Each and every YouTube user has been through times when they wished they were not disturbed by an advertisement while expecting to catch their favourite videos. There must be millions who wish they wouldn’t have to wait for videos to buffer and would prefer to save them and watch later.
Realising what consumers want, YouTube is launching a new platform called YouTube Red on October 28, which allows everything from ad-free videos to offline viewing, including options to play videos in the background, as YouTube’s official blog announced.
But like all other things that make life easier, this too comes at a price. YouTube Red access needs a membership, which costs $ 9.99 per month. The blog post says, ” YouTube Red will get even better with member-only access to new, original shows and movies from some of YouTube’s biggest creators .”
Although the initiative seems like a blessing for the Internet, it has its own complications. Creators who earn a cut of the ad revenue will have to sign a revenue share deal for YouTube Red, failing which their videos will disappear from public view. These may include videos by comedians and DIY instructors who already had a deal to get 55% cut on ad revenues.
While the creators already make a lot of money from ad revenues and will make more through YouTube Red, the sign or vanish deal seems a but heavy-handed. Although most creators have signed the deal, it seems they never had an option, which makes YouTube look like a ‘bully’ as reported by Tech Crunch .
Although the platform is available with a one month free trial for viewers in US, YouTube is working on launching it in other countries too.