YouTube Premium bundles ad-free video and music, while YouTube Music Premium focuses on ad-free music only.
YouTube now sells two paid tiers that sound almost the same, yet they change your streaming life in very different ways. One wipes ads from nearly every video on the platform and wraps music into the deal. The other only touches your music habits and leaves the main YouTube app unchanged. Picking the wrong one can feel like paying twice for the same thing or missing out on features you would use every single day.
Below you will see what each plan does on your devices, how pricing compares, and which subscription matches common daily use cases like gym sessions, long commutes, or late-night creator binges.
YouTube Premium Versus YouTube Music Premium At A Glance
A quick table helps show how the two subscriptions differ on a single screen. One plan wraps the whole video platform and the music app together. The other is a music streaming pass that leaves the main YouTube experience almost untouched.
| Feature | YouTube Premium | YouTube Music Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Ads On Regular YouTube | No ads on most videos | Ads stay on main YouTube |
| Ads In YouTube Music | No ads | No ads |
| Background Play (Video) | Yes | No |
| Background Play (Music) | Yes | Yes |
| Offline Downloads | Videos and music | Music only |
| Included Apps | YouTube, YouTube Music, YouTube Kids | YouTube Music only |
| Typical US Monthly Price* | About $13.99 | About $10.99 |
*Prices vary by country, currency, and periodic offers, so always double-check the current numbers on the official YouTube Premium page before you subscribe.
What You Get With YouTube Premium
YouTube Premium is the full fat version of the subscription. It removes almost all ads from regular YouTube, folds in YouTube Music Premium, and adds small perks around downloads and background listening that can change how you use the service each day.
Ad-Free Video Across YouTube
Once YouTube Premium is active, pre-roll and mid-roll ads disappear from almost all videos on the main site and apps. That covers creator uploads, long essays, podcasts, and many live streams. You still may see brand logos baked into the video itself, since that is part of the content, not the platform.
This single change makes long watch sessions smoother. You can let videos run while cooking, cleaning, or gaming in the living room without constant breaks for ad spots. For viewers with kids, it also means fewer interruptions during cartoons or educational clips on YouTube Kids.
Background Play On Phones And Tablets
With a standard free account, switching away from the YouTube app or turning your screen off usually stops playback. With a YouTube Premium membership, video audio keeps running even when you lock your phone or open other apps. For podcast-style channels and long music mixes, this turns YouTube into a true audio player.
- Play long videos like podcasts — Start a two-hour commentary or tech review, lock your phone, and keep listening while you walk or commute.
- Use other apps while audio continues — Reply to messages, scroll social feeds, or check maps while the video soundtrack keeps going in the background.
- Switch between audio and video — On many tracks, you can tap to jump between a music video and audio-only mode inside YouTube Music with almost no friction.
Offline Downloads For Trips And Commutes
YouTube Premium adds a download button below most videos on mobile. You pick a quality level, save a video to your device, and watch it later with no data connection. This pairs well with long flights, subway rides, or spotty rural coverage.
- Save creator playlists before boarding — Queue up reviews, tutorials, or essays over Wi-Fi so you do not burn mobile data in the air or underground.
- Download kids content — Parents can pre-load cartoons and learning clips for offline play, which can keep a restless child occupied when signal drops.
Full Access To YouTube Music Premium
A major selling point is that YouTube Premium includes the full YouTube Music Premium tier. You can open the YouTube Music app and listen to albums, playlists, and remixes without ads, with background play and downloads on both Android and iOS. That single membership acts as your full music streaming plan as well as your video pass.
YouTube Music leans heavily on YouTube’s library of live clips, remixes, fan uploads, and regional tracks. If you often chase rare live versions or DJ sets that only exist on YouTube, having Music Premium bundled inside the main YouTube Premium package makes a lot of sense. You can read the current pitch and feature list on the official Music Premium offer page before you sign up.
What You Get With YouTube Music Premium
YouTube Music Premium focuses on people who mainly want a dedicated music streaming app but do not care about ad-free regular YouTube videos. The interface looks closer to Spotify or Apple Music, with home screens full of albums, mixes, and suggestions based on your listening history.
Ad-Free Music Streaming
With YouTube Music Premium active, audio ads inside the YouTube Music app disappear. You can tap any album, playlist, or single and listen without interruptions from ad breaks between songs.
- Play any track on demand — Skip straight to the song you want instead of waiting through shuffle restrictions on the free tier.
- Build playlists that always start where you left off — Your mixes play front to back without ad breaks in between tracks.
Background Listening And Screen-Off Audio
YouTube Music Premium adds true background audio on mobile. You can start a playlist, lock your phone, and tuck it in your pocket while the songs keep going. That is a big shift from the free music tier, where audio typically stops when the screen turns off.
For gym sessions, study days, or deep work, this turns YouTube Music into a normal streaming app. You keep your phone locked to save battery while the music runs in the background.
Offline Downloads For Music Only
Music Premium also allows you to download albums and playlists for offline playback. You choose the quality, sync a set of playlists on Wi-Fi, and listen without data when you are away from home. Smart downloads can refresh those picks automatically based on your recent listening.
The catch is that these offline features live only within the YouTube Music app. Regular YouTube videos still rely on streaming, and you will still see video ads there unless you add a YouTube Premium subscription on top.
Plans, Prices, And Trials
Both services run on a similar plan structure. There is an individual plan, family sharing, and in many regions a discounted student offer once you verify enrollment. YouTube also runs free trials from time to time, which lets you test how each subscription fits into your daily habits.
Typical Plan Structure In The United States
Exact charges depend on your country and any current promotions, but the structure in the United States gives a clear sense of how YouTube positions the two products.
