To celebrate 10 years of Creator Weekly, I’m sharing tech highlights from 2015 that still resonate 10 years later. This update was for the week of October 24, 2015.
10 years ago YouTube Red launched, offering ad-free videos and a Google Play
Music subscription (with the promise of a future YouTube Music app).
YouTube Red Launches
On October 21, 2015 YouTube
announced YouTube Red,
"a new membership designed to provide you with the ultimate YouTube
experience."
YouTube said this was giving fans “exactly what they want”, which was mostly
no ads. It was
not replacing ad-supported videos, but gave viewers the option to pay to go ad-free.
Creators, of course, were a bit concerned, as Partners earn by sharing ad revenue on their videos with YouTube.
YouTube made clear that they would be sharing Red subscription revenue with monetized Creators, and even stated Creators would “make as much or more money on YouTube than they would have without it. And on a per-user basis, a paying YouTube Red member will generate more money for creators than a typical ad-viewing, free user.”
And YouTube
stopped making “Originals” in 2022.
The subscription included ad-free videos, offline viewing and a subscription
to Google Play Music (a separate YouTube Music app would be available
"soon"). Google Play Music subscribers would also get YouTube Red.
It would also include Originals, new series starring popular YouTubers, starting in 2016.
It would also include Originals, new series starring popular YouTubers, starting in 2016.
No One Likes Ads, Right?
YouTube Red wasn't YouTube's first subscription. Almost a year before
this announcement, in November 2014, YouTube launched Music Key Beta. It offered ad-free music, background play and offline
viewing. It was invite only, and aimed at heavy music listeners.
The new YouTube Red went beyond music, offering ad-free viewing across
the whole platform.
Creators, of course, were a bit concerned, as Partners earn by sharing ad revenue on their videos with YouTube.
YouTube made clear that they would be sharing Red subscription revenue with monetized Creators, and even stated Creators would “make as much or more money on YouTube than they would have without it. And on a per-user basis, a paying YouTube Red member will generate more money for creators than a typical ad-viewing, free user.”
The view from 2025
Not too much has changed in the past decade.
In 2018 YouTube
changed the name from YouTube Red to YouTube Premium, with a new separate YouTube Music subscription. Why the name change?
Perhaps to distance it from "RedTube" which is a porn video site. The new
name was also more descriptive.
In 2020 YouTube
started showing ads on all videos,
not just videos monetized by Creators. That makes ad-free viewing even
more compelling.
The price has gone up, of course. But you still get ad-free viewing and
music with background play. Plus you get
early access to new YouTube features.
And in many countries there is a
cheaper Premium Lite plan
with ad-free viewing that excludes ad-free and offline music.
Is it popular? There are
currently 125 million YouTube Premium subscribers. That's a tiny fraction of YouTube's 2.5 billion users and only half the
number of Spotify's paid subscribers.
I'm not sure if that counts as success or not.
References
YouTube Help Center, "Your content & YouTube Red"
YouTube Help Center, "Join YouTube Red"
YouTube Official Blog, 21 October 2015, "Meet YouTube Red, the ultimate YouTube experience" (Original article)
YouTube Official Blog, 21 October 2015, "Introducing YouTube Red Original Series and Movies from your favorite
stars" (Original article)
YouTube Creators Blog, 28 October 2015, "YouTube Red is here: Seven things to know about our new subscription
service" (Original article)
YouTube Official Blog, 17 May 2018 "Introducing YouTube Premium"
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