YouTube has introduced its Premium Lite subscription tier to users in India, expanding its low-cost offerings. This move, announced on September 29, aims to increase the platform’s subscriber base within the country. Priced at Rs 89 per month, Premium Lite allows ad-free viewing for videos in categories like gaming, comedy, cooking, and learning. However, this tier still includes ads on music content, music videos, and YouTube Shorts. Furthermore, background playback and offline downloads are not available with this subscription. The rollout is expected to occur across India in the coming weeks. The introduction of Premium Lite is part of YouTube’s strategy to diversify its offerings, as subscriptions have become a significant growth driver. YouTube also may soon launch a two-person Premium subscription tier at a monthly price of Rs 219, while YouTube Music Premium is being offered at Rs 149 during the pilot phase. Currently, YouTube offers a variety of plans, including Student, Individual, and Family plans for both YouTube Premium and YouTube Music Premium. All plans are subject to a price hike between 12% and 58% applied in August 2024. YouTube has over 125 million global subscribers for its Music and Premium services, and its parent company, Alphabet, has surpassed 270 million paid subscriptions. This approach allows YouTube to expand its reach across various economic segments in India, making premium features more accessible.
