Like everything else in life, the price of YouTube Premium is going up in the US. Google has announced that a YouTube Premium individual plan will increase from $14 to $16 per month, while a family plan that allows for up to six accounts to be connected will go up from $23 to $26 per month. The increases will also be hitting YouTube Music plans, with individual and family accounts rising an extra dollar to $12 and $19 per month, respectively. YouTube Premium Lite will also increase from $8 per month to $9.
This isn’t the first time YouTube Premium prices have gone up. Google last raised prices in July 2023. In a statement to Variety, Google said it is “updating” YouTube Premium plans to provide a “high-quality experience that supports creators and artists” on the platform.
YouTube Premium and Music 2026 subscription prices
- YouTube Premium Individual: $16 monthly (was $14)
- YouTube Premium Family: $26 monthly (was $23)
- YouTube Premium Lite: $9 monthly (was $8)
- YouTube Music Premium: $12 monthly (was $11)
The big draw to YouTube Premium is that it allows for ad-free viewing of videos, as well as other perks like background viewing, offline downloads for mobile, higher streaming quality, and full access to its music catalog. The free tier of YouTube is ad-supported, but in recent months, viewers have complained about how aggressive Google has become with adverts, as viewers often have to sit through at least two unskippable commercials before a video starts and mid-roll ads.
As of last year, YouTube Premium had over 125 million subscribers worldwide, a sizable jump from 2024’s figure of 100 million. The platform has become one of the go-to options for video game livestreams across the entire industry, but publishers and studios have also begun using alternative sites like Twitch and Facebook to broadcast content.
Beyond that, YouTube has also become a vital tool for modern gamers, thanks to creators offering a wealth of walkthroughs, boss guides, and lore videos. Gamers who rely on content from YouTube, like Elden Ring builds and World of Warcraft raid guides, will now have to pay even more for an ad-free experience, and Premium watch time is often considered to be a valuable source of income for gaming creators.
This increase doesn’t exist in a vacuum, and for gamers who are already juggling memberships to services like Xbox Game Pass, PS Plus, and Netflix, YouTube Premium’s new price hike will only add to a growing subscription fatigue.
