YouTube Premium gets a two dollar price hike, now costs $13.99 every month

Google is once again raising the price of YouTube Premium. This time, the service will go up by an additional two dollars, peaking at $13.99 instead of the previous $11.99 USD. That’s an increase that, although seemingly small in the monthly scheme of things, leads to an additional $20 per year out of your pocket when you opt for an annual subscription ($139.99 USD).

It’s not the first time we’re witnessing a price hike from Google’s end. YouTube Premium was formerly known as “YouTube Red”, and when it underwent its rebranding five years ago, the price was nudged up from $9.99 to $11.99 USD. This time, it’s also reflected in the YouTube Music Premium service, which will now cost $10.99 instead of $9.99 – a dollar increase.

Now, I know it sounds like I’m ranting, but let me clarify – despite the rising costs across the board, I still perceive YouTube Premium as a tremendous value. In fact, it’s probably the one subscription I’ll never cancel unless, of course, there are further significant increases over the next few years. At what point does it become untenable? The ad-free experience, and background listening are perks that outweigh the mounting subscription fee – for me, at least.

Previously, Google’s raised the cost of the Family Plan too, so with that on top of the fact that the individual plan now costs more, I’m finding myself less inclined to invest in the Family Plan for myself and my loved ones (something I was just about to do this week!) The story would be different if you had a few people willing to help you pitch for the payment every month and that’s something I definitely recommend!

You may have asked yourself why Google is hiking its prices, and even you probably answered that in your head before finishing the thought. As much as I hate it, it does seem logical for the company to increase the cost of services like YouTube Premium if they garner a significant number of paying members and become highly successful. Premium has zero problem doing exactly that, and Google is making strides to reduce its reliance on ad revenue and to generate income more independently.

Anyway, what’s your take? Are you subscribed to YouTube Premium as a single user or as part of a group? Do you still find the service worthwhile despite the higher price tag? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!