I have used YouTube Premium intensely. Today, I’m giving you my concrete and truly objective opinion. Is it just a massive marketing stunt by YouTube? Or is this offer genuinely worth the price? I personally paid €12.99 per month. This rate gives me access to both YouTube Premium and YouTube Music.

One Service, Two Platforms: The Price Advantage

For me, this is the first major benefit of YouTube Premium. I pay for one service. I get two for the same price as competitors. Think about Spotify, Apple Music, or Deezer. They often charge a similar price just for music. Here, I receive ad-free YouTube and YouTube Music. It’s a truly unbeatable combo.

Many users ask about pricing. My individual offer is €12.99 per month. Some consider the family or student offers. However, my basic plan works everywhere and simultaneously. I can watch on my phone, console, or TV. My friend, who has my Google account, can also watch ad-free at his place. The basic offer already meets all my needs.

Goodbye to Ads: Invaluable Convenience

This is the biggest asset, the most obvious benefit. The absence of advertisements changes the user experience. No more breaks on my PC, console, or mobile. The YouTube app is now completely ad-free. This even includes creator-embedded ads within videos. I’m talking about the spots for Revolut or Norvpn. YouTube manages to detect them automatically. I simply click a small button to skip them.

Watching an hour-long video becomes a real pleasure. It’s smooth, like watching a movie on TV. There are zero interruptions. This feature alone justifies part of the cost. Viewing is much more enjoyable. I consume much more content now.

Background Player: Listen Anywhere

YouTube Premium lets me do other things. I can listen to my video without staying in the app. The video player minimizes. It appears in a small rectangle at the bottom of the screen. I can then continue watching. I can also just listen to the audio. This is perfect for listening to a podcast or a long interview.

My phone can even be turned off. I keep the audio in my pocket via Bluetooth. For example, I listen to the latest “Zack en Roue libre.” The sound streams to my speakers. My device remains off. This is a truly useful and very practical function. It transforms YouTube into a proper podcast application.

Downloading: Watching Offline

I can now watch videos without any connection. I download them directly within the YouTube interface. I still use the same player. This is super useful for long journeys. I have a 12-hour flight. I download 6 hours of videos very quickly.

Downloading doesn’t take up much space. An hour-long video takes about 200 to 300 MB. I can also download them in Full HD. The video quality remains excellent. Even for 4K videos, I don’t see any loss of quality. This is a real plus for frequent travelers.

Cross-Device Resume: A Connected Ecosystem

My user experience is greatly improved. I can resume my video exactly where I stopped. This works on any device. I watch on my phone and get out of bed. Then I turn on my TV. The video will be suggested to me. It picks up at the same moment.

This is a well-designed ecosystem. It works on my console, PC, or TV. It prompts me with the last video I watched. I click and it starts again. This level of synchronization is very appreciated. It makes using YouTube truly simple..

YouTube Music: The Huge Catalog

The YouTube Music app has advantages. It includes all music videos. Furthermore, it has the largest music catalog. I find music from small creators. I listen to my favorite remixes or parodies. I can even listen to complete mixes from Ibiza DJs.

I have a plethora of listening possibilities. I saw a cool remix on TikTok. I find it and listen to it on YouTube Music. Other apps make this much more complicated. They don’t offer this wealth of content. Diversity is a strong point for me.

The Weak Points: Audio Quality and Bugs

YouTube talks about enhanced 1080p. Frankly, I see no difference. For me, this is not a real benefit. YouTube should not highlight it.

The audio quality is a weak point. It is below the competition. Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, and Tidal do better. The audio format is AAC and Opus. The maximum bitrate is 256 KB. It’s decent, but not exceptional. You need to be an audiophile to notice the difference. If you are demanding, this might disappoint you. Personally, I don’t hear the difference on my speakers.

Application Issues

I have noticed flaws with Android Auto. The music sometimes stops in the car. An error message appears. I must then restart playback from my phone. This is very annoying when it happens.

The service does not download the next tracks. When the network becomes weak, the music stops abruptly. It does not pre-load the upcoming songs. I find myself without music on the road. This can last several minutes. It’s a real usability problem.

Missing Features

YouTube Music lacks tools that Spotify offers. You cannot share playback with friends. They cannot control the music on my speakers. This is very convenient for parties. It is a missing feature.

I also have Wi-Fi speakers (Sonos). I cannot send music directly from the app. I must go through the speakers’ proprietary app. This app is restricted. It is less comprehensive than YouTube Music.

Finally, there is no crossfade transition for music on Android. The stop is sudden between songs. This somewhat ruins the mood. Furthermore, there is no YouTube Music app on PS5. Gamers have to do without it.

My Overall Assessment

I believe YouTube Premium is an excellent option. I get two services for the price of one. The price is fair for both music and video. If you watch a lot of YouTube, I recommend it.

Some mention third-party apps. They remove ads on the phone. But this does not work on the TV or console. They also cause you to lose all the benefits of Premium. Installing such an app is also a technical hassle.

I will continue using it. The biggest advantage is this unique combination. I have YouTube Music and I no longer see any ads. It is worth the price I pay.