According to AdAge, YouTube plans to launch paid subscriptions for some individual channels this Spring. YouTube may also require a charge for content libraries and access to live events. First, YouTube will test this idea on a few channels, but YouTube believes paid subscriptions can benefit many of its partners. Partners can expect a 45-55 split and the option to offer ads on their paid channels. This paid service is rumored to cost between $1 and $5 per month and is scheduled to start as early as the second quarter of 2013.
How can this change impact your business?
First, think about how your existing customer base will respond if you eventually switched to a paid channel. Do they currently engage with your content?
Next, evaluate your old content. Were people subscribing to your channel to watch a certain video or to watch multiple videos? If so, what was the video with the highest number of views?
Lastly, ask yourself what would make you want to pay for a service that was once free. Is your content worth paying for? If not, should you allocate more time to create engaging videos?
Many business owners have spent a large amount of time building their free subscribers, but the content they post will be even more important now. Thought-provoking content will be vital in keeping the number of subscribers high with a paid channel. Do you think YouTube will eventually make all channels paid or will this make consumers upset?
