BRAZIL - 2022/07/06: In this photo illustration, a silhouetted woman holds a smartphone with the YouTube logo displayed on the screen. (Photo Illustration by Rafael Henrique/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Rafael Henrique/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

If you want to try new features and ditch ads, then you need a premium. Users on the internet have noticed that some people are being asked to upgrade to Premium to view 4K videos. It's not clear which countries, devices or videos are affected, but this won't be exciting if you were hoping for a better experience on your device.

We don't know if this is a test or a broader launch. If we hear back we will let you know. It costs $12 per month or $120 per year for premium.

So, after testing up to 12 ads on YouTube for non-Premium users, now some users reported that they also have to get a Premium account just to watch videos in 4K. pic.twitter.com/jJodoAxeDp

— Alvin (@sondesix) October 1, 2022

This move wouldn't be out of the ordinary. Last September, there were 50 million Premium and Music subscribers on the site. That may sound like a lot of customers, but it's a small amount compared to the amount of people who use paid media services. It's thought that locking 4K videos behind YouTube Premium could make it a bigger source of revenue for the company.

All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. All prices are correct at the time of publishing.
Popular on Engadget
  • A man walks past the logo of Israeli car tech firm Mobileye on the company's offices in Jerusalem on March 13, 2017.
Intel will buy Mobileye for more than $15 billion (14 billion euros), the companies said, in a deal signalling the US computer chip giant's commitment to technology for self-driving vehicles. / AFP PHOTO / THOMAS COEX (Photo credit should read THOMAS COEX/AFP via Getty Images)
  • Model Y cars are pictured during the opening ceremony of the new Tesla Gigafactory for electric cars in Gruenheide, Germany, March 22, 2022. Patrick Pleul/Pool via REUTERS
  • A press image of Amazon's Fire 10 HD tablet.
  • A representation of the cryptocurrency is seen in front of Coinbase logo in this illustration taken, March 4, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration