YouTube Premium price increase to $13.99 or $18.99 (on iOS) met with backlash, some consider canceling membership

In an unexpected move, YouTube recently announced a significant price increase for its Premium subscription. And it has seemingly left users fuming and contemplating whether the added benefits are worth the higher cost.

YouTube Premium initially offered a tempting proposition including offline downloads, access to YouTube Originals at an affordable price, and more.

However, the latest price hike has seen the cost for a Premium membership rise abruptly. While the exact increase varies depending on the region and platform, iOS users were hit the hardest.

Users saw a substantial jump from $11.99 to $18.99 per month if they’re subscribing from the iOS YouTube app. Android users have also seen their prices increase, though to a lesser extent from $11.99 to $13.99.

YouTube Premium price increase met with backlash

Therefore, with prices soaring to $13.99 or even $18.99 on iOS, the backlash has been swift and vocal, with many longtime subscribers contemplating canceling their memberships (1,2,3,4).

This fuckung ridiculous honestly. Just set a reminder to cancel in December. I’ve had premium for like 4/5 years… not anymore.
Source

Only way to make a difference is to stop accepting it. Cancel your service. Tell them why. If enough people speak with their wallets, they’ll stop with this shit
Source

Previously when YouTube Premium’s subscription fee was raised to $11.99, some users were lucky enough to have their membership price ($9.99) locked in.

As other users experienced price hikes, these ‘grandfathered’ subscribers remained unaffected. But the recent decision to raise prices once again has put the previously exempted users in a challenging spot.

It seems that they will continue to pay their present rate for the following three months. After that, it’ll be required to pay $13.99 to maintain their membership.

As a result, some have begun to doubt the platform’s dedication to maintaining customer loyalty due to the abrupt change in policy, which has caused a great deal of disappointment and annoyance.

That said, it’s still early to know how this price increase will affect the popularity of the platform. But it’s unlikely that YouTube will cave in to user criticism.

We’ll keep tabs on the latest developments and update this article accordingly.

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