Mr Chan, 30, also holds subscriptions to Amazon Prime, Spotify, Netflix and Disney+, all of which have also seen price increases in the past two years.
“It’s getting really hard to afford multiple subscriptions, and I might have to explore other alternatives, because it is getting harder to justify the convenience when the prices just keep going up.”
In February, YouTube Premium reported that it had crossed the 100 million subscriber mark across more than 100 countries, and thanked its subscribers for their support.
In 2023, YouTube increased prices for its premium service in several countries including the United States, which saw its first increase at the time following the launch of YouTube Premium in 2018, according to lifestyle news website Variety. Other countries that saw a spike in prices in 2023 were Argentina, Australia, Austria, Chile, Germany, Poland and Turkey.
The Star reported in November 2023 that YouTube had increased fees for Malaysian subscribers in May that year by RM7 (S$2.15), while Australians saw an A$10 (S$8.80), or 43 per cent, price jump for family plans. In August, India’s family plan subscription fee increased by 110 rupees (S$1.70), or 58 per cent.
Since mid-2023, streaming platforms such as Netflix and Spotify have increased the prices of their subscription plans in Singapore, mirroring similar moves worldwide by Apple, Amazon and Disney Plus.