Google has announced the launch of YouTube Red, its new ad-free YouTube Subscription service. Launched earlier this year in beta as “YouTube Music Key,” the service has now been rebranded with the new name and will offer users the ability to view videos across all of YouTube without ads on both desktop and mobile platforms, as well as saving videos for offline viewing and playing videos in the background on mobile devices. The membership will also work in other YouTube apps, such the Gaming and Kids apps, with the company also planning to launch a YouTube Music app soon, although it’s unclear whether that will be available to iOS devices.
As promised during the beta period, YouTube Red will also be integrated with Google Play Music, so users who have already subscribed to Google Play Music should get access to YouTube Red at no additional charge (and vice-versa for new YouTube Red subscribers). YouTube Red will be available in the U.S. starting on Oct.
28 for $10/month, with a one month free trial available. While users of the YouTube iOS app will also be able to purchase a YouTube Red subscription through an in-app purchase, the in-app purchase price is more expensive, at $13/month — presumably to account for the 30 percent cut that developers are required to give to Apple. iOS users can still simply subscribe directly via the YouTube site in their browser and avoid the additional $3/month.
