YouTube’s paid subscription service has been in the works for years, and its Music Key streaming service has been in invite-only beta since last November. But now it seems YouTube Premium could launch as early as this summer, according to The Verge. The service (currently nameless) is said to include ad-free videos and offline viewing for a price of $10/month — with potentially more affordable subscription plans for music and children’s programming. The bad news for those who regularly watch some of the site’s thousands of YouTube stars? It’ll also mean the start of a paywall that could require YouTubers to make their videos available only to subscribers signed up for the service. (Many YouTubers have, in fact, already started testing this system via a new premium service called Vessel, which launched last month.) There’s no expected launch date for the service, though The Verge says it could come within the new few months. As with any paid service, though, there’s always a loophole. Free tip: Adblock Plus!
