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> He said YouTube Premium - its service letting users pay to remove ads between videos, or songs on its music service - had helped boost paid subscriptions acro

by drnick1 9mo ago

> He said YouTube Premium - its service letting users pay to remove ads between videos, or songs on its music service - had helped boost paid subscriptions across Google consumer services to more than 325 million in 2025 overall. 325 million people that don't know about Firefox and uBlock Origin?

faust201 9mo ago
Ironically iPhone helps them earn more. Most apple device owners have no choice or awareness.
- manuelmoreale 9mo ago
  I happily watch adless YouTube on an iPhone. There are definitely choices available. I agree on the awareness though.
foldshift 9mo ago
i am a subscriber as firefox + ublock origin does not work on phone (on android, i think? last time i checked) and neither on smart tvs (mine is rokutv)
- TheBolivianNavy 9mo ago
  Firefox + uBlock Origin works just fine on Android.
- drnick1 9mo ago
  NewPipe and IronFox (hardened Firefox) for Android, although I suspect these need to be "sideloaded" as Google won't allow them on the Play Store. (I run Graphene so this does not apply to me.) For the TV, I would suggest VacuumTube (a frontend to the Leanback interface) on a free/libre box running Linux.
- saidinesh5 9mo ago
  I'm currently using Firefox + ublock origin on Android while typing this...
- zanmat0 9mo ago
  SmartTube and Revanced
lanternfish 9mo ago
Mobile app compatibility is presumably the biggest seller.
deleted 9mo ago
[deleted]
emtel 9mo ago
I pay for YouTube premium and it’s one of my happiest expenditures. YouTube is a miraculous, unbelievable treasure trove. Learn any language, any musical instrument, any academic subject. TV clips from the 80s that someone taped in VHS for some reason. Isaac Arthur, Veritaseum, numberphile. I’ve gotten more value from YouTube than any other single site on the internet, and it’s not close! So yeah, take my $13.99/month
- 4gotunameagain 9mo ago
  It's not Youtube that is the treasure trove. Human knowledge and endeavour is the treasure trove. Youtube is just profiting from it, by shoving mostly shitty ads in your face. Just because it was the first one to gain traction..
akanet 9mo ago
It is very amusing to read HN comments that complain about the "enshittification" of free platforms while simultaneously mocking those who would pay for stuff they like. YT is dollar for dollar the best digital subscription I pay for and I pay it gladly.
- thomassmith65 9mo ago
  Youtube has reached the terminal stage of enshittification: • the good stuff is VHS-quality TV content that somebody pirated • the ads, once nonexistent, are typically disreputable and now incessant • the few 'creators' worth watching are lost in an ocean of audience-captured, brain-dead garbage "hey guys... [product placement disguised as organic content]... misinformation... remember to like and subscribe... [product placement disguised as organic content]" • access becomes increasingly arcane due to ad-blocking measures • one of the lowest quality comments sections - largely inorganic, rogue state-sponsored - on the internet • increasingly just AI slop The day I can't scrape videos via yt-dlp is last day I permit youtube domains on my network. Personally, I would prefer to eat a rotten cat carcass than pay a single cent to Youtube. In a better world, youtube would be some kind of a protocol, not a mediocre company serving as a middleman.
- bigstrat2003 9mo ago
  I don't think one should mock people who are paying for youtube. If they find it's good, then it's laudable to pay for it. But that said, I personally can't relate to that position. There just isn't any content on youtube that I find interesting enough that I would pay for it. It's a time waster for me, not something I seek out because it's a compelling way to spend my time.
- deadamericans 9mo ago
  [dead]
mlindner 9mo ago
I use Firefox and uBlock Origin but still pay for premium because I want to support the channels I watch but don't want to watch their ads.
- deadamericans 9mo ago
  [dead]
lolcakey 9mo ago
Firefox and ublock origin won't help you play music in the background on your iphone while using another app......tons of other situations like that. Think a bit more instead of wasting peoples time with pointless and braindead comments please. I say this as an android/linux user.
- catlikesshrimp 9mo ago
  ~~your iphone It works on Android and PC.
dewey 9mo ago
I want to use it on my Apple TV and don’t want to fiddle around with VPNs. It’s the only streaming service I pay for and I’m happily doing it. It also pays creators I’m watching which is a nice feel-good benefit.
- Hikikomori 9mo ago
  There's smarttube for Android TV like nvidia shield, no ads and sponsorblock. Can just donate directly to creators or use patreon.
throwawaygmbno 9mo ago
Tell your friends and family about Napster offline. Theres nothing to gain by talking about it anymore on the open internet
tebbers 9mo ago
Does using Firefox allow me to play YouTube in the background or download videos to my iPhone/iPad for long journeys? No, it doesn't.
- deleted 9mo ago
  [deleted]
- Hikikomori 9mo ago
  Revanced youtube lets you play in background, nexttube can download. But guess they aren't available on iphone.
- account42 9mo ago
  yt-dlp does

by drnick1 9mo ago

faust201 9mo ago

Ironically iPhone helps them earn more. Most apple device owners have no choice or awareness.

