YouTube Premium Is Getting More Expensive for Long-Time Subscribers

YouTube Premium’s early adopter pricing is set to increase. This is the original subscription paid by those who joined when the service was in beta/early adopter status.

The original YouTube Music Key subscribers from 2014, who paid $7.99 monthly, were grandfathered into the YouTube Premium service in 2018. This allowed early adopters to continue paying the lower rate even as the standard YouTube Premium price increased over the years. However, Google is starting to increase the rate for early adopters. Customers in Europe have been told about price changes in their area, with one told they have three more months before it takes effect. They were given until March so Google could show them appreciation for their loyalty.

One subscriber said they joined as an early adopter because YouTube allegedly promised the prices would not change over time. This isn't unheard of, as Bitlife once offered its Bitizen upgrade with an alleged promise that users would not have to pay for future content, which is how I remember it when I bought it. However, it seems that the wording was in a way that didn't keep them from charging for some add ins. Basically, unless you can prove it was in the terms and conditions or in a contract you sign, the company is free to raise the prices eventually as long as you can opt-out.

The early adopter rate was the only YouTube Music plan not yet affected by Google phasing out these discounted rates. Before 2023, subscribers who came in after the Beta phase were still paying $9.99 per month. They have since transitioned to standard pricing.

It's expected that similar changes will be rolled out to US subscribers in the near future. Subscribers have been lucky to have this price point for so long; legacy plans like those tend to rise until those customers move to standard plans. While the price for the early adopters still isn't that of standard, we may see it increase to meet standard prices, much like the plan for those who subscribed after the beta.

Source: 9to5Google