YouTube has been rumored to be running an experiment that might make its 4K streaming a paid feature for the YouTube Premium app.
So that means the feature that was once offered for free will now be charged. Hence, those that wish to view their video in 4K resolution will need to pay.
The news comes as users of both Reddit and Twitter were seen putting out screenshots that displayed the 4K option. And while it’s usually offered for free to most, YouTube Premium is going to be making it a permanent feature that comes with an additional fee, as confirmed by TechCrunch recently.
The Premium version of the app will entail ad-free viewing and the chance to download both songs and clips that most other people must pay for. On average, the premium version costs about $12 a month for users in the US but it does give out trials that are free of cost.
For now, there are no comments by YouTube regarding a request for queries, just ahead of the publication released by media outlets. But one official account belonging to the app on Twitter saw the team reply back to concerned users that wanted more information on this feature.
They tweeted that the concerned user was a part of their experiment comprising of individuals that were keen on knowing more about what the true perks of having a Premium and non-Premium version were. They even elaborated further on how they’d like others to express their thoughts on the matter so the firm would make some suggested changes.
It’s also important to understand how the app likes to experiment with such tweaks. But officially, there is no news from YouTube about paywalling the feature and if there is indeed a test going on. Also, it’s important to remember that not all tests give out a positive change or a product’s change.
But if this is indeed true, we might see a rise in the count of subscribers of the Premium edition of the app. Moreover, it would end up driving a lot more revenue in terms of subscriptions.
Last month, the company did go public with how it managed to reach around 50 million new members for its premium version of the app and also for YouTube Music. And that’s a small fraction of the total two billion individuals who are using the app now.
Read next: YouTube Tests New Method To Improve The Accuracy Of Automated Captions
So that means the feature that was once offered for free will now be charged. Hence, those that wish to view their video in 4K resolution will need to pay.
The news comes as users of both Reddit and Twitter were seen putting out screenshots that displayed the 4K option. And while it’s usually offered for free to most, YouTube Premium is going to be making it a permanent feature that comes with an additional fee, as confirmed by TechCrunch recently.
The Premium version of the app will entail ad-free viewing and the chance to download both songs and clips that most other people must pay for. On average, the premium version costs about $12 a month for users in the US but it does give out trials that are free of cost.
For now, there are no comments by YouTube regarding a request for queries, just ahead of the publication released by media outlets. But one official account belonging to the app on Twitter saw the team reply back to concerned users that wanted more information on this feature.
They tweeted that the concerned user was a part of their experiment comprising of individuals that were keen on knowing more about what the true perks of having a Premium and non-Premium version were. They even elaborated further on how they’d like others to express their thoughts on the matter so the firm would make some suggested changes.
It’s also important to understand how the app likes to experiment with such tweaks. But officially, there is no news from YouTube about paywalling the feature and if there is indeed a test going on. Also, it’s important to remember that not all tests give out a positive change or a product’s change.
But if this is indeed true, we might see a rise in the count of subscribers of the Premium edition of the app. Moreover, it would end up driving a lot more revenue in terms of subscriptions.
Last month, the company did go public with how it managed to reach around 50 million new members for its premium version of the app and also for YouTube Music. And that’s a small fraction of the total two billion individuals who are using the app now.
Read next: YouTube Tests New Method To Improve The Accuracy Of Automated Captions
