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Heroes of Might and Magic 3YouTube Premium
YouTube Premium is YouTube's paid plan: videos without ads, background play, downloads, YouTube Music Premium, an enhanced-bitrate 1080p, Jump ahead and more. In the US it costs $15.99 a month for one person and $26.99 for a family as of Nov 6, 2026; Premium Lite is a cheaper, mostly ad-free plan without music.
YouTube Premium removes ads from YouTube videos and adds background play, downloads, YouTube Music Premium and a set of extra player features, for $15.99 a month in the US for one person or $26.99 for a family as of Nov 6, 2026. It works wherever a member is signed in: the YouTube, YouTube Music and YouTube Kids apps, the website, and compatible smart TVs and consoles (YouTube Help). Whether it is worth it depends on how much a person watches: the benefits below are the full list YouTube Help gives, so each reader can count which ones they would use.
Quick facts
| Individual (US) | $15.99 a month or $159.99 a year, since Apr 10, 2026 |
| Family (US) | $26.99 a month, since Apr 10, 2026 |
| Student (US) | $8.99 a month, since Apr 10, 2026 |
| Premium Lite (US) | $8.99 a month, since Apr 10, 2026 |
| Other plans | Two-person, in some countries |
| Offline downloads | Play up to 29 days without connecting |
| Music audio | Up to 256 kbps |
| Not included | YouTube TV, Primetime Channels, channel memberships, NFL Sunday Ticket |
Sources: prices from MacRumors, Apr 10, 2026 (existing members moved to them in June 2026); everything else from YouTube Help and Downloads Help.
What do you get with YouTube Premium?
- No ads on videos, in every YouTube app and on TVs. Help notes that promotions a creator puts in their own video, and some Primetime Channels and live ads, can still appear (YouTube Help).
- Background play: the video keeps playing with the screen off or in another app. In the app's settings it can be Always on (the default), Off, or only with headphones or external speakers.
- Downloads and Smart Downloads: save videos to the phone or a computer and watch offline; see Downloads.
- YouTube Music Premium: the YouTube Music app ad-free, offline and in the background.
- 1080p Premium: an enhanced-bitrate version of 1080p for videos uploaded in 1080p, sharper in busy scenes. It does not apply to live streams or Shorts, and Help gives no bitrate figure.
- Better music audio: music videos and Art Tracks at up to 256 kbps when the upload allows it.
- Jump Ahead: double tap or click and hold to skip to the part most viewers go to next, in 12 languages.
- Auto speed: on Android in English, playback speed moves on its own between 1x and 4x; see Playback Speed.
- On-the-go controls: on Android, larger controls after 60 seconds of motion.
- Picture in picture for music: everyone gets picture in picture for most videos, but music content in it is a Premium benefit.
- Continue watching across devices, and the mobile Queue on Android.
- Extras: Premium badges (for members 18 and over), afterparties with live chat, Co-Watch with Google Meet, special offers and early features at youtube.com/new.
Downloads work two ways. A member saves a video by hand from the three-dot menu beside its title or the Download button on its watch page, or lets Smart Downloads, on by default on phones, add recommended videos on its own; it is switched off under You > Settings > Background and downloads. Downloads sit under You > Downloads in the app and under Downloads in the left menu on a computer, and play offline for up to 29 days.
Jump ahead appears after a double tap on the right side of the video on a phone, or the right arrow or L key on the web: a Jump ahead button then skips to where most viewers go next, chosen from watch data and AI. A double tap on the left goes back, and videos without enough watch data do not offer it.
Is YouTube Premium worth it?
That depends on use, and YouTube publishes no figure for how many ads a typical viewer sees, so no honest page can put a number on it. The benefits that matter most to heavy viewers are ad-free viewing on the TV, background play and downloads; music listeners get YouTube Music Premium in the same price, which on its own is a separate subscription. George Vanous, who runs the Freedom! network, noted in his tips that the enhanced-bitrate 1080p shows only for Premium members, and separately found that on a 2560 x 1440 monitor a 4K video looks no different from 1440p, so he keeps the player at 1440p to save bandwidth; for picture quality, what matters is what a screen can show.
Plans: Individual, Family, Student, Two-person and Lite
- Individual: one account.
