YouTube subscription lets you download ad-free videos
Google has announced YouTube Red, a service that will allow you to access content ad-free and offline
YouTube Red is a (for now) US-only subscription service that removes the ads from YouTube videos and allows you to download them for offline viewing. A single subscription can be accessed on any device signed into your Google account, which means you can enjoy the benefits on a PC, laptop, phone or tablet, and using the upcoming YouTube Gaming, YouTube Music and YouTube Kids apps.
YouTube Music is also said to be coming soon to YouTube Red, designed to “make discovering, watching and listening to music easier than ever”. With its wealth of music videos, it could have the largest music catalogue of all streaming services.
The difference between YouTube Red and YouTube Music Key
YouTube Red is in essence YouTube Music Key out of beta. Music Key, like YouTube Red, offers the ability to download ad-free videos and play them back as audio.
Availability
YouTube Red is available now in the US, and visitors are offered a free one-month trial of the service. YouTube Music is merely said to be ‘coming soon’.
UK launch
UK availability has not yet been announced, but provided that the launch is successful in the US we would expect it to hit the UK sometime in early 2016.
Price
In the US, YouTube Red costs $9.99 per month following the one-month free trial. UK pricing and availability has not been confirmed, but when it does come here we expect it to cost £9.99 per month in order to compete against other on-demand music-streaming services.
iPad and iPhone users will have to pay $12.99 per month for YouTube Red if they sign up via the app. This is because Apple takes a 30 percent cut of all app revenue. These users should sign up via a desktop browser to get the cheaper subscription, then sign into the app on their iOS device.
YouTube for free
The original ad-supported YouTube service isn’t going anywhere; YouTube Red is an additional service for those who wish to legally download content without ads.
Does Google Music All Access include YouTube Red?
Yes it does, so if you subscribe to one you will automatically be subscribed to the other free of charge.