YouTube Premium users across the globe are facing significant price hikes as Google increases subscription costs in over a dozen countries. This follows earlier price jumps in various regions, including the United States last summer. The latest increases vary by region, with some countries experiencing hikes between 30% to 50%. For instance, in Ireland, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Italy, the Family plan will rise from €18 to €26 starting November, while the individual plan will increase by €2 to €14.
Countries affected by these changes include Ireland, Netherlands, Italy, Belgium, UAE, Switzerland, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Colombia, Thailand, Singapore, Norway, Sweden, Czech Republic, and Denmark. Although most Reddit reports are from European users, the price hikes also impact the Middle East, Colombia, Singapore, Thailand, and Indonesia. YouTube had already raised its subscription prices in India by 15–20% in late August.
It is morally correct to adblock youtube.
Use Revanced and forever be free
Or just not watch.
Not watching has a much better moral argument.
Yup. But people would rather just carp on about Revanced and Insidious or whatever, as if everyone has the time to and the inclination to set that up.
Meanwhile, everyone else will piss and moan for a month, then pay up and keep watching.
If you have the time to watch YouTube enough that you’re considering premium you have enough time to set up these systems. The time it saves you makes back the setup time very quickly for someone watching even a moderate amount of YouTube.
If you have time to relax and watch your favourite creators, you have time to set up arcane systems to avoid seeing ads!
No. YouTube is relaxing time, not doing work time.
I can concede Insidious especially with the recent news but Revanced is so easy and quick to set up, calling it arcane is laughable. It’s done in under 5 minutes.
It takes less than 30 seconds to install uBlock Origin. It’s the first thing I do on a new install after replacing Edge with Firefox
I’m aware, I’ve done the same myself.
What the hell are you talking about? I download an apk, I install it, I’m done. How many ads will you sit through before you’ve wasted the whole minute it would’ve taken to do?
You say that as if it’s obvious to everyone what an APK is.
It’s an installer for an app on android. Android has been around for half of my lifetime at this point. Not know that is like not knowing what an exe is on a PC.
First of all, you said time or inclination, the latter is caused by the ads, the former wasn’t really an issue as I’ve already said. Now you don’t know what APKs are? YouTube won’t stop with the ads. You either find an alternative, whether it’s Newpipe or just abandoning YouTube entirely, or you put up with them and stop bitching.
You can’t sit in the middle throwing your own shit at one side because “people will whine and then use it anyway” and then also at the other side because “it’s too hard to install a different app and don’t know what APKs are!”
Let’s make it even easier then. I downloaded Firefox Focus from the App Store (also available in the play store)
Boom done. Ads blocked on YouTube. Even the most tech illiterate people can install an app from the store.
You can install ad blockers from within the browser, why are people doing it the hard way?
an adblocker is much quicker and easier to set up
Doesn’t work on a Chromecast though.
Easier said than done when you talk about the global video sharing platform that is used everywhere by everyone…
It’s like telling someone to just ditch their smartphone… not practically doable. Blocking ads is morally correct when you are forced to use it.
I highly doubt anyone is “forced” to use YouTube, unless you work for a YT channel or something. There are plenty of alternatives, and while they don’t have the same content, they have other enjoyable content.
I’ve moved about half of my watching to Nebula, and almost a quarter to Odysee. There are still some channels I really enjoy on YouTube, but I could totally stop watching those.
No one is forced to use youtube in the same sense no one is forced to use a smartphone.
In the real world you’ll eventually have to use those things to participate in society, just by the sheer reach those things have in our daily lives.
Just look back into any time a friend or family shared a link, or it was embedded in an article, or a company made an announcement only in youtube, or if you’re in school and you were asked to view some lesson, or those college lectures that get uploaded to youtube.
I can get more examples, the thing is you’ll need to click a youtube link at some point. Is it ok for us to deal with an enshittified platform? should we act like a luddite because we don’t agree with the TOS? is this fair for us?
My current usage of youtube doesn’t involve following creators, for that I use odysee/twitch. But the point remains, its morally correct to block ads, the platform is unfairly dominant.
i dont like being addicted to their platforms and limit my time using it.
however, the idea of being a luddite and isolating myself from the useful things in them just because their current owners are greedy capitalists sounds even worse.
