Why would I pay for premium if it doesn't remove the ads? It's like they don't do market research and just make shit up.
this post was submitted on 06 Jun 2025
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"Premium lite"? What is this doublespeak?
I'm never going to pay to see ads in my life. Nope.
Sadly I do so every week when going to the cinema
Yeah, horrible innit? When I used to go to the cinema as a kid in the 70s and 80s, you'd get maybe ten minutes of trailers before your film. And I never minded that, I don't dislike watching trailers. These days, totally different. Last time I went to the cinema there was maybe half an hour of ads. Some trailers, but mostly just advertisements for crap.
It is so fuckin disrespectful to their customers. If I wanted to see all that bullshit, I could have stayed home and watched it on TV. Except I don't watch TV because the experience is so poor - largely because of ads.
I understand that cinemas have been struggling ever since covid, even before, and I understand that advertising revenue pays the bills. But cinema isn't cheap, for me it's an occasional treat when there's something I really wanna see on the big screen. I do not want to spend that much money and get treated like a fuckin farm animal being fed crap. Wankers.
I can't be alone in feeling this way, who wants to pay to see ads? Who thinks that sounds like a great evening out? It ruins the experience, and it's insulting, by the time the movie starts I'm angry. I'd rather pay a bit more and just have a couple of trailers.
I recently went to a small autonomous cinema with a mate and saw Mulholland Drive. Great experience, comfy seats, could bring in drinks from the bar, no fuckin ads. But for new films there aren't many options. So I don't often go to the cinema.
Sorry for this long and bitter diatribe! You just hit on something that really pisses me off too.
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I haven't gone to a movie in like... 10 years probably. Ha..
All the people saying "I'll just stop using it, no big loss," are you only using YouTube for fun? Have you never needed to pass a class, prep for a job, work on a house, learn a skill using it?
It is such a large repository of human knowledge that is so far not widely replicated anywhere else. I rely on it for learning skills to provide for my family, as far as learning other useful abilities.
For example, YouTube taught me how to service my own vehicles. I have a specific set of old 90s Volvo cars, and there is a youtuber (Robert DIY) who does an excellent job documenting how to do maintenance on them. I have done my best to archive everything he posts, but he is just an example, as there are countless other informative tutorials and how-tos posted on YouTube.
As of now, Google has their grips on an enormous amount of practically useful data, and they know it. It's beyond fucked, and to act like it is inconsequential or ignorable is very short sighted.
What pisses me off most is that the way the internet works now is that ten years ago, someone who wanted to share about how to service your 90s Volvo that would have written it on a web page with a few photos that would have been quicker, cheaper and easier to write, quicker and easier to read, and cost next to nothing to host.
But because Google control fucking everything, that same person is now heavily incentivized to make it a pointlessly long video instead, that took days to make and edit, and is harder to use while working, and if they don't do that then they ain't getting anywhere near the top of the search results and you weren't going to find it anyway.
It sucks and I can't wait for people to wake up and tell Google to fuck off and stop ruining the internet.
To keep using walled gardens like Youtube, Reddit or Discord in an effort to share and preserve knowledge is just a losing proposition. The sooner we stop using them, the less of a headache it will be when the companies behind these gardens decide it's finally time to cash out and start to charge for access.
The knowledge you grow in a walled garden doesn't belong to you.
You are absolutely right!
Knowledge is power - Google has tons of it. Not only on YouTube, but also the data they collect about every user, every click and interaction, etc.
I think the Tech-Giants have way too much power and even have some sort of monopoly. Like you said: No one has or even can recreate something like YouTube. Same with (for example) Microsoft. Even though FreeBSD, Linux Distros, OpenBSD, … gain popularity, they are nowhere near Microsoft’s Windows (or any other Product). And if you look at schools, businesses or governments, they (for some ungodly reason) use and pay for Microsoft products. Children get hooked on their Products in school!
Something has to change, I honestly don’t know what exactly, but these monopolies destroy our freedom! Maybe it would be better, if our countries had politicians, that do their work, not care about some “make America great again” shit.
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Edit: Guys. I think a lot of you missed where I said EASIEST METHODS.
Easiest methods to ditch Youtube ads:
- PC: Firefox + uBlock Origin
- Mac, option 1: Safari + AdGuard
- Mac, option 2: Firefox + uBlock Origin
- Android, option 1: Youtube ReVanced (FYI: ALL Play Store listings for this are fake; the official site is revanced.app and is the only place to get it)
- Android, option 2: Firefox Mobile + uBlock Origin
- iPhone/iPad: Safari + AdGuard
For those who may have heard about Pi-hole and are wondering why it's not on this list: PI-HOLE DOES NOT BLOCK YOUTUBE ADS. IT NEVER HAS AND NEVER WILL.
Android, option 3 (Better): newpipe from fdroid. 0% algorithmic feed, exclusively show who you're following, in chronological order
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Youtube ReVanced
Revanced still Relies on G services
Also, Theres this very unknown app Called Freetube for all plattforms or newpipe for Android
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Yeah, this will work for a while but I think the days have gotta be numbered.
Best long term solution? Leave YouTube.
I guess in the meantime: if on PC grab the freetube flatpak. Really decent client, anonymous and create subscriptions without actually subscribing.
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remember when paying removed ads? crazy i know. no subs ever.
The ads will continue until morale improves.
I still use an ad blocker. They can fuck themselves in the ass. I’ll never stop.
