It’s been a long time coming, but it seems YouTube may finally be prepping to offer a subscription service next month.
According to Recode, the company sent out an email to content owners yesterday, informing them that they have to agree to a new set of terms by October 22, or their videos will no longer be available.
It’s not particularly vague about what changes are happening either, indicating an upcoming ad-free service:
To give fans more choice we will be launching a new ads-free version of YouTube, available to fans for a monthly fee. This service will create a new source of revenue over time that supplements your advertising revenue. That’s why an overwhelming majority of our partners — representing over 95% of YouTube watchtime — have asked for and signed up for this service.
Furthermore, Recode’s sources suggest that the ad-free service will be bundled with Music Key at the current price of $10 per month, and should launch near the end of October.
If true, it’s quite likely this service will be the mysterious YouTube Red we reported on a couple of days ago. There’s a chance we’ll hear more at Google’s event next week, so stay tuned.
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➤ YouTube Is Prepping Its Subscription Launch: Two Services, One Price [Recode]
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