As a journalist, I will rewrite and summarize the content provided in the article below:
Google executives believe that the YouTube Premium + YouTube Music bundle is priced fairly, but many users disagree. The price of YouTube Premium increased from $11.99 to $13.99 in the past year, prompting users to pay for YouTube Music in addition to Premium. This led to frustration among customers who were used to paying lower prices for the service. Additionally, YouTube has been cracking down on ad blockers, making the viewing experience more intrusive for users.
Many streaming platforms offer ad-free upgrades for a much lower cost than YouTube. While most platforms charge around $3-10 to remove ads, YouTube charges $14, which is significantly higher than its competitors. Despite the high price, YouTube continues to push users to pay for the service to improve its revenue.
YouTube CEO Neal Mohan argues that the bundle includes a music streaming service, which justifies the higher cost. However, not all users are interested in YouTube Music and do not feel that they are getting their money’s worth. Comparing YouTube Premium to Apple One, the latter offers more value for a lower price, and users are not forced to pay for additional services they may not use.
If Google offered an ad-free experience for $7 a month, it could attract more subscribers and provide a more attractive offer to users who do not care about the music platform. However, it is likely that Google will maintain the current pricing to keep the number of music subscribers consistent, despite the dissatisfaction among some users. This could potentially drive users to other platforms in search of a better entertainment experience.
In conclusion, the high price of YouTube Premium and YouTube Music bundle has caused frustration among users who feel they are not getting their money’s worth. Google’s decision to maintain the current pricing strategy may alienate some users and push them towards alternative platforms for entertainment.
Article Source
https://www.androidcentral.com/apps-software/google-made-a-mistake-with-youtube-premium