploaded at resolutions higher or lower than 1080p

  • Understand all that Premium has to offer with the Your ... - YouTube

    The YouTube Premium membership gives you more control over your YouTube experience with exclusive access to features like queueing on mobile devices, smart downloads, and listening controls. In addition to an uninterrupted experience and greater control, Premium members experience higher video quality, the ability to connect with friends and family through Google Meet live sharing, and Premium afterparties to engage with the artists and Creators they love. [...] As a Premium member, you experience a YouTube that is ad-free, where you can download videos to watch offline; and watch videos uninterrupted in the background - even when you open another app. Premium members also get access to YouTube Music Premium - our dedicated music streaming service with over 100 million songs. [...] uninterrupted in the background even when you open another app. Premium members also get access to YouTube Music Premium our dedicated music streaming service with over 100 million songs. YouTube Music Premium is also an ad-free experience that lets you enjoy music whether the screen is locked or you're using other apps. Use the YouTube Music app to download your favorite songs, artists, and albums to enjoy any time. The YouTube Premium membership gives you

  • Get YouTube Premium

    Premium offers an ad-free experience across all of YouTube and YouTube Kids. Premium membership also includes YouTube Music Premium, where you can listen to more than 100 million songs ad-free. With Premium, you can also download videos to watch offline and play videos in the background while you use other apps or your screen is locked. [...] Premium offers an ad-free experience across all of YouTube and YouTube Kids. Premium membership also includes YouTube Music Premium, where you can listen to more than 100 million songs ad-free. With Premium, you can also download videos to watch offline and play videos in the background while you use other apps or your screen is locked. [...] Download your favorite videos to enjoy them anytime, anywhere, with or without internet. Play YouTube in the background Continue watching your videos whether your screen is off or you’re using other apps. Ready to try Premium? 1-month trial for $0 • Then $13.99⁠/⁠month • Cancel anytime Try 1 month for $0 Recurring billing. Restrictions apply. Have questions? Contact us. Compare memberships Premium $13.99​/month Cancel anytime New Premium Lite $7.99​/month Cancel anytime

  • How Much Does YouTube Premium Cost? - NerdWallet

    YouTube Premium is the YouTube you know and love — but, without the ads. You can enjoy content from your favorite creators and watch everything from shorts to full-length videos without any interruptions. YouTube Premium costs $13.99 per month for an individual plan. The membership includes ad-free access to YouTube Music too. [...] The premium version allows you to continue playing videos on your smartphone while your screen is off or while you’re using other apps. You can also download videos to watch offline. A YouTube Premium subscription includes full access to YouTube Music. ## YouTube Premium pricing YouTube Premium costs vary based on what type of plan you're eligible for. The primary plan for individuals costs $13.99 monthly and there are four other plan options you can choose from. ### Plan options [...] YouTube Music is YouTube’s answer to streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music. The premium version of YouTube Music gives you ad-free access to songs and videos in the YouTube Music library, which you can also download to enjoy offline. You can also play music in the background while using other apps, or listen without loading the video.

  • YouTube Just Launched a Cheaper Premium Plan!

    hey everybody Michael here and I'm back with a brand new way to save on YouTube premium it's called YouTube premium light and the price is only $7.99 a month that is a $6 a month savings compared to the full YouTube premium which is $13.99 a month at recording time so let's take a look at the differences between these two plans with premium light most videos are still going to be add free this chart mentions gaming fashion Beauty and news just a few examples but there will be ads for at least

YouTube Premium (formerly Music Key and YouTube Red) is a subscription service offered by the video platform YouTube. The service provides ad-free access to content across the service, as well as access to premium YouTube Originals programming produced in collaboration with the site's creators, downloading videos and background playback of videos on mobile devices, and access to the YouTube Music music streaming service. The service was originally launched on November 14, 2014, as Music Key, offering advertisement-free streaming of music videos from participating labels on YouTube and Google Play Music. The service was then revised and relaunched as YouTube Red on October 31, 2015, expanding its scope to offer advertisement-free access to all YouTube videos, as opposed to just music. YouTube announced the rebranding of the service as YouTube Premium on May 17, 2018, alongside the return of a separate, YouTube Music subscription service. Later in the year, it was reported that YouTube was planning to make some of the original content associated with the service available on an ad-supported basis.

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