What I discovered once I canceled YouTube Premium

Key Takeaways

YouTube Premium’s ad-free expertise is a game-changer.
Background audio permits for multitasking with ease.
Offline movies are a lifeline for commuters who use the service.

I have been a subscriber to YouTube Premium since 2017, and through that point I did not fairly recognize how good I had it. That’s, till not too long ago, once I went with out YouTube Premium for a month. Readers, it was horrible.

For individuals who do not know, YouTube Premium is a subscription service from YouTube that primarily does two issues: Give subscribers an ad-free YouTube expertise, in addition to the flexibility to hearken to YouTube audio within the background or use picture-in-picture on any cellular system. The subscription additionally offers subscribers entry to YouTube Music ad-free, and permits downloading movies for offline viewing.

These options might not sound like a lot, particularly for a subscription that prices $14 per month for a person, or $23 for a household of 5. In truth, in an effort to chop down on my month-to-month payments, YouTube Premium was among the many first providers I lower.

It took coping with YouTube sans the Premium advantages that really made me perceive simply how worthwhile these options have been to me.

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YouTube Premium

What’s included?: YouTube and YouTube Music add-free and within the background
Value: $14 a month

Associated

There’s only one reason to keep paying for YouTube Premium

I can by no means return to watching YouTube with adverts once more.

1 Advert-free dwelling

The largest good thing about all

The marquee function of YouTube Premium is, undoubtedly, its removing of adverts solely from the YouTube expertise. That is the principle promoting level for the service, and it is an enormous deal. For all these years I used to be subscribed to Premium, I didn’t encounter adverts, and I had merely gotten used to movies beginning instantly once I hit play, and with out advert breaks interrupting longer movies. After canceling my subscription, impulsively I used to be uncovered to life with adverts once more, and it was terrible.

I used to be so accustomed to life with out adverts, that seeing them once more this manner was past grating.

It bought to a degree, after just some days, the place I used to be questioning how anyone might put up with all of the adverts, with as many as two or three enjoying earlier than a video barely longer than the adverts themselves. Most individuals, I noticed, have been merely used to coping with YouTube that approach. In the meantime, I used to be so accustomed to life with out adverts, that seeing them once more this manner was past grating.

YouTube Premium on a landscape and portrait phone.

Associated

More people should use this lesser-known YouTube Premium feature

YouTube Premium’s most-loved function is its ad-free movies, however there’s one other function I discover myself utilizing loads.

2 Background audio

The function for multitaskers

Generally, once I’m watching a YouTube video on my telephone, I will discover one thing I wish to search for shortly on Google or Wikipedia, or I will wish to shortly verify my Bluesky feed. That was no drawback in any respect once I had YouTube Premium. If I went away from the YouTube app, the audio from the video I used to be watching would preserve enjoying.

This was particularly nice for longer movies and podcasts hosted on YouTube. Simply as with every audio-centric app, I might simply multitask on my telephone whereas persevering with to hear. I might even change my settings to routinely kick movies into picture-in-picture mode whereas doing different issues on my telephone, good for movies the place the visible element continues to be necessary.

Once I canceled my Premium subscription, I found simply how annoying it’s for the audio to cease enjoying every time I go away the app

As soon as once more, dwelling with this function for therefore lengthy, I began taking it with no consideration. However once I canceled my Premium subscription, I found simply how annoying it’s for the audio to cease enjoying every time I go away the app, even only for a second to answer to a message or verify my emails. It took just some days of coping with this annoyance earlier than deciding I would want to re-subscribe as quickly as attainable.

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Wait, YouTube Premium does what? 5 features you’re missing out on

YouTube Premium has a superb handful of options you won’t even learn about.

3 Offline movies

Making the commute simpler

I will admit, saving movies for offline viewing was by no means one of many options I made heavy use of, however like the larger options of YouTube Premium, dwelling with out it bought me to cease taking it with no consideration.

Whereas I could not have used the function always, I did use it considerably commonly to obtain longer movies in an effort to proceed viewing them on the subway, which has spotty mobile connection at greatest. It took only one commute, the place I noticed I could not watch a video as a result of I had no sign, that I knew I wanted YouTube Premium again.