YouTube Premium’s price goes up to $15.99 in June – but you can save $32 with one change


I was overpaying for YouTube Premium for months without realizing it - check yours ASAP

Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET

Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google


ZDNET’s key takeaways

  • YouTube is raising prices by $2 to $4 a month.
  • The increase applies to all monthly subscriptions and the annual plan.
  • This is just the latest move among streaming services to boost prices.

Do you subscribe to YouTube Premium? If so, you’ll soon be paying premium prices to watch your favorite videos.

Both new and existing subscribers are getting socked by higher price tags due to go into effect with the June billing cycle. The sign-up page for YouTube Premium reveals the gory details. But here are the increases for each plan:

  • Lite plan: $8.99 per month, up from $7.99.
  • Student plan: $8.99 per month, up from $7.99.
  • Individual plan: $15.99 per month, up from $13.99.
  • Family plan: $26.99 per month, up from $22.99.

Also: I was overpaying for YouTube Premium for months without realizing it – check yours ASAP

One way to save money on an individual plan is to opt for an annual subscription instead of a monthly one. But even here, YouTube is boosting the price to $159.99, up from $139.99. If you subscribe through Apple, the news is even worse. With Apple taking its usual 30% cut of the action, you’ll shell out 30% more than if you sign up for YouTube Premium at the website.

YouTube has been alerting current subscribers about the price increases via email. One person who has the individual plan through Apple shared the email on Reddit, which read in part: “To continue delivering great service and features, we’re increasing your price to $20.99/month. We don’t make these decisions lightly, but this update will allow us to continue to improve Premium and support the creators and artists you watch on YouTube.”

Save by signing up directly on YouTube

The email also told this person that they would save on their Premium subscription by signing up directly on the website, where the new rate would be $15.99/month.

Compared with free YouTube, a Premium plan offers several perks. You can watch videos ad-free, download and play them offline, and run videos in the background while doing something else. With all plans except Lite, you can listen to music ad-free in the YouTube Music app and enjoy other benefits.

Also: Why YouTube with ads just isn’t worth it for me anymore – even if it’s free

The last time YouTube bumped up the cost of its Premium subscriptions was in 2023. At that point, the price of an individual plan rose to $13.99 a month from $11.99, while the cost of an annual plan increased to $139.99 from $119.99.

Over the past year, price increases have run rampant among video streamers. Last month, Netflix raised the cost of its standard plan with ads by $1 per month and the cost of its ad-free standard and premium plans by $2. Last October, the price tag for Hulu with Live TV jumped to $90 a month, up from $82. In September, Disney+ raised subscription prices across the board by $2 to $3 per month.

Time to review your subscriptions

The irony here is that streaming video services were initially touted as a cheaper alternative to a full cable TV subscription. While that’s still true individually, many of us pay for multiple streaming services, which means our monthly bills may be even more exorbitant.

With YouTube and other services all boosting their prices, now is as good a time as any to review all your streaming subscriptions and see which ones you can downgrade or cancel outright. Also consider free or inexpensive streaming services, such as Roku TV or Tubi TV, both of which offer a variety of movies and TV series to enjoy.





Source link

Leave a Reply

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get our latest articles delivered straight to your inbox. No spam, we promise.

Recent Reviews







We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Michelin is a French multinational company that many consumers consider to be one of the most satisfying major tire brands. This firm makes several tire models that offer comfort, performance, all-terrain prowess, and everything in between — including cutting-edge products like the $42,000-per-set Michelin Pilot Sport PAX that it developed specifically for the Bugatti Veyron. Aside from its own tires, Michelin also owns other tire brands that you might be familiar with, including BFGoodrich, Achilles, and Corsa.

While tires are what Michelin is known for, the company has put its name to more than the rubber that wraps around your car’s rims. In fact, the company sells several other products that aren’t tires. So, we’re listing a few Michelin-branded items that you can buy online and in retail stores. While they might not all be made of rubber or even related to vehicles, these tools and accessories can come in handy when keeping your car — and even yourself — in good shape.

Michelin tire inflator

Since Michelin is primarily known for its tires, it makes sense for the company to sell a Michelin-branded tire inflator as well. That way, if you get a flat on one of the Michelin tires on your car or want to regularly top up your car’s tire pressure to maintain optimum performance, you can use a Michelin-branded pump to fill up your tires. The company actually sells several types of inflators on its Amazon page, but it only offers a single motorized unit — the Michelin Micro Tyre Inflator, which is available on Amazon for $98.99.

