Google revealed that it’s getting into the subscription video streaming game today with the introduction of YouTube Red.
The new $9.99-per-month service will give customers ad-free access to all of YouTube’s content, but the company plans to charge customers extra if they sign up through iOS.
To compensate for the App Store’s 30 percent take on all in-app purchases, Google raised the price for iOS users to $12.99 per month. YouTube Red replaces YouTube Music Key and gives users a simplified way to access Play Music and YouTube content through the same interface, sans ads.
The new service supports content creators with a revenue-sharing model, but Google is taking a hard line with creators. Its new terms will hide all videos from public view for both ad-supported and ad-free platforms if creators don’t get on board with the new regime.
YouTube has also created a new app dedicated to music video streaming that will be tied to your Red account and provide content ad-free.
The new apps position YouTube to compete more directly with Spotify, which has started to dabble in video. YouTube Red will let users save videos and playlists for offline use, and even create you a mixtape of song recommendations. YouTube Red launches October 28 on both iOS and Android, with YouTube Music set to come out later this year.
Buster Hein is a freelance writer who lives in Phoenix, Arizona. Twitter: @bst3r.
19 responses to “YouTube’s new streaming service charges iOS users an Apple tax”
I would literally stop using YouTube before paying 12.99 a month for it!
This is for their subscription service only.
I already have, as much as practicable. Deleted my GoOgle account, too, even thought their ToS say they’ll hang on to my data for as long as they want after I deleted it…
So where your YouTube alternative? hmm? I don’t know of any other site that hosts such massive content.
emm.. adblock plus? :)
Uhhh, ads run before the video starts to insure you see the video.
out there are tweaks (iphone JB)and extensions to skip ads on YT before video starts
F*CK Google and their bullsh!t. Stopped using their snooping GMAIL, left google maps long ago, looks like i’ll be dropping youtube soon.
This is only if you want this feature. The regular youtube is still free. Calm down, everything will be alright.
By the way, what’s wrong with google maps?
So what will you replace youtube with? lol. Come on, surely you know a site just as good.?
1. it’s for their subscription service. The regular stuff you use is free.
2. It’d be $9.99 if you use the web to pay for it…this is just if you want to pay via your iDevice..
Exactly, they are just a bunch of whiners! Every time Apple overcharges them it is always someone else’s fault. Apple Fanboy logic.
The horrible redesign, and now this? Hiding videos unless you pay, and charging iOS users more? That’s ridiculous.
They’re not hiding anything. YouTube Red is an ad free service where you not only avoid ads but can download videos offline and can let YouTube make music playlists for you based on your interests. Are you daft or just incapable of reading?
Hardly an Apple Tax, Google simply refuses to lose money to iOS users due to Apple’s ridiculous control and 30% take for doing very little. The question is can’t you simply sign up online or some other option an use it, or is Google going the dick route and making you pay for access per device. I use a MBP, Android Phone, iPhone 6S Plus, iPad (Pro once it is available).
And YET, I see no reason to pay Google $10 a month for ad free youtube, let alone Apple for crappy music curation.
You know what’s disingenuous? Charging an extra $3 to supposedly cover distribution costs on the iOS App Store — but not charging extra for those costs on Google Play. And yes, Google charges 30% for apps sold through Play, too. So it’s not the fact that someone has to pay for distribution and Apple is charging them unfairly, it’s simply that they are deliberately punishing Apple users.
I use an ad blocker gets around this garbage
LOL, only in Apple Fanboy World does Apple gouge it’s users $3.00 extra for the YouTube service, and that is rationalized as Google’s fault. I suppose you think that Google should offer a $3.00 discount for the service too. Right, that goes right along with that same rationale, I suppose.
Youtube red, that is a mouthful, I say we jut call it redtube. Oh, wait…