Today marks the official launch for YouTube Red, YouTube’s advertising-free $9.99/month subscription across mobile, tablets, desktops, and smart TVs. Users will be able to trial YouTube Red for one month free and pay $9.99/month thereafter. The trial will include all available features of the new service summarized below.
Here is everything you need to know about YouTube Red:
Ad-Free Videos
All advertising placed before and during video play will now be eliminated. Advertising will also be removed from the website. This applies across all devices.
This isn’t YouTube’s first rodeo when it comes to paid service. In attempt to compete with premium service providers like Netflix and Hulu, YouTube came out with a tip jar system in 2014 where viewers could donate to their favorite YouTube Channel. In 2013, YouTube also made an attempt to charge users for specific high traffic channels. In 2012, as a way to entice user growth, YouTube paid $100 million to celebrities including Shaq and Madonna to develop their own channels.
Although, the new subscription poses a risk to YouTube based on their history, the price is relatively low for frequent users. It seems like the next step in the evolution of YouTube.
Save Offline
The Red member also has a feature similar to when Facebook launched Save. You are able to store links from your News Feed and Facebook Pages for Places, Events, Movies, TV shows, and music to a list where you can view them later. YouTube Red subscribers will be able to save videos as well as playlists within YouTube to watch them offline at a later time.
Exclusive Content
YouTube hired Suzanne Daniels from MTV as a way to better their programming efforts. As a result, YouTube is now financing big-budget production crews to supplement some of YouTube’s top talent. This is YouTube’s first time at producing unique content on their platform. Only Red subscribers will have access to this content.
Some of YouTube’s top talent that will begin producing scripted series for Red include PewDiePie, Lilly Singh, The Fine Bros and Turner. The programs will go live early 2016.
Background Play
Red members will now be able to continue playing their YouTube videos on mobile devices while opening and using other applications. The music will also continue to play in the background while the mobile device is in lock mode.
Access to YouTube Music’s Standalone App
Music Key, a YouTube subscription launched in beta November 2014, will now also be available to Red Subscribers ad-free. Music Key works with Google Play Music, which Red Members will also have access to.
