YouTube Premium, Premium Lite, Music Premium: Price and What Each Covers

YouTube sells three subscriptions that overlap, and as of October 8, 2026, the US prices run from $5.99 to $26.99 a month. YouTube Premium, “$15.99/month,” is the full package: all of YouTube and YouTube Music “ad-free, offline, and in the background.” Premium Lite, “$8.99/month,” is “44% cheaper” but keeps ads on music videos and Shorts and does not include the YouTube Music app ad-free. Music Premium, “$11.99/month,” covers music only. Family plans for Premium and Music Premium take “up to 5 family members (ages 13+),” student plans need “Annual verification,” and the annual plans “Doesn’t automatically renew.” This guide sets the three side by side from YouTube’s own plan pages, with the one calculation YouTube does not make: Lite plus Music Premium costs more than Premium. For the cancellation path, see our YouTube Premium cancellation guide.

The quick answer

• Premium: “$15.99/month” individual, “12 months for $159.99” annual (“Save 15% vs. monthly plan”), Family “$26.99/month,” Student “$8.99/month”
• Premium Lite: “$8.99/month,” “ad-free video, except music and Shorts.” YouTube’s own warning: “Ads may appear on music content, Shorts, and when you search or browse”
• Music Premium: “$11.99/month” individual, “12 months for $119.99” annual, Family “$18.99/month,” Student “$5.99/month”
• Trial: “1-month trial for $0” on each, for “eligible new members only,” with a reminder “7 days before your trial ends”
• Annual plans: one payment, and “Doesn’t automatically renew.”
• Our math: Lite ($8.99) plus Music Premium ($11.99) is $20.98 a month for less than Premium gives at $15.99

Key facts at a glance

Plan	Monthly	Annual	Family (up to 5 members, 13+)	Student	Ad-free YouTube videos	Ad-free YouTube Music app	Background and offline
Premium	$15.99	$159.99 for 12 months	$26.99	$8.99	”All videos”	Yes	”All videos”
Premium Lite	$8.99	Not listed	Not listed	Not listed	”Most videos*” (not music or Shorts)	No	”Most videos*“
Music Premium	$11.99	$119.99 for 12 months	$18.99	$5.99	No	Yes	Music only

Prices from the YouTube Premium, Premium Lite and Music Premium pages, US versions, read October 8, 2026. The asterisk is YouTube’s: “Premium Lite benefits available on most non-music content, excluding Shorts. Ads may appear when you search or browse.”

Premium: the full package at $15.99

The Premium page describes the plan as “YouTube and YouTube Music ad-free, offline, and in the background,” and lists four ways to pay. Individual is “$15.99/month.” Annual is “12 months for $159.99,” which YouTube labels “Save 15% vs. monthly plan,” and which “Doesn’t automatically renew.” Family is “$26.99/month” and lets you “Add up to 5 family members (ages 13+) in your household.” Student is “$8.99/month” for “Eligible students only. Annual verification required.”

In the comparison grid, Premium is “All videos” on every row: ad-free YouTube videos, ad-free YouTube Kids, background play, and download and play offline. It is also the only plan with the “Ad-free YouTube Music app” and the extras YouTube lists as “Continue watching, queuing, Jump ahead, high quality audio & video, and more.” YouTube says the plan has “over 125 million Premium members.”

Premium Lite: $8.99, with the ads that stay

The Premium Lite page sells the plan in one line: “Premium Lite: enjoy ad-free video, except music and Shorts,” at “$8.99/month.” The exceptions are stated three times in different words. “Ads may appear on music content, Shorts, and when you search or browse.” The grid marks Lite as “Most videos*” where Premium is “All videos,” and the footnote reads “Premium Lite benefits available on most non-music content, excluding Shorts. Ads may appear when you search or browse.”

YouTube’s own fit test: “Premium Lite is a good fit for you if you mainly watch creator content. Music videos, concerts, and songs may still have ads and won’t be available offline or in the background.” The Premium page markets it as “Save 44% with Premium Lite*,” with the footnote “*44% cheaper than the Premium Monthly Individual plan.” That is the individual monthly comparison only; there is no Lite family, student or annual price on either page.

