YouTube Premium membership prices hiked in India, now start at Rs 149

Spend more for no ads: YouTube has raised the cost of its Premium membership in India for all tiers. The YouTube Premium plan for individuals now costs Rs 149 per month, representing a hike of over 15 per cent on the earlier price of Rs 129. Other plans, such as those for family and students, have also become costlier with the latest hike, now visible on the YouTube app on Android and its website. YouTube is reportedly sending users emails, informing them about the price hike and asking them for their approval to continue the subscriptions.

An X (formerly Twitter) user pointed out that he received an email notification from YouTube, stating that his Family plan will now cost him 58 per cent more. The app shows the new price of YouTube Family is Rs 229 per month, up from Rs 189. The plan allows the subscriber to share the benefits with up to five members, giving them access to YouTube’s advertisement-free experience. “To continue delivering great service and features, we’re increasing your price to ₹299.00/month. We don’t make these decisions lightly, and this update will allow us to continue to improve Premium and support the creators and artists you watch on YouTube,” read the notification.

Similarly, YouTube Premium for students now costs Rs 89 per month, up from Rs 79 previously – representing over 12 per cent increase. The quarterly and yearly plans have also become costlier. For individuals, the quarterly plan now costs Rs 459, while the annual plan will set them back by Rs 1,490. The yearly plan averages at about Rs 124 per month – a little less than what YouTube was charging individual users earlier. Here is a table of old prices vs the new:

What does YouTube Premium offer

Launched in India in 2019, YouTube Premium filters out advertisements in videos to give an uninterrupted video playback. Users have access to the highest video quality, including the new 1080p high-bitrate streaming for richer colours in videos, and exclusive content from favourite creators. YouTube Premium users also have access to YouTube Music Premium, as part of which they can access a wide music catalogue and play them without advertisements and in the background.