This little device is only slightly wider than an iPhone 17 and weighs about 400 grams, or 14 ounces. This means it’s easy to store in your car and to move to whichever tire needs topping up. More importantly, it takes power from a 12-volt socket, allowing you to run it using your car’s battery. It also has a USB port for charging your phone (or any other USB device) in case of an emergency.

Some users say that the device is slow, taking about 12 minutes to bring a tire from 10 to 32 PSI, but that’s not unexpected given its small size. Still, it should be good enough for regular weekly maintenance if you know your car’s proper tire pressure, or in case of an emergency. Its biggest downside is that you need a power source to run it, but having a dead battery and a flat tire simultaneously is likely a rare occurrence in many modern cars.

Michelin mini fridge

Taking a road trip during the summer can get you thirsty, and there’s no better way to quench that thirst than by drinking a cool can of soda (or your beverage of choice). If you want to ensure that you’ll always have a cold drink ready while you’re driving on the freeway, Michelin’s mini fridge will help you with that. This nifty little refrigerator is available on Amazon for just $99.99 and can be connected to either 110V AC or 12V DC power, ensuring that it will work on both your desk and in your car.

The mini fridge measures 6.9 x 9.45 x 10 inches (17.5 x 24 x 25.4 cm), meaning it can easily fit on a garage shelf or office desk. It should also be small enough to put on the floor of your car. Despite that relatively small size, it’s large enough to fit six 350-ml cans or four 500-ml bottles, and it will keep these items at a chilly 32 degrees Fahrenheit or 18 degrees Celsius. It also has an LED light on the door, so it can double as a night light if necessary.

Aside from keeping your drinks (and other food items) below room temperature, it also has a few other creature comforts. These include a removable shelf and door basket for flexibility and easy cleaning, as well as a retractable carry handle and a self-locking door to make transportation easier.

Michelin car floor mats

Heavy-duty car floor mats are often made from rubber for durability and water resistance, and since Michelin is in the business of rubber, it makes sense for the company to offer exactly that. So, if you want to protect your vehicle’s floor from dirt, dust, and mud, the company can help you with its Michelin all-weather car floor mats. This four-piece package is available on Amazon for $49.99 and comes in either black or tan.

The surface of these floor mats is specially designed to trap debris, snow, and water, preventing them from ruining the carpet on your vehicle. The mats have a cleat backing that grips your car’s floor and prevents them from slipping. The front row mats also come with what Michelin calls a Gripclip Retention System, allowing them to clip into your vehicle’s safety clips and adding even more reassurance that they won’t accidentally slip while you’re driving and pose a hazard to your safety.

These mats are universal and will work in most vehicles. However, they’re also easy to customize: If you find them a bit too large for the footwell of your tiny hatchback, you can use a pair of scissors to trim the edges for a perfect fit.

Michelin Stealth Ultra wiper blades

While Michelin’s Stealth Ultra wiper blades aren’t generally considered among the best windshield wipers, they appear to be a pretty good choice given their four-star rating on Amazon. These wipers cost $49.99 and are available in various size combinations for all sorts of cars. This ensures that no matter what vehicle you’re driving, you can probably find a set that will fit your needs.

These Michelin wipers are curved to conform to the shape of your windscreen for a clean, streak-free wipe. The company’s Amazon listing claims that these are designed to “withstand rain, wind, snow, mud, dust, or any other debris that might hamper your windshield’s visibility.” While you might think that windshield wipers are pretty simple items, and that you can just purchase any generic wipers off the internet, you must remember that they’re essential so that you have the best visibility possible during inclement weather. So, for your safety, consider investing in a set from a reputable brand like Michelin.

Michelin work boots

Michelin is known for making rubber tires to put on your car’s “feet,” but did you know it also makes shoes for the driver’s feet? The company makes sports & outdoor footwear, as well as shoes for work and safety. For this example, we have the Michelin HydroEdge Steel Toe waterproof work boot, listed for $210 on Amazon and at Georgia Boot. This shoe is available in U.S. sizes from 7.5 up to 14, ensuring that no matter what size you wear, you can get a Michelin work boot for yourself.

As the name suggests, this pair of shoes has steel toes to protect your feet from accidental impacts and is fully waterproof to help keep your feet dry, even in supposedly severe conditions. It also meets ASTM F2413 standards for electrical protection, meaning it has fully insulating soles to protect you from electrical hazards at work. Michelin also added what it calls an Advanced Rear Suspension system to its heel, ensuring proper shock absorption when you walk.





Source link