YouTube has announced that YouTube Music and Premium have surpassed 125 million global subscribers, coinciding with the expansion of Premium Lite to the U.S. market.

Premium Lite, currently being tested in Thailand, Germany, and Australia, offers ad-free viewing for non-Shorts content, excluding music. Unlike the full Premium subscription ($13.99/month), Premium Lite doesn't include features like downloads, background viewing, or YouTube Music Premium access.

Key points about YouTube's subscription services:

• Total subscribers increased from 100 million in January 2024 to 125 million (including trials)
• U.S. subscriber base stands at approximately 9.01 million as of September 2024
• Most subscribers are located outside the United States
• YouTube Music Premium remains available as a standalone service for $10.99/month

The platform's growth is supported by its dominance in podcasting, with approximately 12% of the global population accessing podcast content on YouTube in January. Television has become the primary consumption format in the United States.

YouTube's expansion of Premium Lite comes as Spotify increases its video presence, offering non-music and podcast video content with active comment sections. The competition between these platforms continues to intensify as they diversify their content offerings.

Premium Lite will be rolled out to additional countries throughout the year, potentially offering a more attractive price point for users seeking ad-free viewing without music-specific features.

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