As much as I’d love to support content creators on YouTube, I really can’t stand watching ads. That’s why I’m one of the many self-admitted assholes that uses AdBlock even on YouTube. Thankfully, Google is working on a subscription service for YouTube that will allow you to skip ads and download videos for offline playback in a way that’s just like YouTube Music Key, except not limited to music. Such a subscription would allow me to have the best of both worlds, supporting creators and avoiding ads, and it’s almost here!
YouTube’s forthcoming paid subscription offering is rapidly taking shape, and is expected to become available within the next few months, sources familiar with the matter tell The Verge. The company told creators of popular channels today that the offering, which does not yet have a name, is coming soon. It will offer ad-free videos as well as the ability to store videos offline on their mobile devices, for a price expected to be around $10 a month. It will also let creators put their videos behind a paywall so that only subscribers to the premium version can view them, sources said. (Bloomberg published a letter sent to creators today.) The offering may also include lower-priced subscriptions for specific categories, such as music and children’s programming. (YouTube Music Key, which serves as a model for the all-access subscription, has been in invite-only beta since November. At the time, Google said Music Key would cost $7.99 a month when it comes out of beta.)