YouTube tests server-side ads to make your coveted blocker obsolete

I don't think that's an unfair thing to say at all.

I want to pay for Premium, but a mixture of oppressive tactics, poor payouts for YouTubers, and constant price hikes has made me reconsider. I watch YouTube more than most streaming providers, and that list continues to shrink because the cost has outpaced the value. A few years ago I couldn't imagine not watching Netflix, but now...eh, cancel it.

I'm in the same boat. There are a lot of parts of the Internet that should be free, but YouTube is not one of them. Video hosting is one of the most resource intensive services around, and if we as consumers aren't paying for it they'll find a worse way to fund it.

If YouTube were an independent company, I would be much happier to pay like I do for Spotify and even (borderline) Paramount Plus. I have no problem paying artists for their time, and I have spent thousands and thousands on commissions and merchandise from independent people and art businesses. Google already has enough money. I would rather save my money for small(er) companies who actually need it.

If people stopped supporting these ultra-consolidated megacorporations, we might have a healthier economy and better worker's rights overall. But what do I know lol

Hey very valid statement and salute to you.

Personally, I believe this ultimately hurts and affects customers like yourself. Because YT is spending all of this additional effort to effect and crowdout, if looked at a very tiny percentage. Instead of investing into platform improvements for visitors and creators.

YT should of focused on competition which is every other streaming service. If they provided shows still using network ads breaks, instead of these psycho every 4min you 2.5mins of ads unless you pay is just extortion. Plus they aren't really sharing revenue with creators... sigh

And people you're watching are getting money if you're a premium user.

It's just gonna make premium more expensive because they have to recoup their engineering costs somehow and I don't think that the extra ad views from bypassing as blockers will cover it.

Same. My adblockers are still in place, but YouTube premium is by far the best bang for the buck I spend on entertainment. My family uses it every day on multiple devices, and then we get YT music too.

That's fair.

It's a decent price. I use both the original app and the music one. No regrets at all!

Me too, I've had YouTube premium since it was called YouTube Red and I was still in middle school lol.

Based on what I've heard from creators, they love us premium subscribers. If I get no ads and the people I like get more money, I call that a win. Having just been to the movies which have about an hour of unskippable ads at the beginning - including ads to show more ads - I'm willing to pay to not have that in my life.

I also pay, and share to several family members to help justify the cost.

That just makes us shills though; consumerism is a zero sum game. /s