How Much Is YouTube Premium? Plans and Pricing

YouTube Premium is YouTube’s paid subscription service. Paying for it has a few nice features like removing ads and letting you download videos so you can view them offline. With YouTube Premium you can also keep videos playing in the background when you switch apps or lock your phone. These features can make the experience much smoother, especially for people who watch YouTube every day.

But is it worth paying for? That depends on how often you use YouTube, whether ads bother you, and which plan fits your household. Here is a clear breakdown of how much YouTube Premium costs with prices, what each plan includes, and perhaps even a few ways you can pay less.

What Makes YouTube Premium Worth It?

YouTube Premium is a monthly (or yearly) membership that improves the standard YouTube experience and it is a significant improvement compared to what YouTube is today. Premium works across all platforms: the YouTube website, mobile app, smart TVs, tablets, and many other devices.

The main reason people buy YouTube Premium is to get rid of ads. Subscribers can watch most videos without pre-roll, mid-roll, banner, or search ads. Ads can be really annoying, especially when you watch a lot of long videos or need to use YouTube content for work.

YouTube Premium also includes YouTube Music Premium. A paid plan gives you ad-free music, background listening, and offline downloads through the YouTube Music app.

What is Included in YouTube Premium

A standard YouTube Premium subscription includes several useful features:

• Watch most YouTube videos without ads
• Videos continue playing in the background on mobile devices even when you lock your screen
• Download videos and playlists to view offline
• YouTube Music Premium (no additional cost)
• Stream music without ads and download through YouTube Music
• Continued playback across supported devices

Premium is especially useful for people who use YouTube for educational videos, fitness classes, and interviews and don’t want their viewing experience interrupted by ads.

Use YouTube for more? Find out how to extract the content from a YouTube video so you can use it for other things. You can also summarize videos by using YouTube video summary prompts.

If you need something a bit more advanced for transcribing YouTube or recording your meetings, you should check out an AI transcription tool like Summary AI. It can join your meetings, transcribe them, and generate the perfect summaries instantly so you always know what was discussed in your call.

How Much Is YouTube Premium

YouTube Premium offers several plans for different types of users and prices can vary by country. This is often due to taxes, billing platform, and promotional offers, so it is always a good idea to check YouTube’s current subscription page before signing up.

Here’s a quick overview of the different tiers available on YouTube Premium:

• YouTube Premium Lite
  • Price: $8.99
  • Best for: Viewers who mainly want fewer ads
• YouTube Premium Individual
  • Price: $15.99
  • Best for: One user
• YouTube Premium Family
  • Price: $26.99 
  • Best for: Households with multiple users
• YouTube Premium Annual
  • Price: $159.99
  • Best for: One user, willing to pay upfront

Next, we’ll be looking at YouTube Premium’s prices in the United States in more detail to see what each plan includes.

YouTube Premium Pricing Breakdown

The exact cost of YouTube Premium depends on the plan you choose and how you sign up. 

An important thing to remember is that if you subscribe through an Apple device, the price may be higher because of app store billing fees. Signing up through a web browser is often the most affordable option.

Below is a closer look at each major plan.

How Much Is YouTube Premium Lite

YouTube Premium Lite costs $8.99 per month in the US. It is a lower-cost membership for people who want an ad-free viewing experience.

However, Lite does not have all of the same features as full YouTube Premium. Lite may still show ads in some areas of YouTube, including music content, Shorts, and search results. It also does not include:

• YouTube Music Premium
• Background play
• Offline downloads

Premium Lite can make sense if you watch a lot of videos and primarily want fewer interruptions due to ads. But if you listen to music, download videos, or often use YouTube from your phone, the regular plan may be the better choice.

How Much Is Individual YouTube Premium

The individual YouTube Premium plan costs $15.99 per month. It covers one Google account and includes the full set of Premium features.

This plan is a best for a single frequent user. You get ad-free viewing, background playback, offline downloads, and YouTube Music Premium through one membership.

It can be helpful for people who save content before traveling or commuting. Rather than trying to find a work-around for how to download a YouTube clip through third-party tools, subscribers can download certain videos directly inside the official YouTube app for offline viewing.

How Much Is a YouTube Premium Family Plan

The YouTube Premium Family Plan usually costs
$26.99 per month in the United States. It allows the family manager to share Premium with up to five other household members, so it covers a maximum of 6 users in total.

Each person gets their own account, recommendations, watch history, downloaded videos, and playlists.

To qualify, family members need to live at the same residential address as the family manager. Google may periodically verify household eligibility.

How Much Is the YouTube Premium Annual Plan

YouTube also offers an annual individual plan for eligible users. It costs $159.99 upfront in exchange for YouTube Premium access for 12 months.

This plan is best for people who already know they will keep their subscription for the next year.

Transcribe videos with Summary AI

If you use YouTube to learn, research, or review content, Summary AI can help you get more value from every video. Its AI transcription tools turn conversations and meetings into accurate transcripts and clear summaries, making it easier to find key points without replaying everything.