So, YouTube has finally revealed their fangs by offering video creators a “deal” that they have no choice but to swallow. We’ve been hearing rumors about YouTube forcing creators to offer paid content, but just yesterday it was made official. YouTube has just forced some of its video creators to sign a revenue share deal for its new YouTube Red $9.99 ad-free subscription, where creators need to offer paid content, making its fans pay for videos they want to watch; and on top of that, having to share that paid amount with Google (although Google doesn’t want to reveal the actual percentage). Why do we say forced? Well, Google just told some of its creators (for now), that if they do not sign this deal and offer paid content to their fans, YouTube will make all their videos to private. That seems like a bully now, don’t you think?
According to Chief Business Officer Robert Kyncl at YouTube Red launch event, 99% of content consumed on YouTube will be still available, noting that the vast majority of creators signed the deal. Well now, I don’t think the creators had a choice, did they? Since by not signing, they will not benefit from ads revenue, nor from the new subscription revenue, and on top of that they won’t get to post anything on their channel anymore to connect with fans since all video contents will be taken off public view.
Sure, home videos uploaded on YouTube won’t have to deal with this problem, but other than that, all YouTube partners will be experiencing this removal and deal situation. Google says the reason it is doing all this is to offer “consistency” so that subscribers will always have their favorite content on the ad-free service of YouTube Red. But instead of doing something simpler like flagging videos as being unavailable on YouTube Red, Google has heavy-handedly gave this ultimatum of sign-or-vanish strategy. Already Google has been criticized for making all its Google+ and Google Places a priority in its searches making them “unfairly” using its reach, but to force subscribers to now pay for something that has always been free, and then forcing the creators into a deal they never wanted in the first place; what is going to stop Google from forcing even more deals on creators in the future?
So you get access to Google Play Music if you subscribe to YouTube Red. For that same $9.99, you either subscribe to Google Play Music and get free access to YouTube Red, or vice versa. You also get to watch these paid content offline if you wish to watch the rantings of a creator again and again on loop. So basically, you pay $9.99 for music, offline and ad-free videos. Sounds like a great deal for subscribers maybe, but it seems like a crappy deal for creators. Since Google can’t coerce, so I suppose offering ultimatums is the next workable course of action, eh?
When will YouTube Red be launched? It will start in the US on October 28, 2015 and will expand over to other countries over the course of next year. If you subscribe on YouTube app itself, it will cost $9.99 a month for all of YouTube products including YouTube Red, YouTube Gaming, YouTube Kids and YouTube Music; but should you subscribe over iOS in-app purchases, it will cost you $12.99 a month since Apple takes a 30% cut on all subscriptions revenue on its platform.
So, how do you see YouTube Red? Yay or nay? Will you pay for ad-free content? Tell us!
