YouTube might be launching its long-awaited subscription service as soon as the end of October, according to Recode. Google's video website already sent out emails to content owners, asking them to agree to the terms for a "new ads-free version of YouTube" by October 22nd. Just like earlier reports revealed, if providers refuse to get on board, their catalogues will "no longer be available for public display or monetization in the United States." The service won't just flush out ads from videos, though: Recode says the company's $10-a-month offering also comes bundled with Music Key, the website's music streaming product that features offline access, background playback and more.
If you recall, YouTube announced Music
Key's pricing when its beta version launched, and it was supposed to cost $10
per month on its own. So it's unclear how the company will make money from the
twofer, especially since it reportedly had trouble locking down deals for its
ads-free model earlier this year. Note that YT only gave providers until
October 22nd to agree to its new terms and didn't actually confirm if the
service is going live the same day you might have to wait a bit longer before
you can throw money at the website.
Here are some of the pertinent parts of
the email YouTube sent Peter Kafka at Recode:
To give fans more choice we will be
launching a new ads-free version of YouTube, available to fans for a monthly
fee. This service will create a new source of revenue over time that
supplements your advertising revenue...
That's why we're asking you to update your
agreement to reflect the updated terms for the ads-free service.
To accept, simply log into YouTube.com as
"username" from a desktop or laptop and follow the prompts by October
22nd.
If you haven't signed by that date, your
videos will no longer be available for public display or monetization in the
United States.
Recode
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