What I discovered after I canceled YouTube Premium

Key Takeaways

YouTube Premium’s ad-free expertise is a game-changer.
Background audio permits for multitasking with ease.
Offline movies are a lifeline for commuters who use the service.

I have been a subscriber to YouTube Premium since 2017, and through that point I did not fairly respect how good I had it. That’s, till just lately, after I went with out YouTube Premium for a month. Readers, it was horrible.

For individuals who do not know, YouTube Premium is a subscription service from YouTube that primarily does two issues: Give subscribers an ad-free YouTube expertise, in addition to the power to hearken to YouTube audio within the background or use picture-in-picture on any cellular gadget. The subscription additionally offers subscribers entry to YouTube Music ad-free, and permits downloading movies for offline viewing.

These options could not sound like a lot, particularly for a subscription that prices $14 per month for a person, or $23 for a household of 5. In actual fact, in an effort to chop down on my month-to-month payments, YouTube Premium was among the many first companies I lower.

It took coping with YouTube sans the Premium advantages that truly made me perceive simply how invaluable these options had been to me.

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YouTube Premium

What’s included?: YouTube and YouTube Music add-free and within the background
Worth: $14 a month

Associated

There’s only one reason to keep paying for YouTube Premium

I can by no means return to watching YouTube with advertisements once more.

1 Advert-free residing

The largest good thing about all

The marquee characteristic of YouTube Premium is, indubitably, its removing of advertisements completely from the YouTube expertise. That is the principle promoting level for the service, and it is an enormous deal. For all these years I used to be subscribed to Premium, I didn’t encounter advertisements, and I had merely gotten used to movies beginning immediately after I hit play, and with out advert breaks interrupting longer movies. After canceling my subscription, impulsively I used to be uncovered to life with advertisements once more, and it was terrible.

I used to be so accustomed to life with out advertisements, that seeing them once more this manner was past grating.

It bought to a degree, after only a few days, the place I used to be questioning how anyone may put up with all of the advertisements, with as many as two or three enjoying earlier than a video barely longer than the advertisements themselves. Most individuals, I noticed, had been merely used to coping with YouTube that means. In the meantime, I used to be so accustomed to life with out advertisements, that seeing them once more this manner was past grating.

YouTube Premium on a landscape and portrait phone.

Associated

More people should use this lesser-known YouTube Premium feature

YouTube Premium’s most-loved characteristic is its ad-free movies, however there’s one other characteristic I discover myself utilizing loads.

2 Background audio

The characteristic for multitaskers

Typically, after I’m watching a YouTube video on my cellphone, I am going to discover one thing I wish to search for rapidly on Google or Wikipedia, or I am going to wish to rapidly verify my Bluesky feed. That was no downside in any respect after I had YouTube Premium. If I went away from the YouTube app, the audio from the video I used to be watching would hold enjoying.

This was particularly nice for longer movies and podcasts hosted on YouTube. Simply as with all audio-centric app, I may simply multitask on my cellphone whereas persevering with to pay attention. I may even change my settings to routinely kick movies into picture-in-picture mode whereas doing different issues on my cellphone, excellent for movies the place the visible part remains to be necessary.

Once I canceled my Premium subscription, I found simply how annoying it’s for the audio to cease enjoying every time I go away the app

As soon as once more, residing with this characteristic for thus lengthy, I began taking it without any consideration. However after I canceled my Premium subscription, I found simply how annoying it’s for the audio to cease enjoying every time I go away the app, even only for a second to answer to a message or verify my emails. It took only a few days of coping with this annoyance earlier than deciding I would wish to re-subscribe as quickly as potential.

Associated

Wait, YouTube Premium does what? 5 features you’re missing out on

YouTube Premium has a superb handful of options you may not even learn about.

3 Offline movies

Making the commute simpler

I am going to admit, saving movies for offline viewing was by no means one of many options I made heavy use of, however like the larger options of YouTube Premium, residing with out it bought me to cease taking it without any consideration.

Whereas I could not have used the characteristic continually, I did use it considerably commonly to obtain longer movies as a way to proceed viewing them on the subway, which has spotty mobile connection at greatest. It took only one commute, the place I noticed I could not watch a video as a result of I had no sign, that I knew I wanted YouTube Premium again.