Youtube Originals will be free to watch from 24 September

The new freemium model for YouTube’s original content starts on September 24, 2019.
All YouTube Originals series, live events and movies will be free to watch with ads for “non-members.”

YouTube has finally announced content released after September 24 will also be available to non-YouTube Premium subscribers months after confirming that its originals will soon be free with advertisements (NBB reported the same in May). Thus making all original series, movies and live events released on September 24th and beyond accessible to non-paying members.

Of course, premium subscribers will still appreciate the improved viewing experience. They will not have to sit through any advertisements, and in the fresh season of a show, they will have instant access to each episode. Moreover, they are the only ones that can appreciate the cuts and bonus scenes of the director whenever they are accessible.

Non-paid members will have to wait to be published to the public for each episode in a series. Still, for those who don’t want to pay $12 a month to watch the initial programs of the platform, that’s not a bad compromise yet.

YouTube has also added some of the new features to Premium subscription. The new “Recommended downloads” section in the app’s Library tab will make it easier to find more interesting videos to download. It is now also possible to switch between a song and a music video with a mere tap of a button. Finally, there is some good news for Android users as they can now automatically download up to 500 songs from their Liked Songs list and other playlists. The video-sharing major, in an email to its Premium subscribers, mentioned that Premium members will have early access to the shows, along with the bonus footage.

This is being seen as the Google-owned video-sharing platform’s new “Single Slate” strategy and too at a time when most of the other media companies such as Netflix and Amazon Prime are putting content behind paywalls.