Google Inc. Will Launch YouTube Subscription Service In 'A Few Months'

By  Thomas Halleck @tommylikey t.halleck@ibtimes.com

YouTube will launch a subscription service in a few months, it says. Reuters

Google Inc. is launching a subscription YouTube service in “a few months,” according to the streaming service’s head of content, Robert Kyncl. He revealed the plans at Code/Media 2015, according to a Reuters report.

YouTube is still “fine-tuning the experience,” Kyncl said. It has toyed with the idea of a paid service for several years.

The new service will reportedly be ad-free, incorporate exclusive content from media partners and allow subscribers to watch videos without being connected to the Internet. YouTube has tinkered with the idea before, and launched a trial in 2013 allowing channels to charge subscription fees.

YouTube's method of charging for certain channels wasn't popular, but YouTube thinks
it has found the right formula give premium subscriptions another shot. The change will be a big shift for the online video giant, which currently has 1 billion viewers every month watching free, ad-supported videos.