Youtube subscription becomes significantly more expensive internationally
YouTube is raising its prices in many places. Swiss families can pay almost 430 euros a year for free advertising. A textbook example of market power.
(Image: Shutterstock.com/Chubo - my masterpiece)
Google is significantly increasing the subscription fees for the ad-free YouTube Premium in other countries, in some cases by more than half. Those who do not pay will have to endure more and more advertising, even in paused YouTube videos. At the same time, the service makes it more difficult to use ad blockers. And because there would be nothing else to watch, generative artificial intelligence (AI) is supposed to produce more videos.
No price increase has currently been announced in Germany and Austria, as there was already one in the fall of last year. The situation is similar in Turkey and North America. However, Google is now increasing the price in Switzerland: the family subscription (for a maximum of five users) is rising from 24 to 34 francs per month (around 36 euros), which equates to almost 430 euros per year. For individual users, the monthly price will rise from CHF 16 to CHF 18 (EUR 19).
It will be 56 percent more expensive for Swedish families, who will have to pay 279 kroner per month (around 25 euros) instead of 179 kroner. As Reddit users have compiled, family prices are also rising by more than half in Colombia, Norway and Singapore, as well as in Denmark. The new family price of 279 kroner there corresponds to around 35 euros, while the new individual price of 139 kroner is around 19 euros. The exchange rates will determine whether Denmark or Switzerland are more expensive when converted into euros.
The rates for single-user subscriptions will also be higher in the countries affected, especially in Norway (+42%). In the euro countries of Belgium, Ireland, Italy and the Netherlands, Google now charges one or two euros more per month than in Germany and Austria, where a single user subscription costs 13 euros and a family subscription 24 euros. In India, prices already rose by around a fifth in August, and Google is now increasing prices in several other Asian countries.
Surcharges for Apple
Surcharges may be added to the above prices if the subscription was taken out via Apple's App Store. Google passes on a portion of Apple's fees to customers. In order to contain the effects of a possible wave of cancellations, YouTube is now offering "Premium Lite" in more countries than before. This costs six euros per month in Germany and Austria, includes fewer functions and is not ad-free. "Less" advertising is the data company's vague promise.
An end to the price spiral is not in sight. YouTube obviously has so much market power that it does not have to worry about any reactions from competitors. Owner Google can increase both advertising prices and subscription rates without fear of losing revenue.
The company is also increasingly combating circumvention measures. On the one hand, YouTube is taking measures against ad blockers, and on the other, it is canceling subscriptions that were taken out under the pretense of an incorrect location. As prices vary greatly between different countries, this is an increasingly tempting savings model. Last week, the company introduced new AI tools for video production with YouTube Create and Dream Screen. In principle, YouTube has a disclosure obligation for AI-generated content, but the list of exceptions is long.
(ds)