We've all been there, trying to watch a two-minute how-to video and then having to sit through 60 seconds of ads first. It really does feel like YouTube has evolved so much from just a video site to what has become practically an essential utility, from educational deep dives to white noise for sleep. So many people use YouTube the same way they use water or electricity, myself included, by spending just $13.99 a month.

You aren't just buying ad-free videos; you are buying back roughly 10 to 15 hours of your life per month and eliminating a secondary monthly music subscription in the process. While recently it does feel like streaming fatigue is real, YouTube Premium has managed to pivot from a luxury to a logistical necessity. With the recent aggressive rollout of 30-second non-skippable ads on connected TVs and the lack of ability to close the app while still playing videos, the free experience has become a gauntlet of friction. YouTube Premium has become the one subscription that I don't think I can ever cancel.

Spotify is out of the question

YouTube Music has a vaster library

The first thing that enticed me to YouTube Premium was actually not the ad-free experience on the main platform, but YouTube Music. YouTube Premium includes a full YouTube Music Premium subscription, which is normally $10.99 alone.

I was looking for a Spotify exit strategy and I quickly realized that, alongside being able to have access to other features as well as YouTube Music for just a small amount more, YouTube Music's library is far vaster because it includes every live performance, remake, and obscure cover uploaded to the main site. It gives you access to so much more music than Spotify or any other alternative ever could. By switching, you effectively get ad-free YouTube for just $3 more than you were already paying for a Spotify subscription alone.

Paired with access to a fully fledged YouTube Music app, which allows you to partake in all the same features that Spotify offers and then some, you also get access to background play and downloads on the main YouTube app as well. Being able to lock your phone and keep listening to a video essay while walking or driving is an absolute game-changer. Not every creator that you enjoy watching uploads their content to podcasting sites, so being able to load up a video but then still lock your phone and continue listening on the go is a godsend.

You also get the benefit of offline downloads at 1080p, which is perfect for flights or commutes where cell service can be spotty. Even the light YouTube Premium plan now offers background play for most content, but the full premium tier is still the only way to get that for music too.

Zero ads and a range of other features set YouTube Premium apart too

Exchange $13.99 per month for hours of your life back

Of course, while all the additional features you get are nice, the main reason behind most people's switching to YouTube Premium is getting rid of the adverts. While it's easy to use an ad blocker on the desktop, Google's 2026 Manifest v3 updates and server-side ad injection have made ad blocking close to impossible on mobiles and smart TVs.

On a Samsung or LG TV, the ads are now longer and more frequent, often giving you two 15-second unskippable ad spots every seven minutes. The only way to get that true cinematic experience in your living room without the jarring interruption of a loud car commercial in the middle of a quiet documentary or video essay is through YouTube Premium.

Once you've started consuming all of your favorite creators and content without having to suffer through countless unskippable and frustrating adverts, it feels like you can never go back. Particularly for those who consume media on YouTube daily, it feels like an absolute no-brainer to swap over to YouTube Premium to give yourself that ad-free experience and literal hours back of your life.

There's also a major ethical reason to subscribe to YouTube Premium because it allows you to support the creators you love the right way. Many people might feel guilty about blocking ads because it deprives creators of the revenue that they'd otherwise be generating; however, YouTube Premium actually pays creators more per view than ad-supported views do. You're supporting your favorite content creators more effectively by being a premium member than by watching their ads alone.

There are a range of different deals and bundles to take advantage of when picking up YouTube Premium as well. You can benefit from student pricing, where the price drops to just $7.99, and families can also add up to five people on a family plan for just $22.99, which brings the cost down to less than $4 per person.

There are a range of tools you can use, like Soundiiz or TuneMyMusic, to migrate your 10-year-old Spotify playlist to YouTube Music too. This took me less than five minutes and was a major point of contention when I was considering swapping, but it was super simple.

There's also the option to enable smart downloads so that the app automatically downloads your recommended videos when you're on Wi-Fi, so that you always have something to watch when you're offline, already downloaded to your phone. The only downside is that this can take up a lot of storage space, so just be mindful if you are already close to your storage limit on your phone.

I've forgotten what YouTube ads even look like

And I hope I'm never reminded

Really and truly, in an era where every single ad is trying to steal your attention with a five-second countdown, the skip ad button is a cognitive tax we shouldn't have to pay.

YouTube Premium is the rare subscription that actually makes your existing devices, like your TV, phone, tablet, or pretty much anything you consume media on, feel infinitely better to use. Its monthly cost isn't much more than Spotify Premium, despite the fact you get YouTube Music paired with a whole load of other features. It provides you with absolutely zero ads, a vast music library, a clean and seamless TV experience, and the option to background play and download videos for offline too.

YouTube Premium is a no-brainer for those who consume media on YouTube often. Now that I'm subscribed to it, I just don't think I can ever go back.