Yep: YouTube Red is real. Today, Google unveiled the premium subscription service that’ll let users pay to see exclusive content and save videos for offline view.
As previously rumored, the paid service will offer ad-free videos alongside original video content. They movies and series will feature YouTube “creators,” i.e. bloggers and actors who’ve made a name for themselves through their YouTube channels.
Get your mind out of the gutters. YouTube Red has nothing to do with that, ahem, other video service with Tube and Red in the name.
Some of the original content feature the following titles:
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Scare PewDiePie: In this reality-adventure series from the creator and executive producers of The Walking Dead at Skybound Entertainment and Maker Studios, experience thrills, chills and laughter as PewDiePie encounters terrifying situations inspired by his favorite video games.
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Sing It!: From Fine Brothers Entertainment and Mandeville Films comes SING IT!, a scripted comedy that lovingly satirizes the reality singing competitions that have become a centerpiece of pop culture.
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360 Project from MatPat of Game Theory: YouTube educator and pop culture expert MatPat from The Game Theorists invites the audience to come along for the ride in an innovative new series and 360 VR experience. In each episode Matt explores the real-life science behind popular video games by throwing gamers into the high-stakes scenarios they play through every day, from water jetpacks to haunted pizzerias.
- I Am Tobuscus: From the mind of Toby Turner, this scripted comedy explores the world of a self-involved YouTube creator pursuing bigger stardom. The show features original music, and satirizes the hilarious details of being an eccentric, the new-age celebrity.”
You get the idea. Some of the content definitely skews meta.
The service will be available on Android, desktop and mobile Web for $9.99 per month – a buck cheaper than Netflix HD. iOS users will have to fork over $12.99, however.
But wait!
With today’s launch, YouTube will also launch a new YouTube Music app that is expected to be available “soon.” It’ll be a music-specific app just like YouTube Gaming and Kids.
YouTube Music will offer personalized content suggestions and allow users to discover trending videos. The more you add to your Favorites tab (or dislike them), the more the app will be able to recommend music stations you might enjoy.
You’ll also be able to opt for more or less variety in the recommendations setting to get content that you’re specifically looking for.
YouTube initially tried its hand at paid content back in 2014 with Music Key, a $7.99 monthly service for free music streaming. It never made its way out of beta.
YouTube Red will work with Google Play Music so as long as you have a subscription to one, you’ll receive access for both services. For $10 a month, getting its own unique combination of Spotify and Netflix seems like quite the deal.
YouTube Red officially launches on October 28 in the US. Members can try the service free for one month. The company says it plans to expand to other markets in 2016.
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