- YouTube Premium individual — Around $13.99 each month for ad-free regular YouTube, full YouTube Music Premium, downloads, and background play.
- YouTube Music Premium individual — Around $10.99 each month for ad-free, on-demand music inside the YouTube Music app.
- Family plans — Higher monthly price, but you can add up to five extra household members with their own login and recommendations.
- Student discounts — Lower monthly charges in regions where student plans exist, once you pass a quick eligibility check through a verification partner.
YouTube adjusts plan types and pricing from time to time, and some regions now offer a cheaper video-only option called Premium Lite that leaves music out of the bundle. The safest move is to check pricing straight on the current offer pages for YouTube Premium and Music Premium before you commit to a long run of billing.
Free Trials And Switching Between Plans
Most new subscribers can start with a free trial that runs for several weeks. During that window you can test how much ad-free video or ad-free music you actually use and then decide whether to keep the plan, switch tiers, or cancel.
- Start with YouTube Premium — If you watch a lot of regular YouTube plus listen to music, begin with the full plan and note how much smoother daily viewing feels.
- Start with Music Premium — If you rarely watch long videos but need a music streaming app, test Music Premium on its own first.
- Swap before billing kicks in — Set a reminder a few days before the trial ends so you can downgrade, upgrade, or cancel with no surprise charges.
Choosing The Right Subscription For Your Habits
Both subscriptions give you ad-free music in the YouTube Music app. The real question is whether ad-free regular YouTube, video downloads, and background play are worth the gap between the two monthly prices in your region.
Pick YouTube Premium If This Sounds Like You
YouTube Premium pays off fastest for heavy video fans who watch and listen across multiple devices every day.
- You binge creators on TV or console — Long nights with commentary channels, esports, or live streams feel smoother with no ad breaks on the big screen.
- You watch tutorials while working — Ad-free playback helps you jump between coding videos, design walkthroughs, or repair clips without losing flow.
- You use YouTube for kids — Fewer breaks on YouTube Kids reduce interruption cycles when children latch onto a favorite show or song.
- You want one bill for video and music — A single YouTube Premium charge covers both regular YouTube and the full YouTube Music Premium tier.
Pick YouTube Music Premium If This Sounds Like You
YouTube Music Premium fits people who live inside playlists and albums but rarely watch long videos on the main YouTube app.
- You already use another video platform — If Netflix, Disney Plus, or other services handle your long-form viewing, ad-free regular YouTube may not matter much.
- You mainly stream songs and mixes — The YouTube Music app gives you a wide music catalog with remixes and live sets that often do not show up on rival services.
- You want to keep costs lower — In many regions, Music Premium undercuts the full YouTube Premium price by a few dollars each month.
- You do not mind ads on regular YouTube — If you only watch an occasional clip, keeping ads on the video side might be a fair trade for a cheaper music-only plan.
Stick With The Free Tier If You Barely Use Either
Some people only hop onto YouTube for a quick how-to clip once in a while. Others already pay for Spotify, Apple Music, or another streaming app and only use YouTube as a backup for rare tracks. In that case, neither YouTube Premium nor YouTube Music Premium may make sense.
- Track your usage for a week — Check your phone screen time or watch history to see how many hours you actually spend in YouTube and YouTube Music.
- Compare with your other subscriptions — Add up what you already pay for streaming music, video, and cloud storage before adding yet another monthly charge.
Real-World Scenarios For YouTube Premium Versus YouTube Music Premium
It can help to picture how each subscription feels in real life. These short scenarios show where the extra money for full YouTube Premium pays off and where Music Premium alone is already enough.
Commuter Who Listens More Than Watches
Say you ride the bus or train every day and listen to two or three hours of music, podcasts, or long mixes. Your phone stays in your pocket while your headphones do the work. You rarely sit down at night to watch long creator videos on a TV.
- Music Premium fits here — Ad-free listening, background audio, and offline playlists cover the daily commute without paying extra for ad-free video.
Creator Fan Who Lives On YouTube
Now picture someone who treats YouTube like a main TV channel. They follow dozens of tech, gaming, and vlog creators, often let autoplay run for hours, and use YouTube Kids or YouTube Music on top of that. Ad breaks show up constantly across all those channels.
- YouTube Premium shines here — Removing video ads across devices changes the feel of long watch sessions in a big way.
Family With Different Streaming Habits
In many homes, one person watches reviews and news clips, another falls asleep to music each night, and kids jump between cartoons and gaming content. A family plan with separate profiles can smooth things out so each person has their own recommendations and history.
- Consider a Premium family plan — The higher monthly price can still pencil out when spread across several heavy users.
Quick Checklist Before You Subscribe
YouTube Premium versus YouTube Music Premium is less about which logo looks nicer and more about where you actually spend your time. A short checklist keeps the choice grounded in your real habits, not just the pitch on the signup page.
- Count your video hours — Look at watch history on TVs, phones, and tablets to see how often ads interrupt longer videos.
- Count your music hours — Add up time in the YouTube Music app and any other music services you already pay for each month.
- Match features to habits — Decide whether offline video downloads, background play, and ad-free YouTube Kids matter enough to justify the full plan.
- Check current regional pricing — Visit the latest offer pages for each service to see local charges, taxes, and any annual discounts.
- Use trials with intent — Start one plan, push it hard for a few weeks, then switch or cancel once you know how much value you get from each feature.
Once you track your actual viewing and listening patterns, the choice between YouTube Premium and YouTube Music Premium stops feeling like guesswork. You can pick the plan that lines up with your daily routine, or stay on the free tier with no regret if neither subscription earns a spot in your monthly budget.