YouTube Premium, the ad-free version of the popular video streaming platform, has recently increased its subscription prices in India. This change affects all available plans, with the family membership seeing the biggest jump of 58%. Let’s break down what this means for users and how it compares to other music streaming services.
What’s Changing?
YouTube Premium is now more expensive across all its plans. The new prices are:
- Individual Plan: ₹149 per month
- Family Plan: ₹299 per month (up to 6 accounts)
- Student Plan: ₹89 per month
These new rates will start for existing users from their next billing date in September. If you don’t agree to the new prices, your subscription will end in October.
What Do You Get with YouTube Premium?
YouTube Premium offers:
- Ad-free videos on YouTube
- YouTube Music Premium (with over 100 million songs)
- Offline downloads
- Background play (music plays even when your screen is locked)
How Does It Compare to Other Services?
Let’s look at how YouTube Premium stacks up against Spotify and Apple Music:
Spotify
- Individual Plan: ₹119 per month
- Family Plan: ₹179 per month (up to 6 accounts)
- Student Plan: ₹59 per month
Apple Music
- Individual Plan: ₹99 per month
- Family Plan: ₹149 per month (up to 6 accounts)
- Student Plan: ₹59 per month
What to Consider When Choosing a Service
- Free Options: Spotify and YouTube Music have free versions with ads. Apple Music doesn’t.
- Student Discounts: All three services offer cheaper plans for students.
- Family Plans: These are great for saving money if you have multiple users.
- Extra Features:
- Apple Music offers Spatial Audio and lossless audio quality.
- Spotify lets you listen with friends in real-time.
- YouTube Premium includes ad-free YouTube videos.
- Trial Periods: Apple Music offers 3 months free for new users.
YouTube Premium Old and New Price
| Plan Type | Old Price (₹) | New Price (₹) | Increase (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Student (Monthly) | 79 | 89 | 12.6% |
| Individual (Monthly) | 129 | 149 | 15.5% |
| Family (Monthly) | 189 | 299 | 58.2% |
| Individual Prepaid (Monthly) | 139 | 159 | 14.3% |
| Individual Prepaid (Quarterly) | 399 | 459 | 15.0% |
| Individual Prepaid (Annual) | 1290 | 1490 | 15.5% |
As you can see, the Family plan has seen the largest increase at 58.2%, while other plans have increased by 12-15%
Bottom Line
While YouTube Premium’s price increase might be disappointing for some, it still offers unique features like ad-free YouTube videos along with music streaming. However, if you’re mainly interested in music, Spotify and Apple Music are now cheaper alternatives. Consider what features matter most to you and your budget when deciding which service to use.
