If you’re a YouTube Premium user, you may want to brace yourself. Today, users across multiple countries woke up to yet another unwelcome email from Google: prices for both individual and family plans are increasing—again.
In what’s becoming a regular occurrence, YouTube Premium has hiked its prices in over a dozen countries. This news hits particularly hard for many, given that several of these regions saw price jumps just months ago. Remember last summer when Premium prices went up in the United States? Well, this new round of increases looks to be focused on Europe and beyond, with some nations seeing nearly a 40% spike.
According to reports on Reddit, the price hikes have rolled out as follows:
| Countries | Price increase |
|---|---|
| Ireland, Netherlands, Italy, Belgium | Individual: €11.99 to €13.99 Family: €17.99 to €25.99 |
| Switzerland | Individual: 15.90 CHF to 17.90 CHF Family: 23.90 CHF to 33.90 CHF |
| Denmark | Individual: 119 DKK to 139 DKK Family: 177 DKK to 259 DKK |
| Sweden | Individual: 119 SEK to 149 SEK Family: 179 SEK to 279 SEK |
| Norway | Individual: 119 NOK to 169 NOK Family: 179 NOK to 269 NOK |
| Czech Republic | Individual: 11.98 SGD to 13.98 SGD Family: 17.98 SGD to 27.98 SGD |
| Singapore | Individual: 11.98 SGD to 13.98 SGD Family: 17.98 SGD to 27.98 SGD |
| United Arab Emirates | Individual: 23.99 AED to 26.99 AED Family: 35.99 AED to 48.99 AED |
| Malaysia | Individual: 23.98 SAR to 26.99 SAR Family: 35.98 SAR to 49.99 SAR |
| Saudi Arabia | Individual: 59,000 IDR to 69,000 IDR Family: 99,000 IDR to 139,000 IDR |
| Indonesia | Individual: 59,000 IDR to 69,000 IDR Family: 99,000 IDR to 139,000 IDR |
| Colombia | Individual: 17,900 COP to 20,900 COP Family: 26,900 COP to 41,900 COP |
| Thailand | Individual: 159 THB to 179 THB Family: 299 THB to 359 THB |
While many expected incremental increases, the sheer scale of these hikes has left users stunned. Google’s familiar justification? Their email to Premium subscribers offers the usual reasoning: “To continue delivering great service and features” while also supporting creators. But with price hikes of this magnitude, some subscribers are starting to question whether it’s worth it.
What’s worse for some? It appears that Premium subscribers who signed up through Apple devices are facing even steeper increases. In Sweden, for example, one user reported a jaw-dropping 60% jump. This extra fee seems to be a result of subscribing through Apple’s ecosystem, where a “tax” is slapped on for payments processed through their system rather than directly with Google.
Although users can cancel their subscription through Apple and re-sign with Google for a lower rate, they’ll still be forking out more than before. So, either way, customers are getting hit.
It’s no surprise that Reddit and other forums are flooded with users announcing they’ve had enough. Many are canceling their subscriptions altogether. One disgruntled user from Denmark summed it up best, stating, “This increase makes YouTube by far the most expensive streaming service, clocking in at more than what I pay for Amazon Prime, Netflix, and HBO combined.”
For a service that’s supposed to offer value in ad-free content and offline downloads, this price bump may be the breaking point for many.
The question now is: Where will Google draw the line? Or more importantly, will users stick around long enough to find out?
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