YouTube Premium Lite debuts for cheaper price — here's what you get

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A more affordable tier is here, starting in Europe

YouTube on smart television, hand holding television remote controller
(Image credit: Shutterstock)

For those that have been holding out on paying for an ad-free YouTube experience, this new tier might sway you. 

YouTube Premium has introduced a cheaper tier of its subscription service that turns ads off. Called YouTube Premium Lite, it removes ads, but also doesn't include YouTube Music, offline downloads and background playback. The service is currently being tested in Europe, being limited to Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden. 

But YouTube Premium Lite could expand beyond these locations should the reaction be positive. 

As spotted by The Verge, Premium Lite will run users €6.99/month. It's €5 cheaper than the standard premium subscription, which costs €11.99. YouTube Kids is also included with Premium Lite. 

"In Nordics and Benelux (except for Iceland), we’re testing a new offering to give users even more choice: Premium Lite costs €6.99/month (or local equivalent per month) and it includes ad-free videos on YouTube," a YouTube spokesperson told The Verge in a statement.

There's no word on if similar testing will occur in the U.S. Tom's Guide did reach out to YouTube regarding this, and will update this story upon reply.

Unfortunately, for hardcore YouTube users that don't care for YouTube Music or may have a separate Spotify Premium, Premium Lite is missing background playback. This feature allows users to continue listening to a video on YouTube while also performing other tasks on their Apple or Android device.

Ultimately then, this €6.99 tier doesn't feel totally premium if all it does is remove ads. Granted, YouTube is still in the testing phase of Premium Lite, and has said that it will consider rolling out more plans based on how this trial goes. 

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Imad Khan
Imad Khan

Imad is currently Senior Google and Internet Culture reporter for CNET, but until recently was News Editor at Tom's Guide. Hailing from Texas, Imad started his journalism career in 2013 and has amassed bylines with the New York Times, the Washington Post, ESPN, Wired and Men's Health Magazine, among others. Outside of work, you can find him sitting blankly in front of a Word document trying desperately to write the first pages of a new book.