KARACHI: YouTube introduced its premium and music services to users in Pakistan on Wednesday, allowing them to watch videos uninterrupted by ads, while using other apps or when the screen is locked; download videos for offline play; and listen to music without interruptions.

“YouTube Premium offers the ultimate viewing experience on YouTube,” the video-sharing service said in a statement.

The service also includes YouTube Music Premium, which offers ad-free music, background play and downloads on YouTube Music.

YouTube Premium will be available for Rs479 and includes membership to YouTube Music Premium, while offering an ad-free experience with background play and offline downloads for millions of YouTube videos. Viewers can also sign up for the Premium Family Plan, available from Rs899, which allows them to share their Premium membership with up to five other members of their household.

Meanwhile, YouTube Music Premium is available from Rs299 and offers ad-free music, background play and downloads on YouTube Music. Music Premium Family Plan is available from Rs479.

Eligible students can sign up for Premium Student Plan, which is available for Rs329 and Music Premium Student Plan for Rs149 on the web and Android.

In Pakistan, the number of YouTube channels with over one million subscribers has surged 35 per cent over the year to 400, whereas the number of channels with more than 100,000 subscribers now stood at 6,000, an annual increase of over 30pc, Google’s country head for Pakistan said.

Published in Dawn, August 3rd, 2023