Regardless of solely subscribing to the service for 2 months in 2023, YouTube Premium has been a relentless companion on my telephone, laptop, and TV.
From mild reminders that I would not have to look at one other five-minute advert if I subscribed, to full-screen adverts, Google is unrelenting in its efforts to make me be part of YouTube Premium.
On the floor, YouTube Premium regarded prefer it supplied superb worth after I first subscribed. No adverts, entry to the 100+ million songs and podcasts on YouTube Music, offline movies, and background play are all substantial advantages.
Nonetheless, after I took a better look, I spotted that a lot of this worth was superficial, and canceled my subscription. Here is why.
YouTube Music is a poor substitute for a devoted music app
In the event you simply need music, YouTube Music won’t be for you
What made me initially subscribe to YouTube Premium wasn’t ad-free movies or offline viewing; it was YouTube Music. I hearken to music for hours daily, and YouTube Music seemed to be the proper resolution for my music wants.
Because of the huge library of YouTube movies, YouTube Music faucets right into a world of music that apps like Spotify and Apple Music cannot contact. It is significantly robust for reside performances and area of interest remixes.
The app’s suggestions are additionally good, due to the wealth of knowledge Google has on you. You are extra more likely to discover related clips and movies of your favourite bands than on Spotify, for instance.
YouTube Music is way over a music app. It is a platform for podcasts, music movies, reside performances, quick movies, and extra. However should you, like me, solely care about music, you may discover the app a clunky mess that impedes you from listening to the music you need.
I wish to extract the best worth from my subscriptions. I will pay for a month of Netflix, watch the flicks I need, then cancel it earlier than it renews, and repeat the method with Disney+.
Not utilizing YouTube Music means the largest advantage of the $13.99 subscription is irrelevant.
Background play and offline movies are fascinating, however irrelevant
Offline listening is simply sporadically helpful
Aside from ad-free YouTube Music, the opposite two distinctive advantages of a YouTube Premium subscription are offline movies and background play. However offline movies imply little in 2025, and locking background play behind a paywall is insulting.
We’re gone the age the place we now have to ration out the meager quantities of cellular information included in our cellular plans. Limitless information cellular plans are commonplace, and even restricted information plans are measured within the tens of gigabytes.
In the event you hold up-to-date on the perfect worth telephone plans, you may by no means want to fret about operating out of knowledge whereas streaming YouTube.
Nonetheless, limitless cellular information plans price extra. Verizon’s pay as you go Limitless plan prices $50 a month, whereas its 15GB plan prices $35 a month.
So, quite than paying $14 a month for YouTube Premium, improve to Verizon’s limitless information for $1 a month greater than your Premium subscription. It is a considerably higher method to spend your cash.
Downloading movies continues to be helpful, however YouTube is experimenting with providing free downloads at decrease high quality. This restricted model of downloads is a lot for the occasional information drought.
Background play is a helpful function, however do you know it was free? Google locked background play behind a paywall years in the past, and I’ve by no means forgiven the corporate for it.
I am superb with Google including new options to its subscription service, however transferring beforehand free options, particularly a staple of media apps like background play, behind a paywall is just too irritating to forgive.
Advert-free listening is not price $7.99 a month
There are higher methods to spend this cash
That is the purpose within the article the place the imaginary YouTube Premium consultant I’ve conjured for this text would say: “It is superb that you do not like most Premium options, you possibly can subscribe to Premium Lite, which removes all adverts for simply $7.99!”
That is an attractive provide. Advert-free YouTube is the traditional function that varieties the inspiration of the subscription service’s worth. At the very least, on the floor.
The rationale YouTube Premium has been on my thoughts is because of the elevated frequency of adverts as much as 5 minutes lengthy. It is a plague on my YouTube expertise.
There are a few manufacturers specifically that I’ll by no means purchase due to the hours of my life they’ve taken from me by five-minute-long adverts.
I’ve allowed adverts to trouble me as a result of I am conscious that YouTube creators earn 45% to 70% of income from memberships, adverts, and YouTube Reside purchases.
Sure, a portion of income from YouTube Premium additionally goes in the direction of creators, however I might quite make the occasional donation to my favourite creator’s Patreon or purchase one thing from their merch shops. These purchases go a lot additional than the income from adverts or Premium.
And when the adverts get slightly too annoying, I allow my ad-blocker and refresh the web page. I must ceaselessly replace and change ad-blockers to maintain forward of Google, however it’s properly price it for after I run into one other five-minute advert for telephone circumstances.
Advert-free listening simply is not price it for me. Supporting creators straight is healthier for them, and it is easy to bypass the adverts after I must.
Donating even half the price of a Premium Lite subscription to creators has a larger affect.
Pay for the providers you need, not a substandard catch-all expertise
I estimate that I spend about the identical every month as a YouTube Premium subscription on Tidal plus donations to creators.
Whereas that is much less handy than a catch-all subscription for my movies and music, I do know that my cash goes additional by offering me entry to the greatest music app and supporting creators straight.
YouTube will hold bombarding me with adverts to subscribe to Premium, however till it provides significant worth, I will keep away from it as greatest I can.