YouTube customers who love the videos but not the ads that run on the service will soon be able to pay a monthly $9.99 fee to see their favorite content without any more ads.
The YouTube Red service was announced by Matt Leske, senior product manager for YouTube, in an Oct. 21 post on the YouTube Blog as a way for the company to monetize its services beyond just getting revenue from its online advertisers. The ad-free YouTube Red subscription service will begin Oct. 28 with customers being able to sign up for a one-month free trial.
“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,” wrote Leske. “On Oct. 28, we’re giving fans exactly what they want. Introducing YouTube Red—a new membership designed to provide you with the ultimate YouTube experience.”
The subscription service will allow members to view all of YouTube’s videos without ads, as well as allow members to save videos that they can then watch offline on a smartphone or tablet. Plus, members will be able to play videos in the background using YouTube Red, wrote Leske.
A membership extends across all of a user’s devices and can be used wherever the member can sign in to YouTube, he wrote. Subscribers will also be able to use the company’s recently launched Gaming app and will be eligible to use the new YouTube Music app when it is launched in the future.
“YouTube Music is designed to make discovering, watching and listening to music easier than ever,” wrote Leske. “Any song or artist you choose on YouTube Music will start you on a personal journey through one of the richest music catalogs; just sign in, tap a track you love, and see where your music takes you. And as a special bonus—YouTube Red works with Google Play Music, so subscribe to one and automatically get access to the other.”
In addition, YouTube Red subscribers will receive exclusive access early next year to new, original shows and movies from some of YouTube’s biggest creators, including Scare PewDiePie, Sing It!, Lazer Team and A Trip to Unicorn Island, wrote Leske.
YouTube Red and the company’s YouTube Music, Gaming and Kids apps will begin in the United States but will be expanded to additional countries in the future, wrote Leske. “And don’t worry! The free, ad-supported version of YouTube we all know and love isn’t going anywhere. You’ll still be able to enjoy YouTube, along with the YouTube Kids, Gaming and Music apps free of charge.”
Earlier in October, YouTube unveiled a revamped YouTube mobile app for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch users with a redesigned Version 10.38 edition that the company says makes content easier to find and view, while giving users improved sharing capabilities. The app allows users to view everything from music videos to content featuring gaming, entertainment, news and more.
Users can tap an icon or swipe to switch between recommended videos, their video subscriptions and their YouTube accounts, while they can also subscribe to channels, create playlists, edit and upload videos, add comments or shares, or send a video to their television using the app.
Users can also now browse personal recommendations on the app’s home tab or view the latest videos from creators they follow on the subscriptions tab, according to Google. Plus, users can look up videos they’ve watched or favorited previously on the app’s account history tab.
Also available are new features that can be used to edit user-created videos, add filters, add music and upload a user’s videos, all inside the app, according to Google.