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YouTube Could Launch $10 Ad-Free Version in Late October

We’ve known YouTube is working on a subscription service that will allow users to pay a monthly fee to ditch all the ads, but the company has never explicitly laid out a date for said service. N...
YouTube Could Launch $10 Ad-Free Version in Late October
Written by Josh Wolford
  • We’ve known YouTube is working on a subscription service that will allow users to pay a monthly fee to ditch all the ads, but the company has never explicitly laid out a date for said service.

    Now, thanks to a recent email sent to content creators, we might see the option pop up as early as late October.

    Re/code has the latter, which is basically a warning to creators that they must accept updated terms or risk their video “no longer being available for public display or monetization in the United States.

    Here’s the full email:

    For years, YouTube’s fans have been telling us they want more — more choice when watching their favorite content, more ways to support their favorite creators and, above all, the option to watch their favorite videos uninterrupted.

    To give fans more choice we will be launching a new ads-free version of YouTube, available to fans for a monthly fee. This service will create a new source of revenue over time that supplements your advertising revenue. That’s why an overwhelming majority of our partners — representing over 95% of YouTube watchtime — have asked for and signed up for this service.

    As you heard in our previous emails, we want to ensure that fans who choose to pay for an ads-free experience can watch all the same videos that are available on the ads-supported experience. That’s why we’re asking you to update your agreement to reflect the updated terms for the ads-free service.

    To accept, simply log into YouTube.com as “pakafka” from a desktop or laptop and follow the prompts by October 22nd.

    If you haven’t signed by that date, your videos will no longer be available for public display or monetization in the United States. That outcome would be a loss for YouTube, a loss for the thriving presence you’ve built on the platform, and above all, a loss for your fans. We remain committed to working with you, as we always have. And of course, at any time, you can accept the updated terms which will make your videos public and monetizable again. Common FAQs can be found here.

    We believe these new terms will greatly strengthen our partnership for the future. We went through a similar process three years ago when we began distributing and monetizing your content on mobile devices. Today, mobile represents over half of all watchtime and mobile revenue is up 2x in just the last year. Just as with mobile, we’re confident this latest update will excite your fans and generate a previously untapped, additional source of revenue for you.

    If you have questions or encounter technical difficulties, we’re here to help: reach out to us for support here.

    The YouTube Team

    Re/code also suggest that the $10-per-month ad-free version will also include a subscription to YouTube Music Key, the company’s music streaming platform that’s been in beta since last November.

    Will people pay $10 a month to get rid of ads on YouTube? At this point, YouTube ads are just one of life’s certainties, like death and taxes. We know that in order to watch free videos, we’re going to have to sit through a 15 or 30-second ad (please let it be skippable, please).

    It may be a hard sell, getting people to pay for something that’s been free since its inception.

    Image via jm3, Flickr Creative Commons

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