YouTube has reached a significant milestone, surpassing 125 million subscribers across its YouTube Music and Premium services. The announcement, made on March 5, reflects remarkable growth for the platform, which added 25 million new subscribers since January 2024—a substantial increase in just over a year.
Lyor Cohen, YouTube’s global head of Music, emphasized the strategic importance of this growth: “This momentum is critical to our goal of becoming the No. 1 contributor of revenue to the industry, and we won’t stop until we get there.”
To maintain this upward trajectory, YouTube has introduced “Premium Lite,” a more affordable ad-free subscription tier now available in the United States for $7.99 per month. This new plan allows users to watch most videos without advertisements across various content categories including gaming, cooking, comedy, and education. However, it excludes ad-free viewing of music videos and Shorts, and doesn’t support background play.
“Since launching YouTube Music and Premium, we’ve focused on giving subscribers a variety of ways to enjoy their favorite content, and Premium Lite is the latest step in that evolution,” explained Jack Greenberg, Director of Product Management for YouTube Premium.
After successful pilot programs in select markets, YouTube observed a promising trend: many Lite subscribers eventually upgraded to the full YouTube Premium plan ($13.99/month) rather than downgrading. Encouraged by these results, the company plans to expand Premium Lite to Thailand, Germany, and Australia in the coming weeks, with further global rollout expected later this year.
This initiative aligns with Google’s broader strategy to diversify YouTube’s revenue streams beyond advertising. Over the past year, YouTube has increased Premium pricing in multiple markets, including India, while introducing new features such as smart downloads, high-quality audio, and enhanced playback controls.
The platform has also intensified efforts to combat ad blockers, extending its crackdown to third-party applications in April 2024.
While Google doesn’t regularly disclose YouTube’s complete revenue figures, Google CEO Sundar Pichai revealed in October 2024 that YouTube’s total revenue exceeded $50 billion over the previous four quarters, reinforcing its dominant position in the digital streaming landscape.
