YouTube is experimenting with a new subscription tier called the “two-person Premium plan,” designed for couples, roommates, or any two people living in the same household. This plan allows two users to share the benefits of YouTube Premium at a lower cost than two individual subscriptions or the existing family plan. The test is currently live in India, France, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, with potential for wider release depending on the pilot’s success.
The two-person plan sits between the individual and family plans in terms of pricing and features. In India, it’s priced at ₹219 per month, compared to ₹149 for an individual plan and ₹299 for a family plan. Like the family plan, it requires both users to be at least 13 years old, have a Google account, and be part of the same Google family group. This group allows for easy sharing of Google services. The primary account holder, designated as the “family manager,” pays for the subscription and manages the group.
Both users on the two-person plan enjoy all the standard YouTube Premium perks, including:
- Ad-free viewing: Watch videos without interruptions.
- Background play: Continue watching videos while using other apps or with your screen locked.
- Offline downloads: Save videos to watch later without an internet connection.
- YouTube Music Premium: Access ad-free music streaming in the YouTube Music app.
- Each user maintains their own separate account, watch history, and recommendations.
This new tier addresses a gap between the individual and family plans. The family plan, while offering the best value for larger households (up to six members), might be overkill for just two people. The two-person plan offers a more affordable option for smaller households to enjoy Premium benefits. This strategy mirrors similar offerings from other streaming platforms like Spotify’s Duo plan.
YouTube describes this as an experiment, so there’s no guarantee of a wider rollout. If the pilot program is successful, we could see the two-person plan expand to other regions. It’s also possible that the pricing and specific features could be adjusted based on the test results.
Key Highlights:
- YouTube is testing a new two-person Premium plan in select regions.
- The plan offers a cheaper way for two people in the same household to share Premium benefits.
- It includes ad-free viewing, background play, offline downloads, and YouTube Music Premium.
- The plan requires both users to be part of the same Google family group.