Wouldnt that just cause them to increase prices more? Since now someone else has to pay for the bandwith you use?
Thus what you are doing is using your technological know how to offload your costs onto less technical users who can’t adblock.
The morally correct thing to do is to stop watching youtube and/pr go to a paid platform that’s an alternative, like floatplane or nebula and support the creators there, isn’t it? But let’s be honest, we all know you just want adfree youtube videos for free.
You think YouTube is some kind of Mom pop shop down the block? They have more than enough money to burn. Least they can do is to serve adfree videos, better, I might add.
Thus what you are doing is using your technological know how to offload your costs onto less technical users who can’t adblock.
Which is the reason why we should help people get adblocks more, which is also recommended by the FBI.
Level set: ads suck
Least they can do is to serve adfree videos
Now, corporations are greedy right?
Genuine question: What does Greedy Google do if we all install adblock on all our neighbors’ computers tonight?
That might be their response, yes. But they also have some other options:
- improve the service to be worth the cost
- reduce the cost to increase Premium subs - I have a price in mind, and they’re way above it
- add an a la carte alternative to Premium (i.e. pay per video or something)
- cut expenses, such as by reducing the amount of useless videos that are uploaded (i.e. small charge to upload videos, recur every year; allow some amount for free)
But no, raising prices is the easier “solution.” I’m willing to pay (I pay for Nebula, after all), I’m just not willing to pay what they’re asking for the service as-is.
Okay, so if you are not willing to pay that’s entirely reasonable, you can then not use the service or use it with ads.
Dont get me wrong, I do have pirated movies and shows, it has reasons like scrubs they changed the music, community they took down an episode for no reason, but that shit doesn’t cost anyone anything I dont use extra bandwith or anything
I’m ok with all of that. It furthers my goal of hitting the platform back in response to their predatory marketing practices and de facto monopoly. Also, I do support creators outside of youtube. In short, I don’t feel bad about any of this.
Prepare for the downvotes!
I can’t wait for google to crash and burn. Bring back GeoCities and Netscape navigator.
bring back web 1.0 because web 1.0 was superior.
There’s a neocities project… As for Netscape… I think SeaMonkey is still active?
🤩
Like Reddit dying after the API incident?
Just like Reddit, Google are going nowhere; sadly.
Google is having problems, they can’t make profits anymore. Its different because reddit was never profitable, but googles been profitable for years.
My first comment wasn’t rude, but I’ll concede that my second one was because you incorrectly assumed I was calling out something about your psychology.
As for the information you provided, nothing in there hinted at Google failing as a company and more just highlighting some of the failings of recent times.
“You made me be rude after I insulted you and you called me out on it”
Leave me alone. I’ve wasted enough time on you. You clearly have your mind made up and can’t even comprehend why someone would be skeptical of a company that is driving away its users and advertisers, of which I provided many examples. I wrote several paragraphs supporting my argument, and several sources. You responded in seconds with two sentences. Hopefully you wise up before taking a bath on whatever your investments are. I wish you all the best in life, but this is finished.
They may be having problems, but they have billions and are not going anywhere.
Unless you want to provide some sources for reputable financial analysis of Google failing I’ll assume you’re working on conjecture or hopium.
I don’t get the idea of “hopium”, yes I hope they collapse. It doesn’t bring me any kind of like euphoria to do so, and I’d prefer if you didn’t make comments on my psychology, unless you are some kind of psychologist or have an advanced degree in psychology, it seems problematic and ableist and also you don’t fucking know me; but sure I can take a whack at supporting evidence, as an exercise:
A quick google search returned this article, geared toward investors, that outlines many issues with Google’s current monetization strategy.
https://the-cfo.io/2024/07/25/the-hidden-red-flags-in-googles-most-recent-earnings/
- Google’s Copilot feature is a stinker
The company’s CFO, Ruth Porat, hinted at the financial implications of this shift, stating, “As we invest to support our highest growth opportunities, we remain committed to creating investment capacity with our ongoing work to durably re-engineer our cost base.”
