YouTube Premium is getting a big price hike internationally

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Profit, Pricing, and “Greed”

  • Many see YouTube as already profitable and view the increase as profit‑maximizing rather than survival.
  • Some argue “more profit every year” has become the only acceptable corporate outcome.
  • Others note inflation and industry‑wide streaming price hikes, plus rising watch time per user, as partial justification.

Monopoly vs. Competition

  • One camp calls YouTube effectively a monopoly for independent and instructional video; there’s “no real substitute” for that niche.
  • Another camp stresses YouTube competes for attention with Netflix, Spotify, Hulu, Twitch, TikTok, etc., even if content types differ.

Creators and Revenue Sharing

  • Several ask whether the price hike will increase creator payouts; most believe it won’t, despite claims Premium revenue is shared (e.g., 55% figure from Reddit).
  • There is cynicism that extra revenue will go mainly to shareholders and executives, not creators.
  • Some highlight creators’ weak bargaining power and easy replaceability, making them exploitable.

Ads, Ad‑blockers, and Sponsored Segments

  • Even Premium doesn’t remove in‑video sponsorships, leading to recommendations of tools like SponsorBlock and network‑level solutions.
  • Strong debate over ethics of ad‑blocking/yt‑dl‑style tools: some call users “freeloaders,” others argue Google relies on free viewers for relevance and won’t risk a full paywall.
  • Concern that YouTube may step up technical/legal efforts against alternative frontends and downloaders.

Bundle with YouTube Music

  • Multiple comments clarify that Premium includes YouTube Music, making it a competitor to Spotify/Apple Music.
  • Some subscribers justify Premium by cancelling separate music services; others barely use the music side and see it as “useless bloat.”
  • Discussion of YT Music’s advantages: music‑centric UI, discovery features, official audio tracks, covers/mashups, and integration with regular YouTube.

User Value Perception

  • Some would keep Premium even at double price, citing unmatched breadth of niche, educational, and long‑tail content.
  • Others find the service overpriced, especially family plans, and are considering cancellation or already relying on ad‑free tools and piracy.
  • Comparisons to other streamers (Netflix, Hulu, Disney+) split: some see those as better curated; others value YouTube’s depth and flexibility more.

Alternatives and Systemic Concerns

  • Mentions of PeerTube, Nebula, Curiosity Stream, and P2P ideas, but skepticism that user behavior (mostly consumers, not creators) will support a true rival.
  • Strong broader criticism of advertising practices, tracking, and manipulative cookie consent flows; some vow to resist this model and teach others to do the same.