YouTube has announced that YouTube Music and Premium have surpassed 125 million global subscribers, coinciding with the U.S. launch of their Premium Lite pilot program.

Premium Lite, currently being tested in Thailand, Germany, and Australia, offers ad-free viewing of non-Shorts content, excluding music content. Unlike the full Premium subscription ($13.99/month), Premium Lite doesn't include features like downloads or background viewing.

Key points about YouTube's subscription services:

• Combined Music and Premium subscribers reached 125 million (including trials), up from 100 million in January 2024
• U.S. subscribers account for approximately 9.01 million of the total (as of September 2024)
• YouTube Music Premium remains available as a standalone service for $10.99/month
• The platform's podcast content reached roughly 12% of the global population in January
• Television has become YouTube's primary consumption format in the United States

The expansion of Premium Lite comes as YouTube strengthens its position in the podcast market, despite competition from platforms like Spotify. YouTube plans to roll out Premium Lite to additional countries throughout the year, aiming to capitalize on its growing non-music content consumption.

Spotify, meanwhile, continues to evolve its platform to more closely resemble YouTube, incorporating non-music and podcast video content with active comment sections, signaling an increasingly competitive landscape in the digital media streaming space.

Note: Premium's pricing varies by market, leading some users to seek lower-cost plans available in different regions.

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