- Family: the manager plus up to five others, who must live at the same address as the manager (YouTube Help). In the US it rose from $22.99 to $26.99 on Apr 10, 2026.
- Student: a discounted individual plan for verified students, $8.99 in the US since Apr 10, 2026.
- Two-person: two members at one address, offered in some countries.
- Premium Lite: most videos without ads, at a lower price, but no music. Since Feb 24, 2026 it includes background play and downloads for most videos; music videos, Shorts, search and browsing still carry ads, and YouTube Music Premium is not part of it. From Feb 1, 2027, YouTube says Lite expands to every country that has Premium (Partner Program Changes in 2027).
Before Apr 10, 2026, the US prices were $13.99 for one person, $22.99 for a family and $7.99 for Lite and Student, unchanged since 2023 (MacRumors). Prices differ by country; YouTube's own sign-up page shows the local one.
Travel, VPNs and where Premium works
Premium is sold in listed countries and, Help says, is meant for the country the member signed up in. Downloads keep working for 30 days of travel, but staying abroad longer, or using a VPN to buy a cheaper country's plan, can end the membership (YouTube Help). Offline videos must reconnect at least every 29 days, or every 48 hours in some regions.
How creators are paid from Premium
A share of Premium fees goes to the creators whose videos members watch, by watch time, through the YouTube Partner Program. For Shorts, YouTube pays 45% of the net Premium revenue allocated to monetizing creators (YouTube Help; see Shorts Monetization). From Feb 1, 2027, YouTube puts 30% of net Premium revenue and 60% of net Premium Lite revenue into its creator pools (YouTube Help). Premium is separate from Channel Memberships, which a viewer buys for one channel.
What creators say
In a Jan 1, 2025 video, 9to5Google's Jordan Floyd, a member since it was called YouTube Red in 2017, counted more than 7,000 hours of ad-free viewing on his account. Signing in to an account without Premium, he found ads "everywhere": before videos, in the middle and across Home. His verdict for a viewer who watches as much as he does: paying is "a no-brainer".
In the same video he asked YouTube for a cheaper tier with only the ad-free part, noting that Premium Lite was then a test in a few countries. For heavy viewers who value ad-free viewing, background play and downloads he called Premium essential, and for casual viewers on a tight budget he thought the free version might serve better. Lite has since grown into the plan described above.
Frequently asked questions
How much is YouTube Premium? In the US, YouTube Premium costs $15.99 a month for one person, $159.99 a year, $26.99 a month for a family and $8.99 for students, as of Nov 6, 2026 (raised on Apr 10, 2026). Prices differ by country.
What is YouTube Premium Lite? YouTube Premium Lite is a cheaper plan with most non-music videos ad-free, plus background play and downloads since Feb 24, 2026. It costs $8.99 a month in the US as of Nov 6, 2026 and does not include YouTube Music Premium or ad-free music videos and Shorts.
Does YouTube Premium remove all ads? YouTube Premium removes YouTube's ads, but not promotions a creator builds into the video itself, and some Primetime Channels and live ads can still show.
How many people can share YouTube Premium Family? A YouTube Premium family plan covers the manager and up to five others, six accounts in all, who must live at the same address.
What is 1080p Premium on YouTube? 1080p Premium is an enhanced-bitrate 1080p option for YouTube Premium members on videos uploaded in 1080p. It looks the same resolution but carries more data, and it is not offered on live streams or Shorts.
Does YouTube Premium include YouTube TV? No. YouTube TV, Primetime Channels, channel memberships and NFL Sunday Ticket are paid separately from YouTube Premium.
