YouTube is diversifying its Premium subscription with a more affordable tier. The new tier, YouTube Premium Lite that brings the core offerings of YouTube Premium at a price point that doesn’t break the bank. After an initial offering in US and the UK, the new tier is coming to more markets, including India, Japan and the Philippines.
Premium Lite delivers an ad-free viewing experience for the vast majority of videos on YouTube, including popular content categories like gaming, comedy, fashion, beauty, news, and more. This feature works seamlessly across all compatible devices—from smartphones and laptops to smart TVs and gaming consoles—as long as the user is signed in with the same account.
The introduction of this tier is a direct response to rising criticism that the standard YouTube Premium plan, priced at USD$13.99 (about RM59.97) per month, bundles an unwanted music service and other niche features, making it expensive for those who only want to block video ads. Premium Lite attempts to fix this by offering a solution at roughly half the price.
To maintain the lower price point, the Premium Lite membership strips away several key features that remain exclusive to the full YouTube Premium plan. These are the limitations of the Premium Lite plan:
- No YouTube Music Premium: Users will not get ad-free access to YouTube Music or any music content. Ads may still appear on music videos within the main YouTube app.
- Limited Ad-Removal: While pre-roll ads on long-form videos are removed, advertisements may still appear when watching YouTube Shorts and when a user is searching or browsing the platform.
- No Background Play or Downloads: Premium Lite excludes the ability to download videos for offline viewing and the ability to play videos in the background when the app is minimized or the screen is locked. This feature is often prized by users who consume podcasts or long audio essays while multitasking.
Pricing & Availability
YouTube is actively rolling out the Premium Lite pilot to more countries globally. Users can check for availability by visiting youtube.com/premiumlite.
The pricing structure is significantly lower than the standard Premium rate:
- In the U.S., Premium Lite is priced at $7.99 per month (about RM33.68).
- In India, the plan costs ₹89 per month (approximately $1.07 USD).
- In Great Britain, the cost is £7.99 (about RM43.50) per month.
YouTube emphasises that the Premium Lite rollout is underway, and while full availability may take a few weeks in new markets, its lower price point is designed to bring millions of new users into the paid subscription ecosystem. There is no word yet if the tier will come to Malaysia. However, given the markets that are getting it, it seems like it’s a matter of time.
