Google's YouTube will reportedly be launching a totally ad-free subscription service called YouTube Red on October 22. Red will cost $10 per month, remove all paid advertisements from the video sharing site, and include access to Google Play Music Unlimited's features.
Re/Code reported the news. Online buzz has existed for years that YouTube would offer an ad-free premium service, while the viral video site announced a change in its Partner Program's terms of service that started in June.
Re/Code reported that YouTube has emailed channel owners to request they accept the new terms by October 22, or else their videos would stop being displayed publically and earning revenue, according to Android Police. The new subscription service will likely begin on or a day after that date.
YouTube's ad-free subscription will first roll-out in the United States. It will definitely launch in other countries after legal rights issues are sorted out.
The new subscription will only remove advertisements. It will not affect pay-to-view contentincluding paid channels or movie rentals.
Due to the subscription's $10 price tag, YouTube Music Key and Play Music Unlimited will likely be discounted or phased out. The bulk of the revenue collected will expectedly go towards copyright owners and music labels.
YouTube Red will probably be announced at Google's September 29 event. It could be showcased with the new Chromecast digital media player, particularly if the latter includes a promotion or trial period.
YouTube has been a free service during its 10-year run on the Internet, according to Modern Readers.
The ad-free service was previously scheduled to roll out during the past summer. Thus, the possible October 22 launch date is tentative.