I am going to pay for YouTube Premium endlessly so long as this lesser-known function by no means goes away

When you strive watching YouTube with out advertisements, it may be onerous to return. Advertisements may not run as lengthy on the typical YouTube video as they do on broadcast tv, however watching them earlier than, throughout, and typically even after a video will get previous quick. Particularly when many movies are additionally sponsored. Avoiding these advertisements could make paying $16 per thirty days for YouTube Premium affordable. The subscription is sweet for extra than simply eradicating advertisements from YouTube, although.

Premium will get you ad-free viewing, music streaming, and loads of different perks. What’s been stunning for me as somebody who initially signed up for the subscription to keep away from advertisements, is that I’ve really discovered “Sensible Downloads” to be a important function. YouTube affords a solution to save movies to observe offline, however the platform’s system for routinely downloading movies to observe has not solely saved me after I was caught on an extended flight, it is also gotten me to strive movies I may not have watched in any other case. By itself, it is not cause sufficient to subscribe, nevertheless it is likely to be the perfect perk on provide apart from YouTube Premium’s ad-free expertise.

YouTube Premium caters to energy customers

The options make sense if YouTube is your main supply of leisure

YouTube Premium is the tip product of a number of makes an attempt by Google to supply a subscription that individuals who use the corporate’s free apps and providers can be prepared to pay for. That began with Google Play Music in 2011, and later YouTube Music Key in 2014, which launched the concept of ad-free YouTube movies, although solely with music movies. The essential options of YouTube Premium would not coalesce into one product till the launch of YouTube Pink in 2015, which utilized the ad-free component of Music Key to all of the movies on the platform, and launched the concept of authentic exhibits and films that have been solely accessible to subscribers. YouTube Pink would later be rebranded as YouTube Premium, and the YouTube Music streaming service (itself the results of Google’s messy strategy to product growth) was added as a bonus.

If you pay for YouTube Premium you obtain the flexibility to stream music via YouTube Music, and the next advantages:

• Advert-free movies
• Background playback
• Image-in-picture
• Offline downloads

I signed up for YouTube Premium to take away advertisements (and I’ve dabbled with utilizing YouTube Music as my main streaming service, occasionally), however of the options the subscription affords, offline downloads have develop into one of the vital useful, and notably a model of the function Google calls “Sensible Downloads.” With Sensible Downloads enabled, my YouTube app routinely downloads a group of advisable movies for me to observe offline, primarily based on my watch historical past. Automating the method of downloading movies makes lots of sense, however subjecting myself to what Google thinks my style ought to or may very well be is simply as fascinating.

Letting YouTube choose what you watch is lots of enjoyable

The Criterion Channel exists now as a extremely curated streaming service for unbiased and basic cinema, a few of which The Criterion Assortment has launched on bodily media. Earlier than that, although, the service kicked the tires on its streaming tech by providing one film per week within the lead as much as its full launch. The “Film of the Week” program was thrilling for a movie lover like me, as a result of every film was a shock, and on multiple event it led me to watching one thing I beloved that I would not have seen in any other case. Key to the entire expertise was the dearth of different choices. All of the Criterion Channel app had was one film at a time, so I felt extra inclined to only strive it moderately than scroll round shopping different choices.

In lots of circumstances, Sensible Downloads will get me to do the identical factor. As a result of it is downloading movies to observe within the background, I haven’t got a transparent concept of what I’ll get, and with no constant web connection, I haven’t got every other choices to observe. It is already led me to strive movies from creators I usually skip on my YouTube dwelling web page. It may be scary to offer YouTube a lot management over your system’s storage with out realizing what you are going to get, however you possibly can set deliberate limits in order that the app would not burn via your storage:

1. Open the YouTube app.
2. Faucet in your profile icon after which faucet on the gear icon to open Settings.
3. Scroll right down to the Video and audio preferences part and faucet on Background & downloads.
4. Faucet on Modify Sensible downloads.
5. Depart Storage use on Auto if you’d like YouTube to regulate the dimensions of downloads primarily based in your utilization, or faucet Customized to set a selected restrict.
6. Modify the slider to alter the quantity of area you wish to dedicate to downloads.

You can too alter the decision of the movies YouTube downloads to stretch the area you put aside even additional:

1. Open the YouTube app.
2. Faucet in your profile icon after which faucet on Downloads.
3. Faucet on the gear icon within the prime proper of the display screen.
4. Faucet on Obtain high quality and select between Full HD (1080p), Excessive (720p), Medium (360p), and Low (144p).

These settings may give you some peace of thoughts should you’re fearful about how YouTube makes use of your storage, and you too can manually obtain any video you wish to save for later for much more management. You may obtain any video simply by tapping on a video within the app after which tapping on the Obtain button below the video’s title.

YouTube Premium is price it for now

The subscription value does proceed to rise, although

Most individuals dangle on to YouTube Premium to take away advertisements, and rightly so. The variety of advertisements included in most YouTube movies has elevated because the video platform launched, and Mashable reported in 2025 that Google has developed a device to position advertisements proper when a video is at its most fascinating. The price of YouTube Premium has additionally just lately elevated, which makes the additional options of the subscription much more vital to make the most of.

If Sensible Downloads do not look like your pace, it is likely to be price it for the frequent new experimental options Google assessments and the choices for enhanced audio you possibly can make the most of on YouTube and YouTube music. Sometime, the price of YouTube Premium could outstrip its advantages, however for now it looks like Google is getting the steadiness proper.