Music Premium: $11.99, music only

The Music Premium page covers the YouTube Music app: “listen to music ad-free, offline & with your screen off.” Individual is “$11.99/month,” Annual “12 months for $119.99” with the same “Save 15% vs. monthly plan” and “Doesn’t automatically renew,” Family “$18.99/month” for “up to 5 family members (ages 13+),” and Student “$5.99/month” with “Annual verification required.” It does nothing for YouTube video ads. The music-only services are compared in our music streaming price guide.

The arithmetic YouTube’s pages do not do

Premium is the two cheaper plans combined, and it is cheaper than buying them separately. Lite at $8.99 plus Music Premium at $11.99 is $20.98 a month; Premium is $15.99 and covers more, because Lite still shows ads on music videos and Shorts while Premium does not. The same holds for families: Music Premium Family at $18.99 is $8 below Premium Family at $26.99 and gives up all the video benefits. And the student tier makes Premium Student, at $8.99, the same price as Premium Lite for everyone, with none of Lite’s exceptions, if you can pass the annual verification.

The trial terms are identical across the three pages: “1-month trial for $0,” “Free trial for eligible new members only,” “Recurring billing,” and “You’ll be reminded 7 days before your trial ends.” Only the annual plans are not recurring.

Where the documents disagree or leave gaps

“44% cheaper” is a monthly-individual comparison. Against Premium Annual ($159.99, or $13.33 a month), Lite’s saving is smaller, and against Premium Student ($8.99) it is zero.

Lite has one price. No annual, family or student Lite plan is listed; the family and student discounts exist only on Premium and Music Premium.

“Most videos” is not defined by count. YouTube says Lite covers “most non-music content, excluding Shorts” and that ads “may appear when you search or browse”; which videos count as music content is not listed.

Annual plans do not renew. YouTube says “Doesn’t automatically renew,” so an annual member who does nothing drops back to the free tier at month 13.

Premium Lite also arrives with Google AI Pro. Google’s AI plans page lists a YouTube Premium Lite plan inside the $19.99 AI Pro bundle, covered in our AI plans comparison; if you already pay for Premium, the bundled Lite adds nothing.

Before you subscribe

This is a sequence of checks, not a recommendation:

1. Name what you want ad-free. Creator videos only points to Lite; music or Shorts ad-free requires Premium
2. Do not stack Lite and Music Premium. $20.98 together versus $15.99 for Premium, which covers both
3. Check student status before paying $8.99 for Lite. Premium Student costs the same and has no exceptions
4. Count the household. Both family plans take five members aged 13 or older in the same household
5. Decide on annual before the trial ends. The annual plans are one payment and do not auto-renew; the monthly plans do
6. If you have Google AI Pro, check for the bundled Lite before buying anything. It may already be on the account

Quick answers to what people search

How much is YouTube Premium? “$15.99/month,” or “12 months for $159.99,” per the US plans page read October 8, 2026.

How much is YouTube Premium Lite? “$8.99/month,” for ad-free video “except music and Shorts,” with ads possible “when you search or browse.”

What is the difference between YouTube Premium and Premium Lite? Premium is “All videos” ad-free plus the ad-free YouTube Music app, downloads and background play everywhere; Lite is “Most videos*” and excludes music, Shorts and the Music app.

How much is YouTube Premium Family? “$26.99/month” for “up to 5 family members (ages 13+) in your household.”

How much is YouTube Premium for students? “$8.99/month,” for “Eligible students only. Annual verification required.”

How much is YouTube Music Premium? “$11.99/month” individual, “$18.99/month” family, “$5.99/month” student, or “12 months for $119.99.”

Does YouTube Premium Lite include YouTube Music? No. The grid lists the “Ad-free YouTube Music app” under Premium only, and Lite’s page says music content “may still have ads.”

Bottom line

As of October 8, 2026, YouTube’s three plans are $8.99 for Lite, $11.99 for Music Premium and $15.99 for Premium, with family plans at $18.99 and $26.99, student plans at $5.99 and $8.99, and annual plans that save 15% and do not auto-renew. Lite is the cheap choice only for people who do not watch music videos or Shorts and do not use YouTube Music; anyone who wants both ad-free is better served by Premium than by the two smaller plans together.

Prices, plan terms and quotations from the YouTube Premium, YouTube Premium Lite and YouTube Music Premium pages, US versions, read on October 8, 2026. Prices differ by country and change; YouTube’s pages are the authority. This is general information, not financial advice.