I love YouTube, but damn, I hate the ads. Every day, my precious streaming time is rudely interrupted by some snake oil salesman promising to make me a fortune in seconds.
The 2015 launch ofYouTubeRed (now rebranded as YouTube Premium) offered an escape, but €11.99 per month is a hefty price tag when you’re already strapped for cash.
Six years later, a more affordable alternative has appeared on the horizon:YouTube Premium Lite.
The new service is being piloted in Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden.
The 💜 of EU tech
The latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol' founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It’s free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now!
“Nordics and Benelux (except for Iceland), we’re testing a new offering to give users even more choice: Premium Lite costs €6.99/month (or local equivalent per month) and it includes ad-free videos on YouTube,” a YouTube spokespersontold The Verge.
Inevitably, the cheaper tier is missing some features provided with YouTube Premium, such as ad-free YouTube Music, background playback, and offline downloads.
Those losses won’t justify the price of Premium Lite for some users. But for me, paying €6.99 per month to never see another video by the likes ofTai Lopezis an extremely tempting proposition.
Story byThomas Macaulay
Thomas is a senior reporter at TNW. He covers European tech, with a focus on AI, cybersecurity, and government policy.Thomas is a senior reporter at TNW. He covers European tech, with a focus on AI, cybersecurity, and government policy.
Get the TNW newsletter
Get the most important tech news in your inbox each week.
