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For all the kvetching about ads I see regarding YouTube, most people really could just pay Google and make it go away. I mean, I don’t like paying for things ei

For all the kvetching about ads I see regarding YouTube, most people really could just pay Google and make it go away. I mean, I don’t like paying for things either, but it’s not worth the headache of ad blockers (which aren’t available on every device) and philosophically, I would rather the internet get away from ads everywhere and I’ll help that happen if I can. It helps that $10 is worth the many hours of use I get every month from YouTube & YouTube Music too.

devnulll 4y ago
I am a huge fan of YouTube Premium. Youtube has become the de-facto video platform in our household, having totally displaced traditional shows. To pay $10 per month to have unlimited content w/o ads is perfect. I don't understand the pushback.
- edgyquant 4y ago
  The pushback is because all of the shows I want to watch are still half ads. The content creators insert them, surely they have a rational reason, but I’m not interested in the economics if I pay for ad free I want ad free. I would pay quite a bit more than 10$ for this, but the option just isn’t there.
  - scarface74 4y ago
    Then pay for streaming services they have professional content?
    - edgyquant 4y ago
      Yeah, sure, but doesn’t that prove the point that it’s a waste to pay for YouTube?
aantix 4y ago
Youtube Premium is a quality of life upgrade. It's amazing what a difference it makes when you don't have to go through the tension of battling ads for every three minute video you'd like to watch. You're free to consume videos at the speed for which you're thinking of ideas/questions.
- edgyquant 4y ago
  I just run an adblocker
LukeShu 4y ago
I have no problem paying for things. I like paying for things. Well, I like paying for value to be delivered. I don't like paying for "stop messing with me." The path from gratis to paid to paid-at-a-higher-tier should be "yeah, I like this, I want more of it, and I'm willing to pay for it". YouTube would have to have a lot fewer dark patterns for me to say "yeah, I want more of this".
sophacles 4y ago
Cable tv was originally ad-free because you paid for the content instead. Now you pay and get more ads than network tv instead! Premium channels were ad-free longer, because you the content producers didn't have to share the fees based on (estimates) of how much the channel was watched. Lots of ad-free services really mean "no ads except bumpers since you must like ads just not in the middle of the show". Why would anyone be stupid enough to trust google to keep the "ad free" experience ad free?
- scarface74 4y ago
  Cable TV has never been as free. It was first a method to deliver broadcast channels to areas without a good signal and then you had the “Superstations” like TBS and WGN that also had ads. The only channels that were ever ad free were the premium channels that are still ad free.
- frostmatthew 4y ago
  > Why would anyone be stupid enough to trust google to keep the "ad free" experience ad free? One can cancel their YouTube Premium subscription at any time for any reason, including and especially if it is no longer delivering an ad-free experience. In the meantime I'm quite happy paying $10 a month (annual plan) to never see ads.
  - edgyquant 4y ago
    But videos are crawling with ads from the content creator themselves? So you aren’t getting an ad free experience for that 10$.
graftak 4y ago
YouTube premium is just too expensive because they bundle it with music and you need a paid account for each user (unlike other ‘streaming/vod’ services). For a family of two it’s either two times €6.99 or a €17.99 family account. That’s more expensive than Netflix, who besides stream their content also have to produce/lease it.

devnulll 4y ago

I am a huge fan of YouTube Premium. Youtube has become the de-facto video platform in our household, having totally displaced traditional shows. To pay $10 per month to have unlimited content w/o ads is perfect. I don't understand the pushback.

edgyquant 4y ago
The pushback is because all of the shows I want to watch are still half ads. The content creators insert them, surely they have a rational reason, but I’m not interested in the economics if I pay for ad free I want ad free. I would pay quite a bit more than 10$ for this, but the option just isn’t there.
- scarface74 4y ago
  Then pay for streaming services they have professional content?
  - edgyquant 4y ago
    Yeah, sure, but doesn’t that prove the point that it’s a waste to pay for YouTube?

aantix 4y ago

Youtube Premium is a quality of life upgrade. It's amazing what a difference it makes when you don't have to go through the tension of battling ads for every three minute video you'd like to watch. You're free to consume videos at the speed for which you're thinking of ideas/questions.

edgyquant 4y ago
I just run an adblocker

LukeShu 4y ago

I have no problem paying for things. I like paying for things. Well, I like paying for value to be delivered. I don't like paying for "stop messing with me." The path from gratis to paid to paid-at-a-higher-tier should be "yeah, I like this, I want more of it, and I'm willing to pay for it". YouTube would have to have a lot fewer dark patterns for me to say "yeah, I want more of this".

sophacles 4y ago

Cable tv was originally ad-free because you paid for the content instead. Now you pay and get more ads than network tv instead! Premium channels were ad-free longer, because you the content producers didn't have to share the fees based on (estimates) of how much the channel was watched. Lots of ad-free services really mean "no ads except bumpers since you must like ads just not in the middle of the show". Why would anyone be stupid enough to trust google to keep the "ad free" experience ad free?

scarface74 4y ago
Cable TV has never been as free. It was first a method to deliver broadcast channels to areas without a good signal and then you had the “Superstations” like TBS and WGN that also had ads. The only channels that were ever ad free were the premium channels that are still ad free.
frostmatthew 4y ago
> Why would anyone be stupid enough to trust google to keep the "ad free" experience ad free? One can cancel their YouTube Premium subscription at any time for any reason, including and especially if it is no longer delivering an ad-free experience. In the meantime I'm quite happy paying $10 a month (annual plan) to never see ads.
- edgyquant 4y ago
  But videos are crawling with ads from the content creator themselves? So you aren’t getting an ad free experience for that 10$.

graftak 4y ago

YouTube premium is just too expensive because they bundle it with music and you need a paid account for each user (unlike other ‘streaming/vod’ services). For a family of two it’s either two times €6.99 or a €17.99 family account. That’s more expensive than Netflix, who besides stream their content also have to produce/lease it.