YouTube Premium costs $13.99 per month for one person, or $22.99 per month for a household plan
YouTube Premium is the paid tier that removes ads from videos. The single-person plan runs $13.99 per month. If you want to share access with family members in your home, YouTube Premium Family costs $22.99 per month and lets up to six people each have their own account with ad-free viewing.
YouTube also offers YouTube Music Premium bundled with YouTube Premium for $14.99 per month (single) or $23.99 per month (family). This is the same price as YouTube Premium alone if you choose the music bundle, so you are not paying extra for the music service.
Prices in other countries vary. The UK charges £12.99 per month for single Premium and £19.99 for family. Canada charges CAD $14.99 and CAD $24.99. These are the prices YouTube lists as of now, but subscription services change their rates regularly — check YouTube's pricing page directly before you commit.
Key Takeaways
- YouTube Premium removes ads from videos and costs $13.99 per month for one person or $22.99 per month for up to six household members.
- YouTube Premium Family lets each person maintain separate watch history and recommendations, unlike a shared account.
- You can cancel anytime with no contract, but you lose ad-free viewing when ready once your subscription ends.
- YouTube Premium also includes offline read and background play, which let you watch videos without an internet connection or while using other apps.
What you get with YouTube Premium beyond ad removal
Removing ads is the main feature, but YouTube Premium includes three other things. Background play lets you close the YouTube app or lock your phone while a video keeps playing — useful for music or podcasts. Offline read lets you save videos to your phone to watch later without internet. Picture-in-picture shrinks the video into a small window so you can use other apps while watching.
These features matter more to some people than others. If you mostly watch YouTube on a computer and do not mind ads, you are paying for background play and offline read. If you watch mostly on your phone, background play is the feature that changes how you use the service.
How YouTube Premium Family works and who can join
YouTube Premium Family is one subscription that covers up to six people. Each person gets their own Google account and their own YouTube account — you are not sharing a login. Each person sees their own recommendations, watch history, and subscriptions. YouTube checks that everyone in the family lives at the same address, though it does this by asking you to confirm, not by verifying your location data.
If someone in the family moves out, you can remove them from the plan and add someone else. YouTube does not enforce the "same address" rule strictly, but the terms of service say it is for people who live together. If you add someone who does not live with you, you are technically violating the terms, though YouTube rarely enforces this unless someone reports it.
The difference between YouTube Premium and YouTube TV
YouTube Premium and YouTube TV are two separate services that people often confuse. YouTube Premium removes ads from the regular YouTube app and website — the same place you watch now. YouTube TV is a live television service that costs $72.99 per month and includes channels like ESPN, CNN, and local broadcast stations. You do not need YouTube TV to watch YouTube videos, and you do not need YouTube Premium to watch YouTube TV (though you can subscribe to both).
YouTube TV also includes cloud storage for recordings and the ability to watch on multiple screens at once, depending on your plan. If you are trying to replace cable television, YouTube TV is what you are looking for. If you just want to remove ads from YouTube videos, YouTube Premium is the right choice.
What data YouTube collects from Premium subscribers
YouTube Premium does not change what data YouTube collects about you. Whether you pay or not, YouTube tracks what you watch, how long you watch it, what you search for, and what device you use. YouTube uses this data to build your recommendations and to sell advertising to other companies (though your Premium subscription means you do not see those ads yourself).
Paying for YouTube Premium removes the ads you see, but it does not remove the tracking. If you want to reduce how much YouTube knows about your viewing, you can use YouTube's privacy settings to pause your watch history or search history — these settings work the same way whether you have Premium or not. You can also use a browser extension that blocks tracking, though YouTube's terms of service technically prohibit this.
How to cancel YouTube Premium and what happens next
You can cancel YouTube Premium anytime through your Google Account settings. Go to Manage Your Google Account, then the Payments and Subscriptions tab, then YouTube Premium. Click Cancel Membership and confirm. You lose Premium features when ready — ads return right away, and you can no longer read videos or use background play.
If you paid monthly, you do not get a refund for the current month. If you paid for a year upfront, YouTube refunds the unused portion. You can restart Premium anytime by going back to the same settings and clicking Rejoin.
YouTube Premium free trial and student discounts
YouTube sometimes offers a one-month free trial of YouTube Premium, though this offer changes and is not always available. Check your YouTube app or account settings to see if a trial is available to you — if it is, you will see a button to start it.
YouTube Premium for students costs $6.99 per month if you are enrolled in an accredited school and can verify your student status through SheerID. This is roughly half the regular price. You lose the student discount once you graduate or leave school, and YouTube will ask you to verify your status again if you cancel and rejoin.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use YouTube Premium on multiple devices at the same time?
Yes. With a single YouTube Premium account, you can watch on as many devices as you want, but only one stream can play at a time. If you start a video on your phone and then start a different video on your computer, the phone stream stops. YouTube Premium Family lets each of the six members stream at the same time on their own accounts.
Do I have to use YouTube Premium Family, or can I just share my single account?
You can share a single Premium account with other people, but they will see your watch history and recommendations, and you will see theirs. YouTube Premium Family costs only $9 more per month and gives each person their own separate account, so most families find it worth the difference.
What happens to my videos and playlists if I cancel?
Your videos, playlists, and subscriptions stay on your account forever. Canceling Premium only removes the ad-free viewing, background play, and offline read features. You can still watch everything you saved and use YouTube normally — you just see ads again.
Can I pause my YouTube Premium subscription instead of canceling?
YouTube does not have an official pause feature. You can cancel and rejoin anytime, but there is no way to temporarily freeze your subscription without losing Premium features. Some people cancel for a month or two and rejoin later if they need a break.
Is YouTube Premium worth it if I use an ad blocker?
An ad blocker removes ads for free, so from a pure cost perspective, you are paying for background play, offline read, and picture-in-picture instead. Whether that is worth $13.99 per month depends on how much you use those features. YouTube's terms of service prohibit ad blockers, so using one carries the risk that YouTube could restrict your account.