YouTube Premium costs between $8.99 and $26.99 per month, depending on the plan you choose. The standard individual plan is $15.99 per month and comes with ad-free viewing, offline video downloads, background playback and access to YouTube Music Premium.
YouTube Premium plans and pricing
There are four YouTube Premium plan options to choose from.
Plan | Price | Features |
|---|---|---|
Individual | $15.99/month $159.99/year (save 15%) | Includes 2-month free trial. Ad-free videos, background play, downloads, YouTube Music Premium included. |
Family | $26.99/month | Includes 1-month free trial. Covers up to 5 additional household members (ages 13+) with separate Google accounts. |
Student | $8.99/month | Includes 1-month free trial. You must verify student status, valid up to 4 years. |
Premium Lite | $8.99/month | Includes 1-month free trial. Mostly ad-free videos on YouTube and YouTube Kids. Doesn’t include ad-free YouTube Music. |
Sign up directly through a web browser rather than through the Apple App Store, as the Apple App Store price is higher ($20.99 per month for an individual plan).
If you pay for an annual subscription and cancel mid-year, the balance is non-refundable.
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What do you get with YouTube Premium?
Ad-free streaming: Watch videos, podcasts, movies and shows without interruption.
Background play: Videos will continue to play after you switch apps or turn off your screen.
Downloads: Save your favorites for watching offline later, even if you don’t have cell or internet service.
YouTube Music Premium: Get access to more than 100 million ad-free tracks.
How much is YouTube Music?
If you just want ad-free music and don’t care about the ad-free video perks, you can subscribe to YouTube Music separately. The service lets you download music and listen to it offline, or play music in the background while using other apps.
YouTube Music Premium has three subscription tiers and all of them include a one-month free trial:
Individual: $11.99/month or $119.99/year (save 15%).
Family: $18.99/month for up to six family members.
Student: $5.99/month.
This tool was created with the assistance of AI. It has been reviewed by our editorial team for accuracy and quality.
Nerds speak up: Is YouTube Premium worth it?
For daily viewers and families, getting rid of interruptions and getting access to offline downloads makes the subscription an easy sell.
Jessica Cano, content coordinator at NerdWallet, likes the service from the perspective of a parent. “I initially signed up for YouTube Premium because I can't deal with my toddlers screaming ‘COMMERCIAL’ every 2 minutes,” she says. “I also like the ability to download videos to watch without WiFi and being able to better control the home screen when my kids open the app on our TV.”
Sara Rathner, a senior writer and spokesperson at NerdWallet, finds the service valuable as a heavy user. “We watch a lot of YouTube on our TV — not to be confused with YouTube TV, which we also have,” she says. “The ability to watch everything without ads, plus the ability to download videos for offline viewing when we travel, makes the subscription worth it in our minds.”
And Paul Soucy, NerdWallet director of content, says that with no ads, background download and music streaming included, YouTube Premium is “far and away the most value I get out of any streaming service.”
That said, you’ll have to look at your own entertainment preferences and budget to decide whether it’s worth the cost to you.
If you’re trying to save money by ditching cable, switching to a few streaming options could meet your entertainment needs for less.
But if you’re on a strict budget, adding YouTube Premium to your monthly expenses might be a bad idea unless you trim elsewhere. Or, explore other ways to stream music. If you already pay for a Prime membership, you have Amazon Music Prime included.
YouTube Premium pros and cons
Pros
YouTube Music is included for less than the cost of Spotify or Apple Music.
You can find tracks on YouTube Music that don’t exist elsewhere.
The Family plan, split among users, brings the cost down for everyone.
While browser extensions can block ads on a computer, the ad-free format is appreciated for TV viewers.
People who listen while doing other things can lock their phone screen.
Cons
YouTube Music's user interface isn't as smooth or intuitive as other apps.
In-video sponsor segments still play.
If you unknowingly subscribe through the Apple app, it costs more.
Working YouTube Premium into your budget
The 50/30/20 budget method is one way to manage your expenses, save money and leave room for “wants” that enhance your quality of life. Under this model, 50% of your income goes to needs, 30% goes to discretionary spending, and 20% goes to savings and debt payments.
Streaming services and subscriptions, like YouTube Premium, fall into "wants," or the 30% of your 50/30/20 budget. NerdWallet app users who used the subscriptions and bills feature were paying for an average of 12 bills and subscriptions, according to ScribeUp data.
Here's the reality: You definitely don't need this service, but if you spend a lot of time on YouTube, it might be worth budgeting for. Limiting yourself to a few subscriptions that best align with your interests is one way to make room in your budget.
Freelance writer Sarah Edwards contributed to this article.
