YouTube Music has reached a significant milestone, surpassing 125 million paid subscribers worldwide, including trials. This marks an impressive addition of 25 million subscribers in the past 12 months, averaging over 2 million new subscribers per month since its previous update in February 2024, when it announced 100 million subscribers.
The news was confirmed by YouTube’s Global Head of Music, Lyor Cohen, in a letter celebrating the platform’s 20th anniversary. “From a simple video, we’ve grown into the largest music stage in the world, reaching over 100 countries in 80 languages,” Cohen wrote. He emphasized that YouTube’s growth is far from slowing down, stating, “This momentum is critical to our goal of becoming the No.1 contributor of revenue to the industry.”
The platform, which includes both YouTube Music and YouTube Premium subscriptions, competes in the crowded streaming market. To put this growth into perspective, Spotify, the world’s largest subscription streaming platform, added 27 million net paying subscribers in the past year, reaching 263 million paying users by the end of December.
In addition to celebrating the subscriber milestone, Cohen discussed YouTube’s efforts to grow its user base. He highlighted the expansion of YouTube’s Premium Lite pilot in the U.S. This lower-priced tier, which costs $7.99 per month, allows users to watch most YouTube videos ad-free, though some ads may still appear on music content and Shorts. A full YouTube Premium subscription costs $13.99 per month, while a standalone YouTube Music Premium plan is priced at $10.99.
Cohen also shared positive results from the Premium Lite trials, noting that more users upgraded to YouTube Premium than downgraded to Premium Lite.
In a broader sense, YouTube’s subscriber growth highlights its commitment to music streaming. The platform previously paid over $6 billion to music rights holders for the 12 months ending in June 2022. As YouTube continues to innovate and expand its offerings, it aims to solidify its position as a major player in the global music industry.
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