YouTube Will Begin Charging for More Content

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YouTube is launching two new subscription services — one right now, and another before the year is over.

YouTube creators with at least 10,000 subscribers can now launch paid subscription channels, Time says. This service has technically been around since May, but only for a handful of channels that YouTube allowed to test it.

They get to set the price — 99 cents a month and up — and YouTube will split the money with the creator. YouTube hasn’t said exactly how it’s split, but creators get a majority. Any paid channel will offer a 14-day free trial to users.

The other service, coming by the end of the year, is intended to rival streaming music businesses like Spotify. “Subscriptions to YouTube’s [music] program, at about $10 a month, would be tailored to mobile devices, and let its customers watch videos — or just listen to the music on them — without interruptions from advertising,” The New York Times says.

Not everything will cost money. There will likely be a free tier with plenty of full, popular tracks, said Billboard, which first reported on the music service. The paid tier will likely offer albums and the ability to listen while offline.

None of the reports mention any major changes to the regular YouTube website, which is free. But people subscribed to both the music service and a few paid channels could end up spending $15 or $20 a month on YouTube content. Do you think you’ll spend any money on the site? Comment below or on our Facebook page.

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