Welcome to YouTube Red

The tech behemoth, Google, has announced a paid-subscription service to the most popular video streaming platform, YouTube. For over ten years, YouTube has been a worldwide phenomenon through its massive amounts of content anyone can create and watch almost anywhere. Perhaps the biggest chapter in YouTube’s short history is Google’s acquisition of the website in November of 2006 for $1.65 billion. Not soon after, in May 2007, YouTube introduced its Partner Program, allowing ad revenue to be distributed between Youtube (45%) and the content producer (55%). The company and content producers alike saw this as an opportunity to improve the quality of the videos, but YouTube garnered some criticism for the unavoidable advertisements put at the beginning, or the middle, of many videos, and the launch of YouTube Red may bring up even more criticism than before.

From the mobile app to their Cardboard virtual reality, YouTube has always prided itself as a service dedicated to enhancing the video-streaming experience for their viewers through constant adaptation, and YouTube Red is no different. With YouTube Red, subscribers will receive special features, including ad-free videos, the ability to save videos and music for offline access, or to keep videos or music playing outside of the YouTube app, an audio-only option through the YouTube Music app, and a Google Play Music subscription at no extra charge. After a 1-month free trial, all of these benefits will be available for $9.99/month.

Upon closer inspection, it seems Google is addressing many of the complaints about intrusive ads consumers have thrown their way, but some content creators might feel they are being put in a tough position. With the launch of YouTube Red, any Partner Program member will be expected to sign up for YouTube Red, or all their videos will not be available to the public.

It is too soon to decide whether or not this new program will succeed in boosting content quality, but as always, Google is sure to draw a very polarizing reaction, as can be seen through the number of dislikes on this video announcing the new program.