India Gets YouTube Premium Lite: Ad-Free Viewing for Less

YouTube is expanding its subscription options with the introduction of Premium Lite in India. The pilot program, launched on September 29, offers users a lower-cost way to enjoy ad-free content. For Rs 89 per month, subscribers can watch ad-free videos in various categories, such as gaming, comedy, cooking, and learning. However, ads will still be present on music content, music videos, and YouTube Shorts. Additionally, features like background playback and offline downloads are not included. The rollout of this new tier is expected to reach all of India in the coming weeks. This move aligns with YouTube’s broader strategy to diversify its subscription offerings, following the success of subscriptions as a key revenue generator. YouTube launched Premium Lite earlier this year, first testing it in countries like the United States. Plans are also underway for a two-person Premium subscription tier with a monthly price of Rs 219, and YouTube Music Premium is available at Rs 149 during its pilot phase. Current plans encompass options like student, individual, and family subscriptions for both YouTube Premium and YouTube Music Premium. A price increase was implemented in August 2024 across all subscription tiers. YouTube has announced that it has over 125 million global subscribers across its Music and Premium services, contributing to Alphabet’s 270 million paid subscriptions. The launch of Premium Lite in India aims to broaden the appeal of premium features to a larger audience by making them more accessible.