YouTube has achieved a major milestone by surpassing 125 million paid subscribers across YouTube Music and YouTube Premium worldwide. The Google-owned platform announced this achievement on March 5, showcasing the rapid growth of its subscription services. This figure, which includes trial users, reflects a significant increase from the 100 million subscriber count recorded in January 2024.
YouTube’s global head of music, Lyor Cohen, emphasized the company’s ambition to become the top revenue contributor to the industry. He reiterated that YouTube remains committed to further expanding its subscriber base and enhancing its offerings to provide users with an improved streaming experience.
In a bid to attract more users to its paid services, YouTube has introduced a new low-cost subscription tier, ‘Premium Lite,’ in the United States. Priced at $7.99 per month, this plan allows users to watch most videos without ads, making it an affordable alternative to the standard YouTube Premium plan.
Jack Greenberg, Director of Product Management at YouTube Premium, stated that Premium Lite is the latest step in providing subscribers with diverse ways to enjoy their favorite content. He highlighted that the new plan aims to cater to users who seek an ad-free viewing experience but do not require additional premium features.
Premium Lite enables subscribers to watch ad-free videos across various content categories, including gaming, comedy, cooking, and educational videos. However, some limitations apply:
Advertisements will still appear on music content, music videos, and YouTube Shorts.
Users will not have access to background playback.
Offline downloads will not be available for Premium Lite subscribers.
According to Greenberg, YouTube tested the new plan to ensure it provides the right balance of features and benefits for users who prefer an ad-free experience without paying for the full Premium package.
Initial testing of Premium Lite has yielded positive results. Cohen revealed that more Lite members upgraded to YouTube Premium than Premium users downgraded to the Lite version. This suggests that the new tier serves as a stepping stone for users who may eventually opt for the full-featured Premium service, which is currently priced at $13.99 per month in the U.S.
Following the successful pilot phase, YouTube plans to roll out Premium Lite in Thailand, Germany, and Australia in the coming weeks. The company also intends to extend this budget-friendly tier to additional countries later in 2025.
YouTube’s move to introduce Premium Lite aligns with Google’s broader strategy to diversify revenue streams beyond advertising. Over the past year, the platform has:
Increased the price of its premium service in several markets, including India.
Introduced new premium features, such as smart downloads, advanced playback controls, and high-quality audio enhancements.
Implemented strict measures against ad blockers to encourage more users to subscribe to its paid offerings.
While Google does not typically disclose YouTube’s total revenue figures each quarter, it does report advertising sales. In October 2024, Google CEO Sundar Pichai revealed that YouTube’s total revenue exceeded $50 billion over the past four quarters. This milestone underscores the platform’s growing reliance on subscription-based income, complementing its traditional ad revenue model.
Conclusion
With over 125 million paid subscribers and the introduction of Premium Lite, YouTube is solidifying its position as a leading streaming platform with diverse monetization strategies. As the company expands its affordable ad-free plan to new markets, it aims to attract a broader audience and strengthen its revenue streams in the competitive digital entertainment landscape.