"I spend countless hours on YouTube each week, and it helps keep me entertained while writing articles like this. Over the years, however, it feels like the massive value YouTube once had has been slipping further away. Ads have always been there, and while they were annoying, it's not like you couldn't easily deal with them. Ad-blockers have been around for a long time, and for many people, they are essential to enjoying the platform."
"Even simple things like double-tapping a video to speed up or skipping over commonly skipped sections of a video are features that are packed in with Premium instead of being available for all users. As time goes on, more features are being taken and being put behind that very paywall. Even loopholes such as the background play workaround are being closed."
"Premium is excellent if you can spring for it. You get YouTube Music included with it, and it almost feels like it's worth the price of admission for that alone. Even the relatively new Premium Lite gives you good value if you don't need background play or don't mind having ads on your music videos. As a big TV viewer, this is perfect for me. At just $8 a month, I'm perfectly happy with the stripped-down version."
YouTube remains a heavily used streaming app, but the free tier has diminished as more features move behind a paywall. Ads remain pervasive, and ad-blockers are commonly relied upon to restore usability. Quality-of-life tools such as double-tap to skip or speed up and skipping commonly skipped sections are now bundled with Premium. Background-play workarounds and other loopholes are being closed. YouTube Premium includes YouTube Music and offers clear value, while Premium Lite provides a lower-cost option. Many users report reduced usage without paid features, calling the free experience into question.
Read at Pocket-lint
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