YouTube set to launch paid subscription service

10 April 2015, 11:15 | Written by Jessica Goodman

(News)

YouTube has announced plans to launch a paid subscription service as soon as this year. Features include advert-free streaming, offline access to videos stored on your account, and the ability for creators to place videos behind a paywall.

Google Inc. announced their plans to in an email to YouTube channel owners, inviting them to sign up to the service. It is believed to be in response to the likes of Hulu, Netflix, Yahoo and HBO earning top dollar from streaming content.

YouTube already has their Music Key service for music videos.

A launch date and subscription cost has yet to be announced for the new subscription service, but channel owners have been given until 15 June to sign up to the service. Any channel that doesn't will have to make their videos made private.

YouTube's subscription service is expected to become available within the next few months, reports The FADER, and it is expected that the service will charge around $10 per month.

A YouTube spokeswoman told The Verge that "...we can't comment on ongoing discussions, [but] giving fans more choice to enjoy the content they love and creators more opportunity to earn revenue are always amongst our top priorities."

The email sent by YouTube to channel owners, acquired by Bloomberg, is pictured below.