YouTube is expanding its subscription offerings in India with the introduction of Premium Lite. Announced on September 29, this move aims to attract more subscribers to the platform. The new tier costs Rs 89 per month, allowing users to watch videos without ads in various categories, including gaming, comedy, cooking, and learning. However, ads will still be shown on music content, music videos, and YouTube Shorts. Moreover, background playback and offline viewing are not included in this subscription. The rollout across India is anticipated to occur in the coming weeks. The Premium Lite subscription was initially piloted in March, with trials in markets like the United States. This initiative is part of YouTube’s wider strategy to diversify its subscription options, recognizing the importance of subscriptions for growth. YouTube may also introduce a two-person Premium subscription tier for Rs 219 per month, with YouTube Music Premium offered at Rs 149 during its pilot phase. Current plans comprise Student, Individual, and Family options for both YouTube Premium and YouTube Music Premium. All plans are set to experience a price increase, varying from 12% to 58%, in August 2024. Globally, YouTube has surpassed 125 million subscribers across its Music and Premium services. Alphabet, YouTube’s parent company, has achieved over 270 million paid subscriptions, with YouTube and Google One contributing significantly to this success. The launch of Premium Lite is intended to make premium features accessible to a broader audience across different economic segments in India.
