YouTube rolls out cheaper subscription tier to U.S. with no ads, except for music
San Francisco: Alphabet's YouTube recently unveiled a new monthly subscription plan priced at $7.99 that offers an ad-free experience for most videos, except for music content.
The "Premium Lite" plan is specifically designed for customers who rarely watch music videos or listen to music, as reported by Reuters. While YouTube has a significant presence in the streaming music industry, many users primarily watch non-music videos and may find this new option more appealing.
YouTube's existing $13.99 Premium plan has no ads, including for music content. Additionally, there is a separate $10.99 plan that offers ad-free music videos and other videos with ads, essentially the reverse of the new plan.
The introduction of the "Premium Lite" plan provides an option for those who don’t use YouTube for music, addressing a gap that has been apparent for some time, particularly among U.S. users who already subscribe to other music streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music, added the news agency.
"We didn't feel that we really got it matching the tier for users that don't need the music content, and so that's where this revision comes in," Jack Greenberg, the product director for YouTube Premium, was quoted as saying by Reuters.
Meanwhile, YouTube announced on Wednesday that it has surpassed 125 million paying subscribers, up from 100 million in January 2024. However, this number includes users who have signed up for temporary free trials as well.
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Missing Kerala class 10 student found dead near Chandradrona hills
Chikkamagaluru (Karnataka) (PTI): Three days after a class 10 student from Kerala went missing during a family trip to Manikyadhara Falls in the Chandradrona hill range, she was found dead on Friday, police said.
The deceased, identified as Kumari Shrinanda, had been missing since Tuesday evening after she went trekking in the Chandradrona hills, they said.
"The body has been traced, and the clothes she was wearing are intact. The body will be sent for a post-mortem, and further procedures are underway," Chikkamagaluru Superintendent of Police Jitendra Kumar Dayama told PTI.
The girl was part of a group of around 40 relatives who had travelled from Palakkad, police added.
According to police, she went missing at around 5.30 pm on Tuesday while at the falls with her family. The family searched for her until about 8 pm before informing the authorities.
After receiving the report, police and forest department personnel launched a search operation in the area. Thermal drones were deployed to locate the girl.
Disaster management teams also joined the operation.
In a separate incident in Kodagu district recently, a 36-year-old woman from Kerala went missing while trekking in the Tadiandamol hills and was later traced and reunited with her family.
