If you already pay for YouTube Premium in the U.S., the higher price is now starting to punch your bill. Google raised the price for new users in April, but existing members got a short grace period.
That grace period is ending now. Many existing subscribers are seeing the new price from their June billing date. June 7 is the key date for many accounts.
Here is what you need to know about the price hike and more:
What the new prices look like
The U.S. price changes are now clear. The individual YouTube Premium plan will go from $13.99 to $15.99 per month. The family plan is now $26.99 per month, up from $22.99.
Premium Lite costs $8.99 per month, down from $7.99. Music Premium has also gone up, from $10.99 to $11.99 per month.
Why existing users are only feeling it now
Google’s support pages explain that existing members are charged the new rate on the first billing cycle that happens at least 30 days after the price increase.
The firm also says users should get an email at least 30 days before a price rise in their country or region. That is why the price change was visible earlier for new subscribers. But as a current user, you’re only seeing it now.
Should you keep full YouTube Premium?
That depends on how you use YouTube. If you watch a lot of videos every day, hate ads, use background play often, download videos for travel, and also use YouTube Music, full Premium can still make sense.
It could also still make sense if YouTube is one of your main daily apps. For heavy users, ad-free viewing alone feels like a big quality-of-life upgrade. Add background play, downloads, and music, and the service will still feel worth paying for even after the increase.
When Premium Lite may be the better choice
Premium Lite now looks more useful than before because YouTube added background play and downloads to it earlier this year.
This is now the better fit for you if you mainly care about normal YouTube videos and want to spend less each month.
If you do not need YouTube Music Premium and you mostly want fewer ads plus some basic convenience features, this plan may feel like a smarter middle option after the latest price rise.
When canceling may make sense
You may want to cancel if you do not use YouTube enough to justify the higher monthly cost. The same goes if you mainly subscribed for ad-free viewing but do not care much about music, downloads, or background play. In that case, the new price may push the service from “worth it” to “too much.”