YouTube on Wednesday announced a new paid subscription service that would eliminate advertisements as the video service behemoth looks to better tap its vast commercial potential.
YouTube, which is owned by search engine giant Google and claims more than 1 billion users worldwide, also announced an expanded music platform and original movies in a bid to encourage subscribers.
The new service, called YouTube Red, is to offer commercial-free access for US$9.99 a month starting on Wednesday next week. It will be available initially in the US, with plans to roll it out worldwide next year.
YouTube Red also lets subscribers save videos on their computers or smartphones to watch later, even when they lack Internet connections.
The traditional YouTube site backed by commercials is to remain available and free.
Originally created by three young entrepreneurs as a way to swap videos, YouTube was bought by Google for US$1.65 billion in 2006 and is now the world’s third-most visited Web site after Google itself and Facebook.
YouTube also announced a new YouTube Music app, hoping to draw more dedicated users amid the rapid growth of music streaming.
YouTube Music — to launch at an unspecified date later this year — is to function much like a streaming platform, with organized channels that provide videos of each artist. It is to also carry an audio-only function aimed at the many users who want just the music while driving or exercising — a key conclusion reached by the company when it earlier ran a test platform called YouTube Music Key.
Spotify remains the leader in music streaming, but newcomers Apple Music and Tidal have sought to win over users in part by highlighting video content.
YouTube Music is to be free with commercials.
Subscribers to Google Play Music, the parent company’s audio streaming service, are to automatically receive YouTube Red and vice versa.
In hopes of drawing subscribers to the paid tier, YouTube said it is developing movies and series exclusive to YouTube Red.
The original programming is to initially focus on content from providers who have made their name on YouTube.
Lilly Singh, a Canadian comedian and motivational speaker who has won a following under the YouTube name Superwoman, is to star in a movie entitled A Trip to Unicorn Island.
Other programming is to include a singing contest called Sing It! and a romantic drama, Single by 30, by Asian-American filmmakers Wong Fu Productions.
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