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YouTube Premium and YouTube Music are getting more expensive

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Why This Matters

The recent price hikes for YouTube Premium and YouTube Music reflect the company's efforts to sustain high-quality services and support creators amid rising operational costs. For consumers, this means paying more for ad-free viewing, background play, and extensive music libraries, potentially impacting subscription choices. These increases highlight ongoing challenges and adjustments in the digital subscription economy within the tech industry.

Key Takeaways

YouTube is raising subscription prices for YouTube Premium and YouTube Music in the U.S., the company confirmed to TechCrunch on Friday.

The YouTube Premium individual plan is increasing from $13.99 to $15.99 per month, while the family plan is increasing from $22.99 to $26.99 per month. YouTube Premium Lite, which offers ad-free viewing for most content excluding songs and music videos, is going from $7.99 per month to $8.99 per month.

The YouTube Music individual plan is going from $10.99 per month to $11.99 per month. The family plan is increasing from $16.99 per month to $18.99 per month.

The Google-owned company said the price increases will apply to both new and current subscribers. Current subscribers will receive an email from YouTube at least 30 days in advance notifying them of their updated subscription price.

“We’re updating the price for YouTube Premium plans in the US for the first time since 2023 to continue delivering a high-quality experience that supports creators and artists on YouTube,” a YouTube spokesperson told TechCrunch in an emailed statement. “This change allows us to maintain the features our members value most: ad-free viewing, background play, and a massive library of 300M+ tracks on YouTube Music. We continue to offer several plans, ensuring subscribers can choose the option that works best for them.”

YouTube first increased the cost of its premium subscription in July 2023 when the monthly price of YouTube Premium rose from $11.99 to $13.99, while YouTube Music went up from $9.99 to $10.99 per month.

YouTube said in March 2025 that it had 125 million subscribers across YouTube Music and YouTube Premium, up from the 100 million reported in 2024.

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