YouTube is launching a new subscription service called ‘Red’ to rival the likes of Netflix and Spotify.
‘Red’ will offer ad-free videos for a monthly cost of $9.99, and will give users unlimited music streaming, new original series and movies from top YouTubers like PewDiePie, Lilly Singh and The Fine Brothers.
Launching in the US on 28 October, YouTube Red also lets users download content to watch offline, a service not yet offered by Netflix (but already available on Amazon Prime Instant).
Chief business officer Robert Kyncl described Red as “the ultimate YouTube experience”.
“Today marks a new chapter in us giving fans the choices of what they want,” he said.
Customers will also get YouTube Gaming, a new YouTube Music app and Google Play Music.
Users can also YouTube music playing in the background while using other apps.
YouTube, which is a part of Google, currently gets most of its revenue from ads – and the move could be seen as a response to the rise in ad-blocking software and apps.
Subscription video services are a lucrative market in the US, with people spending $4bn last year, £3.4bn of which went to Netflix.
