Is YouTube Premium Worth It?

Advertiser Disclosure: At Slickdeals, we work hard to find the best deals. Some products in our articles are from partners who may provide us with compensation, but this doesn’t change our opinions. Our editors strive to ensure that the information in this article is accurate as of the date published, but please keep in mind that offers can change. We encourage you to verify all terms and conditions of any product before you apply.

Many of us are on YouTube daily for videos ranging from entertaining and silly reels to educational and informative clips. Just when the video gets to the good parts, an ad usually cuts in and you have to wait. Are you tired of getting interrupted by these ads when you watch videos?  

But there is a solution to your problem, and that is through signing up for YouTube Premium. We’ll break down what YouTube Premium is, what’s included and whether it’s worth paying for a subscription. 

What is YouTube Premium?

YouTube Premium, formerly known as YouTube Red, is YouTube’s paid subscription service that offers its subscribers an ad-free viewing experience, along with other premium features. 

When you subscribe to a YouTube Premium plan, you have enhanced access to a ton of additional features, including: 

• No Ads: You can watch videos without getting interrupted by advertisements. 
• Background Play: Your videos and music will continue to play in the background when you are using other apps or even when your screen is locked. 
• Download Videos to View Offline: Along with the ad-free experience, you can also download videos so you can view them without internet access, which is especially useful if you are somewhere with no internet access like a plane.
• Access to YouTube Music Premium and YouTube Kids: Moreover, you’ll also get unlimited access to both YouTube Music Premium and YouTube Kids, two more apps that you can download on your tablet or mobile device.

If you’re already an everyday YouTube user, YouTube Premium can be a great investment for a comfortable ad-free experience while being able to unlock additional content. 

How Much Does YouTube Premium Cost?

You can sign up for a YouTube Premium plan for only $11.99 per month. It is a recurring billing plan every month, but the good news is that you can cancel anytime and rejoin whenever you’re ready again. 

Once you cancel, your account will simply revert to the regular free YouTube account where you can still access a ton of videos but with ads. 

Does YouTube Premium Have a Free Trial?

If you are new to the YouTube Premium plan, you can start out with a free trial that will last for one month. This will give you some time to enjoy the full YouTube Premium experience, and see for yourself if it’s worth subscribing to. 

Seven days before the free trial ends, you’ll get a notification from YouTube reminding you about the end of your trial so you can take action and cancel before you are billed for $11.99 a month. 

What are the Current Deals on YouTube Premium?

If you’re operating under a tight budget and you want to save up a couple of bucks, you might want to look into scoring one of these YouTube Premium deals.

Here are several ways to save on YouTube Premium:

1. Annual Plans

YouTube offers annual plans for new or existing YouTube Premium users. Instead of paying $11.99 every month — which would amount to $143.88 for twelve months — users who sign up for the YouTube Premium annual plan will only pay $107.99 upfront. It means that by purchasing the annual plan, you’ll be able to save $3 every month or roughly $36 every year. 

You also have to take note annual plans don’t require you to commit to a recurring billing, which means that you have to manually renew your subscription after every twelve months.

2. YouTube Premium Family

If you’re living with your family and you also want them to enjoy an ad-free viewing experience, then go ahead and opt for a YouTube Premium Family plan.

Through the YouTube Premium Family plan, you can share your membership with up to five family members, provided that they are at the same residential address. Each person can create individual accounts so even if five of you are under the same plan, you can still personalize your accounts.

Similar to the individual plans, you and your family members will get a free one-month trial first before you commit to a monthly paid membership. After the free trial, you can sign up for the YouTube Premium Family plan for only $17.99 per month.

3. YouTube Premium Student

YouTube Premium also provides discounts for eligible students, and the only requirement is that you are enrolled as a student at a higher education institution in a country where YouTube Premium student memberships are available. You can check out the list of participating countries here. The YouTube Premium Student plan is offered at a very affordable cost of only $4.99 per month.

What Can You Watch on YouTube Premium?

Along with enjoying ad-free streaming and downloadable videos, YouTube Premium subscribers can also watch all YouTube Originals series and movies. 

YouTube Originals boasts some of the best TV shows and docuseries out there, including:

• Cobra Kai series
• Impulse
• Wayne
• Champaign ILL
• Mind Field
• Best Shot
• Sherwood
• Weird City
• Lifeline
• Origin
• BTS: Burn the Stage

Is YouTube Premium Free With Amazon Prime?

YouTube Premium is not offered free with an Amazon Prime subscription. If you’re an Amazon Prime member, you will need to pay for a YouTube Premium subscription in order to enjoy the services.

Is YouTube Premium Lite Available in the U.S.?

YouTube Premium Lite is currently not available in the United States, and there are no news yet of this being offered to U.S. subscribers. YouTube has been testing the services of YouTube Premium Lite in parts of Europe, such as Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden. Subscribing to a YouTube Premium Lite plan will allow you to watch ad-free videos, but the service does not include YouTube Premium’s staple features such as background playback and offline downloads.

Is YouTube Premium Worth It?

YouTube Premium is worth it for avid YouTube users who want a completely ad-free experience while watching content from your favorite YouTube content creators and listening to your favorite artists through YouTube Music Premium. If you travel often or spend time in areas without internet access, subscribing to YouTube Premium will allow you to download videos from YouTube’s extensive video library. The convenience of background play makes this a worthy rival to music streamers like Spotify or Tidal.

If you are still on the fence, sign up for the month free trial and see how much you use the service.