YouTube has jumped into the premium video streaming game with the launch of their new service “YouTube Red.” The service will allow users to watch videos without being interrupted by ads. Additionally, Red will allow users to save videos to watch later offline and listen to videos on smartphones while running other applications.
The service launched on Oct. 28, 2015. Additional services, like exclusive premium videos and full length movies, are expected to debut in January 2016. To compete with other services, such as Hulu, Amazon Prime, and the reigning streaming king, Netflix, YouTube Red costs $10 per month for all subscribers. The service will cover all devices using the same YouTube account, but there is no word on whether multiple users can access the same account at once.
The service has been met with market speculation, but YouTube executives have been quick to clarify that the vast majority of YouTube’s content, around 99 per cent, will remain free for all YouTube users. Additionally, creators who feed YouTube’s higher quality content are not pleased with the shift from a totally free platform to a multi-tier system that incorporates premium content. Individuals who make their living off of the video service, or who use YouTube to supplement their income, are calling out the video streaming service for excluding creators who will not be providing content for YouTube Red.
The elevation of certain creators, whether through financial means or through increased promotion, began with the YouTube Partnership program in 2010—a program designed to invest in certain creators that the company thought would bring larger audiences and profits to the brand.
Some of the same creators who were once the heralds of the partnership program are now calling into question the effectiveness of the premium streaming initiative. The main issue, for creators, is that the implementation of a paid service will alienate the portion of the audience that doesn’t have the ability to pay for YouTube Red.
YouTube has already stated that any videos put out by creators under a YouTube Red contract will be only available to paying subscribers; which will cut these creators off from drawing in new, unsubscribed viewers. While these contracted creators will be featured more often on YouTube’s homepage, and any pages curated by the company, creators worry that much of their audience will not be willing to shift over to a subscription model after having their content available for free for so long.
A petition to cancel the service has already been launched, aptly titled “Stop YouTube Red.” At the time of writing, the initiative has garnered support from 12 thousand signees. While the YouTube Red initiative launched on Oct. 28, 2015, viewers will have to wait until the New Year to see the benefits and faults of YouTube Red’s premium content.