I got the Premium Lite when it launched. After testing regular Premium it felt like a good compromise. I could live without the ability to just listen to videos, already had music via Spotify and never downloaded videos from the tube. A little ad-free experience for SEK 69 felt reasonable. Then the service disappeared and I had to make a decision between seeing all the advertising all the time, or biting the sour apple and paying for Premium. It became living with advertising.
When there was talk of Premium Lite again, I was overjoyed – for a while anyway. When it turned out that Youtube’s new test showed advertising, I was pissed. And I wasn’t alone. @backfeed summed up the feeling pretty well with “Both pay AND get advertising shoved down your throat? Go to hell.”
This version of Premium Lite feels like a compromise of a compromise. The limited ads to be shown to users seem to be primarily on music videos as well as static in-app and browser spots (thanks @LeVvE), while the majority of videos you watch are ad-free. Of course, it can be argued that music videos are one of the last places it feels reasonable to have advertising, but in all honesty, it doesn’t sound that dangerous. A compromise, quite simply. If it is kept at a reasonable level.
Maybe you just want to avoid the biggest advertising invasion without spending too much money
Many of us are used to a subscription giving total freedom from ads and all sorts of extras, so the idea of paying and still seeing some advertising feels disappointing. Understandable! But here is an important keyword: freedom of choice.
Youtube is obviously trying to strike a balance between maintaining a steady revenue stream while offering users something that isn’t as expensive as full-fledged Premium. In an age where we have countless subscriptions – Netflix, Spotify, Disney+, to name just a few – it can actually be nice to have something in between. Not everyone needs all features. Maybe you just want to avoid the biggest advertising invasion without spending too much money every month. This is where Premium Lite can fill a gap, especially when the prices of regular Youtube Premium are skyrocketing.
Good with choices. Or?
I have previously written about choices on streaming services and still think that advertising subscriptions to Disney+ and Netflix, among others, feel reasonable. But Youtube is a completely different service for me. As Edin has brought up before, Youtube is a source of knowledge and current developments really rub off. I don’t use the service to binge watch movies and series. I’m on Youtube to watch funny (and often stupid) clips or deep dives into niche topics and creative video essays about things i like.
With the new Premium Lite being tested right now, it’s hard to say what the real product will look like once it’s officially released. And it’s just as unclear if I’ll jump on it as quickly as I did with the previous version. However, paying as much for Youtube as a full-fledged streaming service is completely preposterous. But if Premium Lite keeps the advertising at a reasonable level, it’s an option I’m happy to jump on. Because frankly, living with Youtube’s current advertising experience is no longer an option – it’s a war of attrition, and right now advertising is winning.
What do you think? Is Premium Lite a step in the right direction, or is it just a way to milk even more money from users?
Source: www.sweclockers.com
