How to Beat the YouTube Red Price Hike

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The cost of a YouTube Red subscription will increase as the service becomes YouTube Premium. Here's how to avoid paying more.

As of tomorrow (May 22), YouTube Red will become YouTube Premium, and it will also cost 20 percent more, moving to $11.99 per month from $9.99 per month. But you don't have to pay that higher price to get the perks that Premium will offer, if you act fast.

Existing subscribers, as well as those who subscribe today (May 21), before the change, will get to keep the current $9.99 per month pricing. Of course, that's always subject to change, as month-to-month billing means that YouTube can change its mind at some point in the future.

But, as I tell people when they've asked why I pay for YouTube Red, the price is more than worth it for me. Not only does the service give you an ad-free YouTube — getting rid of car insurance ads alone is incredible — but it also allows you to save videos for watching offline, which I take advantage of during my commute and on trips.

MORE: YouTube TV vs YouTube Red/Premium

Another major perk of YouTube Red is listening to clips in the background on mobile devices, so you can multitask and not lose the thread. You also get access to YouTube Originals, such as Cobra Kai (the Karate Kid reboot) and the upcoming animated series Dallas & Robo, which tells the story of a boozy space trucker and her robot partner, voiced, respectively, by Kat Dennings and John Cena.

Also, if you subscribe to YouTube Red before the switchover, you also get Google Play Music, a streaming music service.

The transition from YouTube Red to YouTube Premium is a part of the launch of YouTube Music, the service's new Spotify competitor, which is is launching in both free and paid ($9.99 per month to get rid of ads) tiers. YouTube Premium will cost more, in part, because it includes YouTube Music Premium.

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Henry T. Casey
Henry T. Casey
Managing Editor (Entertainment, Streaming)

Henry is a managing editor at Tom’s Guide covering streaming media, laptops and all things Apple, reviewing devices and services for the past seven years. Prior to joining Tom's Guide, he reviewed software and hardware for TechRadar Pro, and interviewed artists for Patek Philippe International Magazine. He's also covered the wild world of professional wrestling for Cageside Seats, interviewing athletes and other industry veterans.