YouTube is looking to expand its subscription service, YouTube Red, to as many as 100 more countries. That’s a significant increase from the 5 countries where it’s currently available.
YouTube Red is perhaps most notable for letting subscribers browse YouTube without encountering any ads. It also offers a selection of premium content that users can only access with a subscription.
After launching in October 2015 for the price of $9.99 a month, YouTube Red has struggled to find an identity. The company has been pushing it as a music service since it allows users to seamlessly play multiple tracks without being interrupted by ads.
The news that YouTube Red will be expanding to 100 more countries was announced by YouTube chief executive Susan Wojcicki at the Code Media conference last week.
Wojcicki also noted that the company plans to continue going forward with selling YouTube Red as a music service, emphasizing that it offers offline playback and background play.
Subscription revenue is split with rights holders of the content people watch or listen to on YouTube Red. So creators will still earn money even though you’re not viewing their ads.
Now that YouTube has finished signing all necessary music deals, YouTube Red can be expanded to more countries. Wojcicki did not provide a timeline for the eventual roll out.
