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Google revives YouTube Premium Lite, but this time with "limited ads"

When it comes to Google and YouTube, the most likely news that you have heard in the past year is that Google is intensifying its fight against content blockers, increasing ads on YouTube, and increasing the price of YouTube Premium.

The price of a premium YouTube subscription varies widely. Users from Switzerland, for instance, pay about $21 per month for a subscription. If you are from Germany, you pay about $13 per month and in Japan, it is about $8 per month for a single subscription. The price range is between $1 and $21 for a single subscription.

Google has been testing a cheaper version of YouTube Premium in some countries last year.

YouTube Premium Lite allowed users from a few select countries, including Denmark, the Netherlands, and Belgium, to subscribe to a cheaper plan. Google cut access to YouTube Music from the Premium Lite plan.

In other words: YouTube Premium Lite subscribers would get an ad-free experience on YouTube for a cheaper price.

Things went very quiet shortly after news broke about YouTube Premium Lite. It appears that Google has now revived the plan, but in different countries.

Goodbye old YouTube Premium Lite - Hello new YouTube Premium Lite

According to Android Authority, Google says that the new YouTube Premium Lite plan has nothing to do with the old. The new plan is available for select users from Australia, Germany, and Thailand at the time.

In Australia and Germany, it is available for about half the price of YouTube Premium. In Australia, select users may subscribe to Premium Lite for $11.99 Australian Dollar. Users from Germany may pay €5.99, roughly $6.50 per month, for the Premium Lite plan.

Here are the core differences between YouTube Premium and Premium Lite:

  • Premium: ad-free, download and play offline, background play, and YouTube Music Premium included.
  • Premium Lite: limited ads, no downloads, play offline, background play, or YouTube Music Premium.

Limited ads, according to YouTube, means that "ads may appear on licensed music content, or when you search or browse". It is therefore not a true ad-free experience. 

Since it is a test, it is possible that Google is going to end Premium Lite for YouTube once again after the test ends.

It all depends on the data that Google gets during the test. If enough users subscribe, it may very well be worth an expansion into different countries.

Closing Words

YouTube Premium Lite is once again in testing. This time with limited ads, which some users may not mind, as ads in videos are not shown for most content. Others may dislike that they pay and still see some ads on the platform.

Also, knowing Google's track record, the revival does not really mean much at this point. Nothing is certain at this point; not the price, not the availability of the plan, not whether it will be around in a week's time or expanded to other countries.

If you ask me, I still think that the plan is priced too high for the likes of many potential subscribers. Pay half the price of a YouTube Premium subscription, but do get some ads while searching, browsing, or playing (select) licensed music content? It sounds like a bad deal and many users may prefer to stick to the trusted content blocker or other solutions when it comes to YouTube.

Would you subscribe to YouTube Premium Lite for half the price of YouTube Premium, if it would launch in your country? Feel free to leave a comment down below.

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