This statement suggests that Google is bracing for a period of higher costs and potentially lower margins as it transitions to more AI-intensive search capabilities. The challenge lies in maintaining profitability while delivering the advanced features necessary to fend off emerging competitors.
Moreover, the monetization model for AI-powered search remains unclear. Traditional search relies heavily on sponsored links and ads, but integrating these seamlessly into AI-generated responses presents a significant challenge. Google may need to explore alternative revenue models, such as subscriptions or premium features, which could face resistance from users accustomed to free search services.
Problems with google’s implementation of AI are documented here:
https://arstechnica.com/ai/2024/06/googles-ai-overviews-misunderstand-why-people-use-google/
https://www.wired.com/story/google-ai-overview-search-issues/
The CEO also said they cant do anything about ai hallucinations.
https://futurism.com/the-byte/ceo-google-ai-hallucinations
So the feature that is affecting their overall profitability, that is forcing them to make dramatic quality of life changes doesnt even work and can’t be fixed, according to Google.
- lagging profits from youtube, a historically high performer
YouTube, historically a strong performer in Alphabet’s portfolio, showed signs of vulnerability in Q2 2024. While YouTube ad revenues grew by 13% year-over-year to $8.7 billion, this growth rate lagged behind that of Google Search, indicating potential challenges in the video platform’s monetization strategy.
Brand advertising, typically a strong driver for YouTube, showed weakness. Schindler noted that YouTube’s growth was “driven by growth in brand, as well as direct response,” but the emphasis on direct response advertising suggests that big-budget brand campaigns may be pulling back.
This shift could be indicative of broader changes in the advertising landscape. As consumers increasingly use platforms like TikTok and Instagram for product discovery, advertisers may be reallocating their budgets away from traditional YouTube ads.
Furthermore, YouTube faces challenges in its content strategy. The company’s investment in YouTube Shorts, its short-form video offering, has yet to fully pay off. Pichai mentioned that “views of YouTube Shorts on connected TVs more than doubled last year,” but failed to provide concrete monetization figures for this format.
Youtube is more aggressively pushing ads to users, and the price of their subscription based services continues to squeeze consumers.
https://www.howtogeek.com/youtube-is-adding-even-more-ads/
Far from the only game in town now, competitors like tik tok and insta reels have forced Google to make changes to the platform in order to stay competitive. These changes have yet to pay off for google within this competitive environment, and the company can no longer afford to develop loss leading tech like in previous stages of the business.
As Google continues to limit access to its platform to users who use adblocking or other services such as NewPipe or Invidious to view content, it would be a stretch to say that these dedicated and tech savvy users will just view ads to continue to use the platform. On the contrary, one can just not watch youtube, and it will be an overall improvement to one’s own wellbeing. As ads and subscriptions increase, an inevitability for a platform that must remain profitable quarter on quarter, year on year, I think it’s safe to say that users will just go elsewhere for content, driving away advertisers.
- Further problems with AI
Furthermore, Google’s AI strategy appears somewhat scattered. The company is pursuing multiple AI initiatives across various product lines, from search to cloud to workspace applications. This broad approach, while potentially covering all bases, may also dilute focus and resources, potentially allowing more specialized competitors to gain advantages in specific areas.
Google, in an effort to preempt the market is spreading itself too thin across too many market segments too cautiously. You said that Google “Has billions and isnt going anywhere” but actually this might be a huge disadvantage, as smaller competitors able to be more dynamic and interruptive can take big chunks out of the profitability of Google, who has to remain conservative while staying on top of the latest tech. A tech, which by all accounts, doesnt even work very well.
- What else is there?
Cloud services are too competitive. Features like Google Maps, which Google hasnt figured out how to make profitable, and can’t make subscription based while good free versions also exist, the same of which being true for other google services such as workspaces and the features contianed within, will continue to get worse as these will be the first areas to receive cuts in staff and investment as profitability is continually squeezed.
