{"id":74331,"date":"2026-04-13T17:31:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-13T09:31:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/?p=74331"},"modified":"2026-04-13T17:16:58","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T09:16:58","slug":"youtube-premium-raises-us-prices","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/youtube-premium-raises-us-prices\/","title":{"rendered":"YouTube Premium Raises US Prices Again"},"content":{"rendered":"

YouTube Premium just got more expensive in the US again.<\/p>\n

According to The Verge<\/a>, the individual plan now costs $15.99 per month<\/strong>, up from $13.99<\/strong>. The family plan is now $26.99<\/strong>, up from $22.99<\/strong>. Premium Lite, the ad-free plan without YouTube Music, goes from $7.99<\/strong> to $8.99<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"YouTube<\/figure>\n

This latest hike appears to apply to the US only, while many international users already saw YouTube Premium price increases in late 2024.<\/p>\n

That is the headline. The bigger story is how often YouTube has changed the price and the product around it.<\/p>\n

From Music Key to YouTube Red to YouTube Premium, the paid offering has been moving in one direction for years.<\/p>\n

The 2026 Price Hike<\/h2>\n

The new monthly US prices are:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • YouTube Premium Individual:<\/strong> $15.99, up from $13.99<\/li>\n
  • YouTube Premium Family:<\/strong> $26.99, up from $22.99<\/li>\n
  • Premium Lite:<\/strong> $8.99, up from $7.99<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    The increase applies immediately for new subscribers, while existing users are being notified ahead of their next billing cycle.<\/p>\n

    The standard individual plan is now $4 higher than it was at launch under the YouTube Premium name in 2018.<\/p>\n

    Where It Started<\/h2>\n

    YouTube\u2019s paid subscription history is a little messy because the service has gone through three main eras.<\/p>\n

    1. YouTube Music Key, 2014<\/h4>\n

    The earliest version was YouTube Music Key<\/strong>, introduced in November 2014<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    Music Key beta launched at a promotional price of $7.99 per month<\/strong>, discounted from a stated regular price of $9.99 per month<\/strong>. It focused on music features such as ad-free listening, background play, and offline viewing.<\/p>\n

    2. YouTube Red, 2015<\/h4>\n

    In October 2015<\/strong>, YouTube expanded the idea and launched YouTube Red<\/strong> in the US.<\/p>\n

    This was the first version of the broader ad-free YouTube subscription, covering videos across the platform, offline viewing, and background playback. Official launch pricing was $9.99 per month<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    3. YouTube Premium, 2018<\/h4>\n

    In May 2018<\/strong>, YouTube rebranded YouTube Red as YouTube Premium<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    At launch, the new Premium plan cost $11.99 per month<\/strong> in the US, while YouTube Music Premium<\/strong> by itself cost $9.99 per month<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    Every Major US Price Step So Far<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
    Date<\/th>\nProduct stage<\/th>\nUS monthly price<\/th>\nWhat changed<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
    Nov 2014<\/td>\nYouTube Music Key beta<\/td>\n$7.99 promo ($9.99 regular)<\/td>\nFirst paid YouTube music subscription<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Oct 2015<\/td>\nYouTube Red<\/td>\n$9.99<\/td>\nBroader ad-free YouTube subscription launches<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    May 2018<\/td>\nYouTube Premium<\/td>\n$11.99<\/td>\nRebrand from Red to Premium<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Jul 2023<\/td>\nYouTube Premium Individual<\/td>\n$13.99<\/td>\nFirst major US Premium price increase after rebrand<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Jul 2023<\/td>\nYouTube Premium Family<\/td>\n$22.99<\/td>\nUS family plan increase<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Mar 2025<\/td>\nPremium Lite<\/td>\n$7.99<\/td>\nUS expansion of lower-cost Lite tier<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Apr 2026<\/td>\nYouTube Premium Individual<\/td>\n$15.99<\/td>\nLatest US price hike<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Apr 2026<\/td>\nYouTube Premium Family<\/td>\n$26.99<\/td>\nLatest US family plan hike<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Apr 2026<\/td>\nPremium Lite<\/td>\n$8.99<\/td>\nLite price rises by $1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

    How Much More Expensive Is YouTube Premium Now?<\/h2>\n

    If you use YouTube Red in 2015<\/strong> as the starting point for the full service, the standard monthly price has gone from $9.99 to $15.99<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    That is a 60% increase<\/strong> over roughly ten and a half years.<\/p>\n

    If you use the YouTube Premium launch in 2018<\/strong> as the baseline, the standard plan has gone from $11.99 to $15.99<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    That is about a 33% increase<\/strong> in eight years.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    YouTube Premium just got more expensive again in the US. Here is the shorter price history behind the latest hike.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3398],"tags":[],"topic":[],"class_list":["entry-content","is-maxi"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nYouTube Premium Raises US Prices Again - Hongkiat<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"YouTube Premium just got more expensive again in the US. 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