With YouTube Premium, you can watch without YouTube ads, save videos to watch later without an internet connection, and keep the audio playing when you open another app. You also get YouTube Music Premium. Whether it is worth the price depends on how you use it. First, write down which features you find useful, then check the monthly price for your account.
Below, you can read what the benefits mean in everyday use and compare Premium with Lite and free YouTube.
What are the benefits of YouTube Premium?
YouTube Premium is a paid subscription for watching and listening. The benefits you notice depend on how you use YouTube:
- You often watch long videos. Think of a cooking tutorial or a one hour conversation. Without separate ad breaks, you can keep watching.
- You travel with a poor connection. With a download, you can save a video in advance to watch later without an internet connection.
- You listen while doing something else. Background playback means the audio continues when you use another app or turn off your screen.
- You use YouTube for music. YouTube Music Premium may then be part of your decision. Also consider what you already pay for a music service.
Try keeping track for a few days of when ads, a poor connection or audio stopping bothers you. This will show you which features you would actually use.
Comparing YouTube Premium, Lite and free YouTube
According to YouTube’s comparison of Premium Lite and Premium Lite offers most videos on YouTube and YouTube Kids without ads, offline and in the background. YouTube Music Premium is not included.
Pay attention to the word ‘most’: do not expect the benefits to apply to every video. Before paying, check which features are listed for the Lite offer on your account.
| How do you use YouTube? | What could you consider? | What should you look out for? |
|---|---|---|
| You occasionally watch a short video | Continue using free YouTube | Are ads bothersome enough for you to pay for it every month? |
| You mainly watch videos and already use another music service | Compare Premium Lite | Are the videos and features you use covered by the offer? |
| You watch a lot and also want to listen to music | Compare the full Premium subscription | Could you do without another music subscription? |
| You do not yet know what you need | Track your usage first | Which feature do you miss several times a week? |
How much does YouTube Premium cost in the Netherlands and Belgium?
You can find the current price when taking out the subscription in your account. The amount may vary by country, subscription type and where you sign up. A Dutch price therefore may not apply to Belgium.
Compare the costs step by step:
- Compare the same subscription type. Lite and the full Premium subscription do not offer the same thing.
- Check the website and the app. Check which offer you see in both places with your account.
- Read what you will pay after a promotion. A temporary offer does not tell you what you will pay every month afterwards.
- Calculate the cost for a year. If the monthly price stays the same, that is the monthly amount × 12.
- Include your other subscriptions. Keeping your current music service? You will continue paying for that as well.
If you cannot see Lite or another subscription type, compare only the options you can sign up for yourself. Someone else’s offer may not be available for your account.
Which ads remain with YouTube Premium?
Premium does not remove every commercial message. In YouTube’s explanation of Premium and ads it states that promotions and promotional links from creators may remain, as may promotions during some live events.
Suppose a creator talks about a sponsor halfway through a video. That section is part of the video itself. It is not a separate ad that YouTube places around the video.
If those sponsor sections are what mainly bother you, Premium will not completely solve that.
When is YouTube Premium worth it?
Premium is mainly worth considering if you use the benefits regularly. Do not look only at how much time you spend on YouTube, but also at what you do there:
- You listen every day while walking or doing household chores. Pay particular attention to the features that let you keep listening.
- You occasionally watch a few short videos at home. Consider whether you would use the extra features often enough. Free YouTube may suit you better.
- You watch a lot but want to keep your music service. Compare Lite with the full subscription first. This will show you whether you need Premium’s extra features.
Have you taken out a subscription? After a month, check which features you have actually used. If you hardly use anything you are paying for, you can change your choice.
Does YouTube Premium give your own videos more reach?
No, taking out Premium yourself does not automatically give your videos more views or reach. Choose the subscription for watching and listening, even if you upload videos yourself.
Want to improve your own videos? Start quickly with the topic, make sure speech is easy to understand and cut out sections that add nothing. Find more information in editing a YouTube video.
Changing or cancelling YouTube Premium
Want to stop or choose another subscription type? First check which subscription you have, who processes your payment and when your next payment is scheduled.
After making the change, save the confirmation. Also check the end date shown to you. You can read the remaining steps at cancelling YouTube Premium. If you also publish your own content, our YouTube services includes packages for subscribers and views. The product pages show the available quantities and prices.
