YouTube's subscription tiers and their monthly prices
YouTube offers three paid subscription tiers in the United States: YouTube Premium at $13.99 per month, YouTube Premium Family at $22.99 per month for up to six household members, and YouTube Music Premium at $11.99 per month. Prices vary by country and change periodically, so the amounts you see in your own account may differ from these figures.
YouTube Premium removes ads from videos, lets you read videos to watch offline, and enables background play so videos keep running when you close the app or lock your phone. YouTube Premium Family spreads the cost across multiple people in your household, each with their own account and recommendations. YouTube Music Premium is a separate service focused on music streaming rather than general video content.
YouTube also offers a free tier with ads. You do not have to pay anything to watch videos on YouTube — the ads are how YouTube pays creators. The paid subscriptions remove those ads and add specific features.
Key Takeaways
- YouTube Premium costs $13.99 monthly in the US and removes ads, enables offline downloads, and allows background play on phones.
- YouTube Premium Family costs $22.99 monthly and covers up to six household members, each with separate accounts and watch histories.
- YouTube Music Premium costs $11.99 monthly and focuses on music streaming rather than general video content.
- Prices vary by country and YouTube changes them periodically, so check your account settings to see the current price in your region.
- Free YouTube with ads remains available — paid subscriptions are optional, not required to use the platform.
How YouTube Premium differs from YouTube Music Premium
YouTube Premium is a video service. It removes ads from all YouTube videos, lets you save videos to your phone or tablet to watch later without an internet connection, and keeps videos playing in the background when you switch apps or turn off your screen. If you watch YouTube on a TV, phone, and computer, Premium works across all of them with the same account.
YouTube Music Premium is a music streaming service, similar to Spotify or Apple Music. It focuses on music, podcasts, and audio content rather than general videos. You get ad-free listening, offline downloads for music, and background play. If you subscribe to YouTube Music Premium, you do not automatically get YouTube Premium — they are separate services with separate costs.
Some people subscribe to both. Others choose one based on what they use most. If you primarily watch music videos and listen to music on YouTube, YouTube Music Premium might be the better value. If you watch a mix of videos — tutorials, news, entertainment, educational content — YouTube Premium covers all of it.
What the Family plan includes and how it works
YouTube Premium Family adds up to five other people to your subscription for $22.99 per month. Each person gets their own YouTube account with their own watch history, recommendations, and settings. The subscription covers all six accounts on the same plan.
Family members do not need to live in the same house, though YouTube's terms state the plan is intended for people in the same household. Each person can use Premium on their own devices — phones, tablets, computers, smart TVs — and the features work the same way as an individual Premium subscription.
If someone leaves the family group, you can remove them and add someone else. YouTube does not charge extra for switching members in and out, though there are limits on how often you can change the group.
How to check your current subscription status and billing
Open YouTube on any device and go to your account menu — usually a circle with your initial or profile picture in the top right corner. Select "Purchases and memberships" or "Memberships." You will see whether you have an active subscription, what type it is, and when your next billing date is.
If you subscribed through YouTube's website, your payment method is on file and YouTube charges you automatically each month on the same date. If you subscribed through an app on iPhone or Android, Apple or Google handles the billing instead, and you manage the subscription through your phone's settings.
You can cancel your subscription at any time from the same menu. YouTube does not charge you for the rest of the month — your access continues until your current billing period ends, then stops.
Student discounts and other ways to reduce the cost
YouTube offers a discounted Premium subscription for students in the United States and some other countries. The student price is $6.99 per month instead of $13.99. To use it, you need a valid student email address or a Student Beans account that verifies your enrollment.
Some internet service providers and phone carriers bundle YouTube Premium with other services at a lower combined price. Verizon, for example, has offered YouTube Premium as part of certain phone plans. Check with your provider to see whether they offer any bundled options.
YouTube Premium is sometimes included free with other subscriptions. Google One, Google's cloud storage and benefits service, includes YouTube Premium in some of its higher tiers. If you already pay for Google One, check whether your plan includes Premium before paying separately.
Why YouTube charges for subscriptions and what the money funds
YouTube's free service with ads is how the platform makes money from most users. Creators earn a share of the ad revenue from videos people watch. When you pay for YouTube Premium, you are paying YouTube directly instead of watching ads, and YouTube shares some of that subscription money with creators whose content you watch.
The subscription revenue funds YouTube's infrastructure — the servers that store and stream billions of hours of video, the payment systems that send money to creators, and the moderation and support teams that manage the platform. It also funds YouTube's development of new features like offline downloads and background play.
Creators do not earn money from your Premium subscription unless you actually watch their videos. If you subscribe but never watch a particular creator's content, that creator does not receive payment from your subscription.
What happens if you cancel or let your subscription expire
When your subscription ends, ads return to all videos. Offline downloads you made while subscribed remain on your device and stay playable, but you cannot read new videos. Background play stops working — videos pause when you switch apps or lock your phone.
Your watch history, playlists, and subscriptions to channels remain in your account. If you resubscribe later, everything is still there. YouTube does not delete your account or your data when a subscription ends.
If you are on a Family plan and the plan owner cancels, all six members lose Premium access. The plan owner can remove individual members without canceling the whole subscription — those members lose access but the others keep it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I try YouTube Premium for free before paying?
YouTube sometimes offers a free trial period for new subscribers, usually one month. The trial is not always available — it depends on your country and whether you have subscribed before. When you start a trial, YouTube requires a payment method on file, and charges you when the trial ends unless you cancel beforehand.
Do I need YouTube Premium to upload videos?
No. You can upload videos, create playlists, and use most YouTube features without paying. Some features like custom thumbnails and live streaming require a verified account, but not a paid subscription. YouTube Premium is only for removing ads and adding playback features.
If I share my YouTube Premium login with someone outside my household, will YouTube know?
YouTube's terms of service state that Premium is for personal use and not meant to be shared outside your household. YouTube can detect unusual login patterns — logging in from very different locations at the same time, for example — but does not actively police casual sharing. The Family plan exists specifically so you do not have to share a single login.
What is the difference between YouTube Premium and YouTube TV?
YouTube Premium removes ads from YouTube videos and adds playback features. YouTube TV is a separate service that streams live television channels like ESPN, CNN, and local news. They are different products with different prices. YouTube TV costs more and requires a separate subscription.
Can I use YouTube Premium on multiple devices at the same time?
Yes, with limits. You can watch on multiple devices, but YouTube limits simultaneous streams — typically you can watch on one or two devices at the same time depending on your subscription type. The Family plan allows more simultaneous streams than an individual Premium subscription.