Not gonna lie, I have cut a bunch of subscriptions but youtube premium is the one I tried to cut and couldn't fucking do it. Even before the ad block debacle. It was impossible to block ads on mobile (where I spend most If my youtube time) . I tried new pipe but that experience honestly sucked. THE ADS ARE FUCKING ABSURD. Like literally unusable fucking garbage. I've had premium for years and got spoiled I guess but if I couldn't afford premium youtube would go into the graveyard of the 2023 internet enshitification along with Netflix and reddit. Even $30 a month for my family is worth it. It is 90% of my entertainment now that reddit is gone.
It sucks because it is a synthetic, created need. That ad revenue doesn't go to creators, they have their own ads. The need for youtube premium is purely due to their extortion. But I submit, they win. Clicking a video you want to watch and seeing those yellow hash marks on the time bar makes me want to put my head through a wall and youtube premium makes all that anger just... not be.
I was part of the Initial YouTube Premium (YouTube Red anyone?) So I havent had to see ads on any of my family devices in YEARS. Back when Google Play Music was included with it. Such a freaking bargin back then, bailed on Spotify immediately.
I realize that that stupid little choice has changed the way I consumed content. I don't watch traditional media nearly at all anymore. Same for my siblings and cousins who're on my family plan. I also like the fact it more directly supports the creators I come back to week after week.
The price increases have been a lot, and I'm fortunate to be able to pay for it. As my sole streaming platform I pay for, I find its worth the value. That DOESNT mean I agree with the scummy policies they've been implementing. It just sucks that with my conintued payment it sort of reflects the idea I am.
Permanently Deleted
Idgaf. Yt revanced and smarttubenext for now, if they crack down on those - firefox with ublock on mobile or desktop, if crack down on that - firefox with ublock on desktop only, if they crackdown on free yt on desktop - maybe cheap Argentina or Indian subscription, if they crack down on even that - I'm out.
If youtube is ever able to completely make it so I can't block ads, I will stop using youtube. I've stopped using reddit and have never gone back. I will get by.
People pay for all the other streaming services, god forbid YT wants to have you as a customer instead of a product.
As long as it's a vote for Google to move away from ads (and they don't pull a hulu and start showing ads anyway), and it continues being one of the better ways to send money towards artists and creators, I'm down.
Pay for no ads, still get spied on
Ublock Firefox on the computers, revanced on the phone, smarttube next on the TV, which is running FLauncher. Like an hour to set up once and no ads ever again. I'm a little confused by anyone agreeing to pay to unshittify a service made so irritating in the first place, and honestly how anyone puts up with ads at all when it's so easy to avoid them.
Spotify Premium Family is £18pm. YouTube Premium Family is £20pm.
So I view it as £2pm to remove YouTube ads for the whole family as well as enabling YT offline and background play.
I think that's a good deal, particularly given as a family we watch more YT than any other TV service, however if you're not willing to pay for a music service I can see how you might feel differently about that
I took it for the summer because we move a lot with the kids and it's useful for them to be able to download videos. They've been harrassing me so much to get back on through ads that I finally installed an Adblock.
Honestly I hate the damn YouTube premium ads more than any other that I’ve seen on the platform.
Ok maybe not quite as bad as the freaking Genshin ads. Fuck you Natasha!
I was really interested in it when it came out on my region and still use it, better than acting like it's up to me to manually decide which content creator I bless with any sort of payment and which I don't.
If ads were the only reason, I know how to evade them in just about every platform I use.
YouTube premium still tracks you. They only way is third party clients
I've had YouTube Music since it was Google Play Music. So I haven't had ads in about a decade or so.
Totally 0%
I used to have it as part of a family plan until Google decided that I couldn't be a part of the family plan because I didn't live with the account owner, so I thought I would just sign up for it. So I did for quite some time until I realized that I could do the same thing without paying a dime and that's what I'm doing now. This was back when it was $9.99 or something like that. I don't know how much it cost now.
I honestly think that YouTube has to embrace something similar to what Twitch does with subscriptions to specific content creators where they get around 50% of the subscription cost. I personally don't value YouTube Premium because I know nothing goes to content creators except for the fact that it covers ad revenue income without showing ads.
I mean, for $2.50 a month… sure, why not?
I see how others make a point about other streaming services. But it is different with YouTube. Firstly the content is from peers not from production houses. Secondly it feels like an AH move to start out as a free service and then start charging after you know you have enough people hooked ( this is how drug dealers work too). It is not illegal but just feels immoral (not the drugs, just yt)
If you're just a bit tech savvy it's useless, there's nothing of worth Premium offers that you cannot get for free (maybe 4k stuff? I don't use it personally). As for supporting content creators, I prefer to donate without YouTube getting a cut. I don't care if the platform dies, substitutes with better financing models will take its place.
