Did you know YouTube is about to become another potential monthly subscription? Yep. If you want ad-free listening/viewing, you’re going to have to pay for it. YouTube announced that they will now offer ad-free content to interested users for $9.99 a month–a service they are calling “Red.” You’ll still be able to view content for free, you’ll just have to watch the ads first.
The concept is really nothing new. Several services offer similar deals: Pandora is free, unless you want ad-free listening, then it’s going to cost you $4.99 a month. Hulu used to be free, unless you wanted newer content–now you have to pay for all content {an added monthly cost will get you ad-free}. Spotify, another audio site, will cost you $9.99 a month for ad-free listening {plus, offline content}.
I love listening to Pandora when I’m working in the kitchen. An occasional ad or two doesn’t bother me. I like listening to Ted Talks on YouTube, and the one 30 second commercial that plays before 18 minutes of streaming seems like a fair trade. Maybe it’s because I’m cheap, or because I grew up listening to the radio, where commercials played pretty consistently every 15 minutes, but I don’t think I personally would pay for ad-free.
My Amazon Prime membership comes with free shipping, video content, music streaming, and free eBooks…and at a smaller price tag per month. Am I missing something here?
Are you willing to pay to go ad-free? If so, do you use YouTube as your primary source of digital content?
~Mavis
I don’t post videos often, but one of the dumbest videos I’ve ever made has over 49,000 views. How is that even possible?
Aaltje says
Living with three kids who were teenagers at the same time with one of them learning to play the drums (he would drum on walls, tables or whatever was in reach) I soon learn to ignore and tune out things in order to keep my sanity! lol I would not pay for ad-free anything, I would just ignore the ads or find something else to do until they were over. I do have Ad-block Plus on my computer to get rid of most ads – don’t know if this would work to block ads in the set-up proposed changes on YouTube.
Miriam says
No. $10 for ad free YouTube? How much are people watching that they’d care? Most ads have a skip after 3 seconds anyway. I’ll stick to clicking the button.
Cecelia says
I paid for Hulu for a few years to get newer content and I added the commercial free option this year when all the ads seemed to be for horror movies, a genre I prefer to ignore. I probably wouldn’t have upgraded otherwise.
erin says
I won’t even pay for cable let alone something I can watch for free with a few ads. The only thing we do pay for is Netflix. We got rid of cable 3 or 4 years ago when we figured we were paying nearly $1000 for something we hardly watch…that money goes towards vacations instead.
Jenn says
I normally just mute my computer when a commercial comes on. But what I will pay for commercial free is my XM Radio. I love it and it is worth every single penny I pay for it.
pamela sheppard says
Nope. I can ignore ads very well! I have many other places that money could go. Although I can almost guarantee I am not the intended target audience they hope to get that fee from!
mildred lane says
I would not pay for ad free you tube. I like u tube for frugal ideas, comedy,movies,DYI, etc. but could live w/ out. I have canceled cable,newspaper, lowered my Homeowners insurance by $100,000.00 to get premiums to where I can afford.
Indio says
I listen to Ted talks all the time too, especially when I am working out, but I go directly to the Ted website. No ads there. You can search on whatever topic you want to listen to and by speaker. Skips the YouTube!
Mavis says
Ha! I never thought of going straight to the Ted website…but, duh! Mind-blown, thanks Indio!
Leslie says
The fire alarm video.. hahah
Maxine says
I pay $150.00/month for internet (satellite) because it’s the ONLY option for internet in my very rural area. For that price, I get 30 GB per month. I work on the computer and 22 of those GB are committed to my work. I won’t waste the rest of them on You Tube – with or without ads.
Joanna says
I debated on getting a membership for Pandora. I didn’t listen to it much, so paying for it seemed silly, but I didn’t listen to it much because of the ads (those horrible Luna flooring ads!!). I ‘broke down’ and purchased a membership, and I’m very happy I did.