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YouTube Subscription Service Nears
YouTube may be gearing up to roll out a subscription plan after years of free service.
Photo: AP Photo / YouTube
No sooner had Google launched its new ad-free subscription service for music than threats came to take it down.
Sources reportedly close to the matter told Re/code they’re expecting a launch at the end of October.
The sources added that Google intends to charge $10 for the subscription, which will bundle its YouTube Music Key with another service that would allow users to watch anything on the site without ads. An email from YouTube to content providers obtained by the tech news site appears to support that timeframe, noting that those who share ad revenue on the site have until Oct. 22 to agree to new terms or their “videos will no longer be available for public display or monetization in the United States.”
The email says, “To give fans more choice we will be launching a new ads-free version of YouTube, available to fans for a monthly fee. This service will create a new source of revenue over time that supplements your advertising revenue. That’s why an overwhelming majority of our partners — representing over 95% of YouTube watchtime — have asked for and signed up for this service.”
A YouTube representative echoed that email in a statement to Re/code, noting the company currently has support from “the overwhelming majority of our partners, with over 95 percent of YouTube watch-time covered by agreements, and more in the pipeline about to close.”