- Conclusion
At its peak, Yahoo had a value of around $200B adjusted. in 2016 it sold to Verizon for 4.8 billion, and is likely worth even less now though exact numbers are hard to find. Google is no longer in their growth phase, and they have failed to monopolize the tech industry in most segments, other than (arguably) search. They will continue to struggle to make profits, leaving them with three distinct options: sell sections of the business, serve more ads, cut expenses such as developers. each of these options are merely survival strategies, and not a way for a tech company to continually grow. It’s my prediction that Alphabet will become little more than an aggressive patent troll, and Google will start to shrink until it becomes small enough to be acquired by a competitor. Alphabet’s current valuation is about $2 Trillion, which aint nothing. this isnt going to happen overnight. but fewer users means less advertisers, less advertisers means less investment, and less investment means death. Maybe the timeline is more or less long, idk if it will take 5 years, or 10 or 20. but it is an inivitability due to the limitations of our economic system and the constrictions that a very large companies with a large amount of non-finance capital are forced to face. Any number of things could happen to severely damage google’s ability to continue to do business, but what they might do to innovate is unclear if not an impossible task altogether.
https://www.axios.com/2021/05/04/verizon-aol-yahoo-valuations
None of this hints at the downfall of Google and more them having to pivot to find more revenue streams and find things that work.
The issue is perpetual growth, if you take that out of the equation then Google can keep on googling and won’t be going anywhere.
As for commenting on your psychology. I didn’t. I literally used the word “hopium” which is common parlance to mean:
Hopium is a combination of the words “hope” and “opium”. It is typically used humorously or disparagingly to refer to someone expressing irrational optimism.
To be clear I was using it disparagingly.
The Peertube protocol developers should develop a central hub webpage space for newcomers, allow accounts there to follow all channels in every instance (and to only follow and block specific instances too), and then develop apps for smart tvs. It’s the only realistic FOSS alternative to Youtube i can think of, and i dont know why the first point is still non existent (having already subscribed to several channels in 3 instances using separate accounts).
Funny, I still pay them my same flat fee of nada
ReVanced ❤️
Only up to 50%? I would much appreciate 100%. That would make users rethink their subscription.
Paying for service? Why those savages!
And that, kids, is why you should pirate. Paying customers are restricted and being ripped off. Piracy gives freedom, it pays off, it makes sure you dont have to agree to stupid user agreements which take away you rights. Make sure to support your favorite creators though, through other platforms like Patreon. Don’t take the money away from them. Just take away the power and control away from the evil mega corps like Google and Meta.
You don’t even need to pirate, just use an ad blocker and support your creators directly. My perspective is that, unless you agree to their TOS, it’s on them to prevent any activity that’s unprofitable to them, and so far, uBlock Origin on Firefox works fine on YouTube directly.
Take what you would’ve spent on YouTube premium at a more reasonable price and send that to the creators you follow.
Just Vivaldi browser works too. On your phone I recommend grayjay.app
- Firefox + uBO
- NewPipe/LibrePipe/GrayJay
- FreeTube
They all are free, no subscription required
And sorry Apple users, I don’t know what option you have cuz I don’t use Apple.
Freetube doesn’t seem to work anymore (for me at least) as Google went hard on blocking all invidious instances and proxies…
Change your API backend to LocalAPI in the settings. It still works that way on Freetube and Libretube
How do you do that?
Working fine on librewolf so far.
Works fine for me
Which instance?
Local API, not invidious api
iOS user here, uYou++ is quite good, but only a mod for the regular YT app, not a complete alternative.
As an iPhone user I like to use YtLitePlus, it’s pretty much the same user experience as using revanced on android, maybe even a bit better. I’d like to have an alternative client such as NewPipe but hey, we can’t have everything.
reminder that firefox + ubo works on android too.
I switched from FF to librewolf. Less convenient, more privacy, no pesky G**gle partnerships, afaict.
iOS/iPadOS: Safari + AdGuard (+ Vinegar (optional))
macOS: Safari + AdGuard or Firefox + uBO or FreeTube
Also Revanced
Line must go 🆙
hey… Mister youtube. … We are not americans, just poor europeans ! 😭
Streaming in general is approaching the old cable prices. Once you’ve subscribed to the fractured marketplace to find the shows you want you are spending far more than you expected.
Probably the ones that do subscribe are much less price sensitive.
I sure hope their recent heavy prosecution of the Invidious project isn’t related
maybe its time people redirect their money to supporting peertube
