YouTube might launch paid, ad-free video subscriptions

In the coming months, we might see a number of things changing about YouTube, the world’s most popular video streaming website. The company’s executives are currently considering coming up with a paid subscription service, which will give users the opportunity of viewing videos without any advertisement.

Susan Wojcicki, the chief executive officer of YouTube, when talking about the new paid service, said that the idea of allowing users watch videos without advertisements is quite interesting as it’s giving them (the users) the chance of choosing. Wojcicki made this comment in front of the crowd at the WSJDLive tech conference. She added that her company is currently working to find ways of giving users options.

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It’s been some time since the Google owned company YouTube has started to look for ways to come out of its usual ad-based revenue generation system for increasing profits. However, it has not yet released the option of an ad-free subscription. Hulu Plus, another video website, has experienced significant increase in its profit by offering subscriptions to users in search of online streaming of videos. Additionally, music websites like Pandora and Spotify has also recently launched ad-free premium packages.

There are reports that YouTube is in talks with some eminent content producers regarding potential subscription packages, but details of those talks are not yet available.

Wojcicki when talking to the media also admitted that YouTube at present is looking to launch a new music subscription service. However, he said that the actual launch date of the service cannot be announced right now.

Rumors suggesting that YouTube is getting ready to come up with a music subscription service are doing the rounds since early 2013. However, things haven’t materialized yet as YouTube was struggling to get artists and labels on board. There were even reports of outrage among indie labels on hearing YouTube’s new plan. The delay was also caused by difference of opinions of the company’s executives regarding the way of presenting the features.

If YouTube finally manages to launch its music service, it will most likely be an add-on to the current Google initiative called Play Music All Access and will be accessible for a monthly subscription fee of $10. The company has not yet disclosed the names of the licensed artists and labels on the upcoming service. For knowing that, we will have to wait till the release of the service.

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