YouTube Raises Premium Subscription Price by 25% in Israel Starting September

YouTube is increasing the price of its Premium subscription in Israel by 25%, effective next month. Subscribers will pay 29.90 shekels monthly, up from the previous 23.90 shekels, an increase of 6 shekels. The company justified the hike as necessary to maintain high-quality service, valuable features, and support for creators and artists on the platform without reducing subscriber benefits. This move follows a trend seen in other digital services like Spotify and Netflix, which gradually raise prices after building a large user base accustomed to their platforms.

In comparison, YouTube Premium costs significantly more in the US and Europe. In the US, the price rose in April from $13.99 to $15.99 (over 46 shekels), while in Italy it jumped to 20.99 euros (about 74 shekels). The Israeli price remains relatively lower but reflects a similar upward trend.

Additionally, YouTube recently changed how it counts video views, starting August 24. Views will now be counted as soon as a video begins playing, similar to Instagram and TikTok, rather than after a certain watch time. This change has drawn criticism from content creators, including Nas Daily, who argued that most videos have a completion rate of 5% or less, making view counts misleading.

Separately, the Chinese video platform Bilibili, often called the Chinese YouTube alternative, is expanding internationally by relaunching its Android app without requiring identity verification. It aims to attract Western creators and viewers by mixing global and Chinese content and plans to launch an English version of its site. Bilibili is also recruiting staff in major cities worldwide, signaling a push to grow its global audience. However, this expansion may subject it to scrutiny similar to that faced by TikTok in the US due to national security concerns.