Will higher video quality soon be subject to a fee?

In the future, YouTube may only offer videos in 4K resolution for a fee. At least that is what the comments of numerous users indicate.

In the future, playback of YouTube videos in 4K or 8K resolution may be subject to a charge. This is indicated by various user reports, such as the reports of the technology portal “MacRumors”.

For example, users post screenshots on Reddit and Twitter showing the available resolutions for a video currently playing. Beneath the “2160p” option — also known as 4K resolution — you’ll find the note “Premium.”

For another user, the function is complemented by the note “Tap to update”. In concrete terms, this means that these users can only use the highest level of video quality if they have purchased the paid “Premium” subscription (11.99 EUR per month).

There is currently no official setting; Google is apparently testing the feature with a few select users. However, it is quite possible that this could also apply to everyone in the future, for example to make the “Premium” service even more attractive.

Subscription service customers currently receive ad-free videos. Videos can also be saved for offline viewing. Additionally, customers with the “Premium” subscription get access to the YouTube music streaming service.

Actually, the subscription service seems to be doing quite well. Just a year ago, Google announced that it had already gained 50 million subscribers to YouTube Music (which alone costs 9.99 euros per month) and YouTube Premium.