YouTube Premium hikes up subscription prices in some markets

YouTube Premium is a subscription service that offers ad-free and offline viewing of YouTube videos. Now, YouTube has announced a price increase for some of its premium services in international markets.

The price hike will be applicable from November 1 in Argentina, Australia, Austria, Chile, Germany, Poland, and Turkey. The new prices will affect individual, family, and student plans for both YouTube Premium and YouTube Music Premium.

YouTube stated that this is the first time that some of these countries, such as Australia, have experienced a price increase for the service. In Australia, YouTube Premium Individual will now charge A$16.99 per month. Existing subscribers will maintain their current rate for a minimum of three more months before the new pricing becomes effective.

YouTube said that the price increase was necessary to “continue to improve Premium and support the creators and artists you watch on YouTube.” The company also cited the recent addition of new features to the service, such as 1080p Premium streaming quality, co-watching in Google Meet, and early access to experimental features.

The price increase comes amid other changes to YouTube’s platform, such as the global ban on ad blockers and the rollout of new app features. Users who want to avoid ads and enjoy other benefits of YouTube Premium can still subscribe to the service online at a lower price than through the iOS App Store.