Google's YouTube: Pay $5 to Access Premium Content

Google's YouTube video website is reportedly preparing to unveil a subscription-based service that will offer subscribers special access to some of its content.

According to reports, the cost of such subscriptions will range from $1 to $5 per month.

What will users get for those subscriptions?

Reuters indicates that YouTube will offer paying subscribers access to special channels. The site is reportedly in talks with several video producers to provide content for these new channels. (Source: reuters.com)

Is YouTube the Next Netflix?

This is all part of an ongoing campaign by Google to introduce higher-quality video content on its popular YouTube site. In recent months such premium content has appeared on the site alongside loads of advertising.

Observers expect that subscribers willing to pay up to $5 each month will avoid having to view these advertisements.

In effect, the introduction of a subscription-based system could see YouTube emulate video streaming services like Netflix and Hulu. The challenge for Google and YouTube will be in finding content that cannot be accessed using those other video streaming services.

A YouTube representative said that the video site has been looking into a paid subscription model for some time now.

"We have long maintained that different content requires different types of payment models," the YouTube spokesperson said.

"The important thing is that, regardless of the model, our creators succeed on the platform. There are a lot of our content creators that think they would benefit from subscriptions, so we're looking at that." (Source: cnet.com)

Subscription Service Should be Ready Soon

Insiders believe that YouTube's subscription service could be ready to launch in experimental form sometime before the summer.

Speculation is that twenty-five unique channels will be available to start, with subscribers allowed to pick and choose their channels of choice in an a la carte fashion.

It's unclear if such a system would have a negative impact on video providers who thrive on advertising revenue.

According to industry analysts at AdAge, for these content producers the question will be: can they produce content worth paying $5 for? (Source: adage.com)