A YouTube subscription fee is being put in place by the company, owned by Google, for viewers who would like to have access to upwards of 50 specialty channels. The paid subscription service is set to be introduced later this week.
The site is currently free for anyone and has become a video-sharing powerhouse since it’s creation in February of 2005. The revolutionary website allows users to create, share, and comment on videos along with multiple other features.
YouTube has right around a billion users currently signed up to the site while millions without an account regularly visit the page to listen to music or watch the world’s most popular videos.
The company has yet to confirm the subscription changes, but a spokesperson from Google made a statement about the upcoming fees and said, “We’re looking into creating a subscription platform that could bring even more great content to YouTube for our users to enjoy and provide our creators with another vehicle to generate revenue from their content, beyond the rental and ad-supported models we offer.”
The comments raise questions about the new features that will go along with the new YouTube subscription fee and advertisements may be the first to go. According to the Daily Mail , the new paid subscription may remove the ads completely as you watch videos.
YouTube began hosting specialty channels in October of 2012 and have received positive feedback on their newest addition to the website. The channels feature specialized content from major sources like BBC and now viewers will have to pay $1.99 a month to check them out.
The specialty channels also include TV shows, short films, and exclusive videos. According to the Daily Caller , YouTube receives 45 percent of the revenue from advertisements while the producers of the content bring in 55 percent.
The new deal is not expected to change the revenue weight though multiple payment models have been discussed. The income generated by the new fee’s will help produce new films and TV shows and also make the site more convenient for it’s users.
Will you pay the monthly YouTube subscription fee once it’s put in place later this week?