Firefox and UBlock origine.
I've recently been getting warning notices on Firefox that "AdBlockers are not allowed on YouTube!" I laugh and continue on.
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Wait, so I was right?
I will pay only when Google ensure that my data will not be used for any type of advertising or AI training (this obviously includes selling to third parties). Months ago I read around, I don’t know if it’s true, that even those with a premium account will see ads. If that proves true, it means I will never make the subscription. It’s pretty simple.
Youtube has ads? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Wait. I pay for YouTube with my time, the most important resource I have access to. There’s a level where you pay money and STILL SEE ADS?
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To remove ads subscribe to Youtube Premium Platinum Plutonium and select the Ad-Free! add-on (for only an additional $2.95/mo)*.
*promotional first-month price only; increases after 30 days to regular rate of $5.95/mo **
**with annual subscription only; per-month rate $7.95/mo ***
*** with VIP subscription only; regular rate $11.95/mo.
####These terms of service can only be updated by GOOGLE at anytime with or without notice. You hearby agree to this term of service and, any and all updates, without review, made by GOOGLE to the terms of service.####
*By enabling the VIP package in addition, we guarantee to not update the TOS more than once every second.
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I keep noticing people in this thread recommending UBlock Origin, with others replying that they eventually got a popup to turn off their adblocker.
This is usually followed by replies mentioning they just click X (or add a UBlock filter on the popup), and go on with watching Youtube. No problem, right?
According to Ublock Origin's Redd*t Post, that is just the first warning stage; eventually the presentation of their anti-adblock message becomes more intrusive until you receive the "The in-player message. Playback is stopped."
I should know. I get that message on any Youtube video (while logged in), and it doesn't go away for several hours.
That said, my workaround (extremely hacky) was to find the RSS feeds for all of my channel subscriptions, and then add them to FreshRSS. That section of my RSS feed essentially acts like a Youtube subscription page, but not tied to an actual account.
On my computer: I watch them in a private browser Firefox profile I've dedicated solely to Youtube (and has all of the extensions already installed, of course).
On Android: I watch them using NewPipe.
Edit: In addition, I store my "watch later" links using Linkding, which was easy to setup. While I do see reply suggestions on how to get rid of the popup, I think it's better (for the long term) to have an independent way to consume Youtube. While Youtube currently implements a 4 stage system, they could always add another stage or make the current one more strict.
I think my approach requires more set up work (and probably introduces more friction) compared to reply suggestions, but overall is more resistant to future updates to Youtube's nagging system.
Even quicker fix: logout.
Admittedly i'm not a huge youtube watcher, but since logging out there's not a single damned nag when i run a marathon
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Ublock orgins on Firefox has worked for me so far on both pc and mobile. No warnings.
I do also have umatrix on pc, but I can't really recommend it for everyone since it requires some setup on every web page which most people would find too annoying.
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YouTube became shittier, what's new.
Ironic that just yesterday I was getting blocked on youtube telling me that adblocking was illegal/against tos/whatever and that if i didnt want Ads I could subscribe to Youtube Premium.. only now to announce ads on premium.
What a fucking shithole company.
edit
and they continue to take no accountability for failing to police their own ads, thus creating the essential need for adblocking services in the first place.
WE WOULDNT BE BLOCKING ADS IF YOU REGULATED ADVERTISERS LIKE YOU ARE TRYING TO REGULATE VIEWERS.
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When options like uBlock and FreeTube no longer block ads, I'll stop watching YouTube. They'll never get a cent out of me.
If it weren't Google, I wouldn't be against paying. Fuck Google.
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YouTube already had too many ads, and I stopped using as a result. That was several months ago. I guess I'll just have to stop using it even harder.
Youtube ads? I have no clue what you're talking about...
Why has no one heard of FREETUBE!?!?!?
FreeTube is fantastic. I only discovered the concept of YouTube front ends relatively recently and I am not a normie, so the likelihood of normies knowing about front ends is practically zero. Most people think that the only ways to access YouTube content are to go to the website or use the app.
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I would actually pay for YT premium if it was reasonably priced and I think there are many like me. Why are they shooting themselves in the foot?
I actually paid for it for a bit after I got a few months free with a Pixel a while ago. And it was pretty good and reasonably priced.
Then they started removing features (no dislike bar for you lol) and raising the price and I'm never giving them a single goddamn cent or not using a block on their shit.
I've since cancelled and transitioned from workspace or whatever they call it now and use Revanced, ublock origin, etc. They actually had my money and they fucked it. Never again. Get fucked, Google and the shit huffing execs in charge of it.
It's never enough for these people. They want all of your money and they won't stop until they have it. Fucking blood suckers.
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No time like the present to begin creating a European alternative, given the geopolitics of the times.
Please support peertube, it's kind of like the Lemmy of streaming videos in that it's a federated collection of providers.
A list of instances: https://joinpeertube.org/instances
e.g. peertube.tv
I'm self-hosting Invidious... I get a nice, free YouTube experience without ever visiting YouTube.
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YouTube has so many ads now it's ridiculous. Yesterday YouTube threatened me with the popup even though I have UBlock on Firefox. I've seen 10 ads on a 20 minute video. As if the un-skipabble 2 minute long ads that pause when you switch tabs wasn't bad enough, YouTube is now putting ads in their Premium.
YouTube is in dire need of a big competitor and fast.
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