What just happened? Google has raised the subscription cost of YouTube Premium, which provides an ad-free experience on the video sharing platform, in multiple markets worldwide. This latest round of price increases comes just a year after the company hiked rates in the US.
Subscribers in Europe are the hardest hit by the recent price hikes, but users in other regions will also see their bill go up as the new plans take effect. Those subscribing through Apple are facing the steepest increase, while users who sign up or renew directly via the YouTube website will benefit from a discount.
Some of the affected regions include:
The increases have sparked strong reactions from users, with some threatening to cancel their YouTube Premium subscriptions. In response, Google stated that the hikes would enable the company to continue delivering “great service and features” while supporting creators and artists on YouTube.
Google’s reasoning is similar to what was given in last year’s email to US users, where the company emphasized that the increase was necessary to maintain quality service for all users.