
YouTube Discontinuing paid content January 1, 2018 - cpncrunch
https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/7515570
======
jzl
I can't imagine the number of people who paid for non-Hollywood content on
YouTube was anything more than miniscule. There is a social contract on
YouTube -- if I enjoy your videos I will "like" them, share them, and maybe
subscribe to you. It's your job as a content creator to turn those numbers
into a business if that's what you are trying to do (as opposed to a hobby),
and there are ample ways of doing that. As a YouTube viewer I am already being
treated as "the product" as the old saying goes in multiple ways. Paying
directly for videos goes completely against the entire ethos of YouTube. There
are other sites for that.

~~~
mathw
I didn't even know this was a thing. But perhaps, like YouTube Red, it never
made it to the UK.

------
orionblastar
YouTube is making changes. Http://vid.me tried the subscribe for paid content
model to compete with YouTube and vid.me had to close down recently.

I know that most ad blockers that I have tried can block video ads just as
well as html ads.

I discovered [http://pluto.tv](http://pluto.tv) With over 100 channels for
free and they put in their own ads to make the whole service free and it looks
and feels like a cable or satellite system. I was researching cord cutter
resources when I found that. We have Roku and a Fire Stick and there are a lot
of free or discounted Internet tvapps out there.

Amazon Prime for example is good for free shipping but also has Amazon Video
included and can subscribe to premium channels if you want HBO etc.

Google YouTube and Amazon Prime videos are fighting each other now by removing
their apps from the others store.

Apple tv has gotten better as well, my brother gave it to his girlfriend and
she cut off cable and uses the Apple tv instead.

Bitchute is another YouTube alternative
[http://bitchute.com](http://bitchute.com) and I am looking for more to
compile a list for my blog to help people find them.

Since Disney bought out Fox and now own 60% of Hulu they will slowly pull
their IP from Netflix. Which is why Netflix is making their own TV series and
movies.

The market for videos changes fast, you have to keep on top of it.

------
salex89
I'm interested what will happen now with the YouTube Android app picture-in-
picture feature. Since now it was necessary to pay for YouTube Red to have it.
Does this mean the rest of us will get it?

~~~
dbbk
YouTube Red isn't going away.

------
Doxin
The main problem with this paid content as far as I see it is that I'm not
paying $3 per creator per video. That basically means I can watch 3 paid
videos per month for the same price I can get a Netflix subscription.

In general I abhor pay-per-content models. A subscription service that gives
me access to all the content means I can forget about money when I'm watching
stuff instead of trying to do the mental arithmetic to see if a purchase is
worth it.

------
jchw
So if it's not YouTube Red Originals, what is it? I'm quite sure I wasn't
aware this existed until now.

~~~
cpncrunch
From what I can see, youtube red is something completely different. Paid
content is/was mostly used by small producers or people like you and me who
want to put up paid-for content. Youtube red seems to be more like netflix,
i.e. large production companies.

------
xt00
The goal must be to funnel people into YouTube Red and make YouTube more like
Hulu and Netflix..

~~~
cpncrunch
It seems to be a completely different model though. I've almost finished
creating a video presentation that I was considering charging for, but now I
discover that I can't actually do that directly through youtube. Vimeo offers
the service, but you need to sign up for a Pro account, which has a monthly
fee.