Sources
- YouTube Premium benefits, YouTube Help, read Nov 6, 2026
- YouTube Premium locations, YouTube Help, read Nov 6, 2026
- Download videos to watch offline, YouTube Help, read Nov 6, 2026
- YouTube Shorts monetization policies, YouTube Help, read Nov 6, 2026
- Upcoming changes to the YouTube Partner Program, YouTube Help, read Nov 6, 2026
- YouTube Premium Lite gets background play and downloads, YouTube Official Blog, Feb 24, 2026
- Is YouTube Premium Worth It In 2025? (Deep Dive), 9to5Google, Jan 1, 2025 (video)
- How to download videos with YouTube Premium, YouTube Viewers, Jul 23, 2024 (video)
- How to use Jump Ahead with YouTube Premium, YouTube Viewers, Feb 25, 2025 (video)
- YouTube Premium Receives a Price Increase, MacRumors, Apr 10, 2026
Moments
Is YouTube Premium Worth It In 2025? (Deep Dive)
9to5Google
- YouTube Premium removes ads from YouTube videos and adds background play, downloads, YouTube Music Premium and a set…
- In a Jan 1, 2025 video, 9to5Google's Jordan Floyd, a member since it was called YouTube Red in 2017, counted more than…
- In the same video he asked YouTube for a cheaper tier with only the ad-free part, noting that Premium Lite was then a…
How to download videos with YouTube Premium
YouTube Viewers
How to use Jump Ahead with YouTube Premium
YouTube Viewers
Related
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YouTube Player for EducationYouTube Player for Education is an ad-free YouTube player built into classroom and learning apps, which schools' education partners pay YouTube to license. Since June 2025 creators earn a share of those fees by watch time, opting in at YouTube Studio > Earn > Player for Education.
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2-Step VerificationYouTube requires 2-Step Verification on the Google Account of every channel in the YouTube Partner Program (to use YouTube Studio since Nov 1, 2021) and of every channel applying for the verification badge; YouTube recommends a passkey as the second step because it resists phishing best.
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Hacked Channel RecoveryTo recover a hacked YouTube channel, first recover the Google Account that owns it (password reset and Google's account recovery), then undo the hacker's changes with YouTube Studio's cleanup tool, then secure the account with 2-Step Verification; YouTube's hacked channel assistant helps in English, Spanish and Portuguese.
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YouTube SupportOnly eligible creators, such as channels in the YouTube Partner Program, can chat with or email YouTube Creator Support, from the Chat button in YouTube Studio or the Help Center; everyone else gets the Help Center, the YouTube Help Community and @TeamYouTube on X.
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Content IDContent ID is YouTube's automatic copyright system, which scans every upload against reference files from rights holders and places a claim on a match that blocks, monetizes or tracks the video. A claim is not a strike, and only owners of exclusive rights to a large body of often-uploaded material qualify to use it.
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Copyright StrikesA YouTube copyright strike comes when a video is removed after a legal takedown request. It expires after 90 days once you complete Copyright School, and three active strikes put the channel up for termination.
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Counter NotificationsA YouTube counter notification is the legal request to restore a video removed for copyright by mistake or misidentification. The claimant gets 10 US business days to show they have sued; if not, YouTube puts the video back.
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Disputing Copyright ClaimsTo dispute a Content ID claim on YouTube, open YouTube Studio > Content, hover over Claims, click See details, then Take action > Dispute. Dispute within 5 days of the claim and the video's revenue is held for whoever wins.
See also
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DownloadsYouTube Premium members download videos with the Download button under the video, on phones and in Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Opera on a computer, and watch them offline for up to 29 days before reconnecting. In some countries free downloads last 48 hours.
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Jump AheadIn the YouTube app, double tap the right or left side of a video to skip 10 seconds forward or back. With YouTube Premium, a Jump ahead button then appears that skips to the next point most viewers fast forward to.
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Playback SpeedChange YouTube's speed in the player's Settings gear under Playback speed, from 0.25x to 2x for everyone (up to 4x with YouTube Premium), press and hold the video for 2x, or use Shift + > and Shift + < on a keyboard.
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Picture in Picture and MiniplayerYouTube picture in picture keeps a video playing in a small window when you leave the app on Android or iPhone; it is free for most videos, but music videos need YouTube Premium. On a computer, the Miniplayer (press i) keeps the video in a corner while you browse YouTube.
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QueueYouTube's queue lines up videos to play next without stopping the current one. On a computer, choose More, Add to queue, free; on phones and tablets, More, Play next in queue or Play last in queue needs YouTube Premium. The queue disappears when the browser closes unless saved to a playlist.
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Partner Program Changes in 2027From Feb 1, 2027, new YouTube Partner Program applicants need 1,000 subscribers plus 8,000 watch hours in a year or 20 million Shorts views in 90 days, Shorts revenue needs 10 million Shorts views every 90 days, and every partner must accept new terms in YouTube Studio by Jan 31, 2027.