manuelmoreale 9mo ago
I happily watch adless YouTube on an iPhone. There are definitely choices available. I agree on the awareness though.

foldshift 9mo ago

i am a subscriber as firefox + ublock origin does not work on phone (on android, i think? last time i checked) and neither on smart tvs (mine is rokutv)

TheBolivianNavy 9mo ago
Firefox + uBlock Origin works just fine on Android.
drnick1 9mo ago
NewPipe and IronFox (hardened Firefox) for Android, although I suspect these need to be "sideloaded" as Google won't allow them on the Play Store. (I run Graphene so this does not apply to me.) For the TV, I would suggest VacuumTube (a frontend to the Leanback interface) on a free/libre box running Linux.
saidinesh5 9mo ago
I'm currently using Firefox + ublock origin on Android while typing this...
zanmat0 9mo ago
SmartTube and Revanced

lanternfish 9mo ago

Mobile app compatibility is presumably the biggest seller.

deleted 9mo ago

[deleted]

emtel 9mo ago

I pay for YouTube premium and it’s one of my happiest expenditures. YouTube is a miraculous, unbelievable treasure trove. Learn any language, any musical instrument, any academic subject. TV clips from the 80s that someone taped in VHS for some reason. Isaac Arthur, Veritaseum, numberphile. I’ve gotten more value from YouTube than any other single site on the internet, and it’s not close! So yeah, take my $13.99/month

4gotunameagain 9mo ago
It's not Youtube that is the treasure trove. Human knowledge and endeavour is the treasure trove. Youtube is just profiting from it, by shoving mostly shitty ads in your face. Just because it was the first one to gain traction..

akanet 9mo ago

It is very amusing to read HN comments that complain about the "enshittification" of free platforms while simultaneously mocking those who would pay for stuff they like. YT is dollar for dollar the best digital subscription I pay for and I pay it gladly.

thomassmith65 9mo ago
Youtube has reached the terminal stage of enshittification: • the good stuff is VHS-quality TV content that somebody pirated • the ads, once nonexistent, are typically disreputable and now incessant • the few 'creators' worth watching are lost in an ocean of audience-captured, brain-dead garbage "hey guys... [product placement disguised as organic content]... misinformation... remember to like and subscribe... [product placement disguised as organic content]" • access becomes increasingly arcane due to ad-blocking measures • one of the lowest quality comments sections - largely inorganic, rogue state-sponsored - on the internet • increasingly just AI slop The day I can't scrape videos via yt-dlp is last day I permit youtube domains on my network. Personally, I would prefer to eat a rotten cat carcass than pay a single cent to Youtube. In a better world, youtube would be some kind of a protocol, not a mediocre company serving as a middleman.
bigstrat2003 9mo ago
I don't think one should mock people who are paying for youtube. If they find it's good, then it's laudable to pay for it. But that said, I personally can't relate to that position. There just isn't any content on youtube that I find interesting enough that I would pay for it. It's a time waster for me, not something I seek out because it's a compelling way to spend my time.
deadamericans 9mo ago
[dead]

mlindner 9mo ago

I use Firefox and uBlock Origin but still pay for premium because I want to support the channels I watch but don't want to watch their ads.

deadamericans 9mo ago
[dead]

lolcakey 9mo ago

Firefox and ublock origin won't help you play music in the background on your iphone while using another app......tons of other situations like that. Think a bit more instead of wasting peoples time with pointless and braindead comments please. I say this as an android/linux user.

catlikesshrimp 9mo ago
~~your iphone It works on Android and PC.

dewey 9mo ago

I want to use it on my Apple TV and don’t want to fiddle around with VPNs. It’s the only streaming service I pay for and I’m happily doing it. It also pays creators I’m watching which is a nice feel-good benefit.

Hikikomori 9mo ago
There's smarttube for Android TV like nvidia shield, no ads and sponsorblock. Can just donate directly to creators or use patreon.

throwawaygmbno 9mo ago

Tell your friends and family about Napster offline. Theres nothing to gain by talking about it anymore on the open internet

tebbers 9mo ago

Does using Firefox allow me to play YouTube in the background or download videos to my iPhone/iPad for long journeys? No, it doesn't.

deleted 9mo ago
[deleted]
Hikikomori 9mo ago
Revanced youtube lets you play in background, nexttube can download. But guess they aren't available on iphone.
account42 9mo ago
yt-dlp does