YouTube is one of the most popular video streaming services in terms of the number of users, but is on the very vast category of these services. But Google has long offered subscription plans, and last October they retired one of their options: YouTube Premium Lite. It offered ad free experience for inexpensive, but still didn’t offer additional such perks as YouTube Music and downloads for offline use.
What Was YouTube Premium Lite?
The cheaper play was YouTube Premium Lite which was a version of the full YouTube Premium subscription. Users simply got to watch YouTube without ads, with the YouTube Music and video downloads for offline use features lacking with the premium YouTube Red package for starters. The stripped down plan was being offered in Belgium, Denmark and Sweden until Google axed it in 2023.
The Lite plan, according to the article, only came into play at a time when having a YouTube Premium subscription meant paying as much as 55% above the normal price in certain areas. Limited rollout, many users were interested in this more affordable ad-free option.
YouTube Premium Lite Makes a comeback with Google
If you were enjoying Premium Lite, then good news, Google is testing out a new version of this plan. While this isn’t the exact same plan they are trialing in Australia, Germany and Thailand, the search giant said as much.
While it’s still in testing phase, select users have already spotted pricing for a new YouTube Premium Lite version at 5.99 euros a month in Germany or 11.99 Australian dollars per month in Australia.
New YouTube Premium Lite feature guide
The new YouTube Premium Lite is going to cost less than YouTube Premium itself but not come with YouTube Music or offline downloads. This could be the perfect option for users that just want the ad free experience without additional features.
However it might not be coming to all Google accounts just yet — and even if it does, many would probably welcome a cheaper way to use YouTube Premium rather than YouTube itself.
Conclusion
If YouTube Premium Lite makes its return in a few select countries, these countries may just get their much-needed middle ground for users looking to get an ad-free YouTube without having to pay for unnecessary extras. This plan is still in testing phase, and could extend to other regions to give budget solution to millions of YoTube users. Be sure to watch for updates as Google makes fine touches to their subscription offerings!