YouTube hikes up Premium price after introducing pause screen ads

YouTube is raising Premium subscription prices outside the U.S., impacting both individual and family plans.

YouTube Premium has infamously increased its prices multiple times since 2022. The last significant price increase in the U.S. occurred in July 2023, followed by an international hike in November.

Now, less than a year later, YouTube is raising its membership fees for subscribers once again, but this time only for subscribers outside the U.S.

In a Reddit post from September 21, several users reported receiving an email notifying them of a huge increase in their Premium subscription fee, with some experiencing hikes of up to 50%. They’ve been informed that the new prices will take effect in November.

“Very much considering cancelling now,” one person wrote. “It’s actually a 100% decrease because it made me cancel my subscription immediately,” another said. “It’s their way of telling you to cancel your subscription,” a third added.

Unsplash: @vmxhu

The increased subscription fee affects both individual and family YouTube Premium plans. Starting in November, YouTube’s Family plan will cost €26 in Ireland, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Italy, up from €18 – an €8 increase. Meanwhile, the individual plan will rise by €2 to €14 in these countries.

In Switzerland, the Family subscription price is increasing from 24 CHF to 34 CHF. The individual plan will also rise by 2 CHF, reaching 18 CHF. Likewise, in Sweden, the YouTube Family subscription fee will jump from 179 SEK to 279 SEK.

If you’ve subscribed to YouTube through the iOS App Store, you may notice an even larger price increase starting with the November billing cycle.

This price hike coincides with YouTube’s efforts to introduce new advertising strategies for regular users. After launching unskippable ads on smart TVs last year, the company announced on September 19 the introduction of pause screen ads, which will show on your screen when you pause a video.