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YouTube Premium is a paid subscription service. Depending on the plan you choose and the device you use, monthly costs may vary and, in some cases, be significantly higher.
YouTube Premium Costs: What You Get for the Price
In addition to video streaming, YouTube’s Premium subscription includes other interesting features:
- YouTube Premium lets you download videos and access movies and series marked with the “Premium” tag via YouTube Originals. This costs you 12.99 euros per month (as of May 2026).
- You can also access a large music library for streaming via YouTube Music.
- You can try YouTube Premium for free for one month.& nbsp;Tip: If you don’t want to renew this free membership afterward, it’s best to cancel it right after the contract ends.
- YouTube Premium also lets you watch videos on the platform without ad breaks. In addition, with the subscription, you can let YouTube continue playing in the background. This background playback is otherwise automatically blocked by YouTube.
- If you’re only interested in music streaming, you can listen to YouTube Music without commercial breaks for 11.99 euros (as of June 2025) per month. This offer is also available for a free one-month trial.
- In summary: With YouTube Premium, you can enjoy videos without ads and access YouTube Originals. You also benefit from offline mode—you can download videos and songs.
YouTube Premium for Students: Here Are the Costs
As a student, you get a discount. You can try YouTube Premium for one month free of charge and enjoy YouTube and YouTube Music without ads.
- You will be notified seven days before the trial period ends.
- If you wish to continue using the service after that, monthly fees of 7.49 euros apply (as of May 2026). The offer is valid for a maximum of four years.
- To qualify for the student plan, you must be a full-time student at a university in countries selected by YouTube. This is verified annually. You can check whether your university is recognized by YouTube at SheerID.
YouTube Premium Family: Costs and Benefits
With YouTube Premium, you also have the option of a family subscription.
- Up to six family members pay a combined total of 23.99 euros per month (as of May 2026).
- Individual members must be at least 13 years old. You can select this offer right away and try it for free for one month.
- If you’re only interested in music streaming, the family subscription for YouTube Music costs 23.99 euros per month (as of May 2026).
Hidden Costs with the Subscription
- The price rises to 16.99 euros per month. The family subscription then costs a hefty 31.99 euros. For YouTube Music, you pay 14.99 euros.
- The reason lies with the Apple Store. Apple receives 26 percent of the revenue from sales.
- The price is correspondingly higher so that Google can still make a profit here.
What’s Behind YouTube Premium
So you know exactly what you’re getting for your money, we explain what’s behind the YouTube Premium offer.
- You can stream your favorite music via the YouTube Music app. You have a selection of several million songs.
- You can also let the music play in the background while you use other apps. This isn’t possible without a Premium subscription. As a Premium user, you also have access to music offline.
- Background playback and Offline mode also include videos. Furthermore, the videos are not interrupted by ads.
- YouTube produces movies and series. These YouTube Originals are included in the Premium subscription. The YouTube Kids app is designed specifically for children, and its content is ad-free.
YouTube Premium is worth it for these people
The YouTube Premium subscription may be of interest to music and movie fans.
- If you only stream music and value an ad-free experience, you’ll likely find another streaming service more affordable, such as a Spotify Premium subscription.
- If you use YouTube regularly, the absence of ads is certainly a compelling reason to subscribe. You’ll also benefit from offline mode.
- The subscription is most appealing to families who want to take advantage of the wide range of content. The family plan for up to six people is relatively affordable. Whether it’s music, movies, or games—the selection is extensive, and with the YouTube Kids app, there’s plenty for children to enjoy.
YouTube Premium – these payment methods are available
If you decide to use YouTube Premium, you can choose from various payment methods.
- You can pay for your subscription via PayPal, with a Paysafecard or with a credit card.
- The same payment options also apply to other YouTube services, such as YouTube Music.
- YouTube is part of Google, so you can use your Google Play credit to pay for YouTube Premium. Make sure you always have enough credit available, as a subscription is a recurring expense.
