Youtube Premium

[sholio]

I signed up for a free trial of Youtube Premium because I wanted to check out how well their new-ish download option works. Turned out it doesn't actually download - it saves the file to your personal account, where I presume it can still be deleted or region-locked at Youtube's whims. That's not downloading, Youtube!

So far, so useless. However, I now have this month-long trial of Premium. Is there anything interesting I should check out before cancelling?

Comments

[timespirt]

Earth Star Voyager was a cute older movie from Disney. Seems you can only see it on Youtube. If you can find a decent copy of Child of Glass which is also an old Disney movie. It was also a good movie for around Halloween. Hope you might like them, if not I'll say I'm sorry in advance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDFF9sIT6jE Earth Star Voyager

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6s8KiLWigtY Child of Glass

[sholio]

Thanks for the recs!

[timespirt]

:-D

[sheron]

Wow, saving it to your account...like a bookmark....

[sholio]

Right??? It is just SO pointless. I guess it's maybe not 100% pointless if it stays in your account if the original is deleted, but I bet it doesn't. It really is just a fancy bookmark.

[ilyena_sylph]

If you like art and art history, Perspective has hundreds of hours, and Premium makes them ad-free.

[sholio]

Thank you!

[aurumcalendula]

Turned out it doesn't actually download - it saves the file to your personal account, where I presume it can still be deleted or region-locked at Youtube's whims. That's not downloading, Youtube!

That's annoying to hear! (and kinda sounds like false advertising on their part)

[sholio]

Yeah, I mean, at least I got to try it for free; I'd definitely be Not Happy if I had paid for this and then discovered it wouldn't do the one thing I wanted it for. But still!!

[lannamichaels]

If you are interested in downloading from YouTube, I recommend JDownloader 2.

[sholio]

Thanks! (I did end up going with a different download utility, but if that one doesn't work out, I'll try this one!)

[sweetsorcery]

Ah, let me direct you to this post I made a while ago, in which I sing the praises of Youtube Premium. :D

In heavily abbreviated form: ad-free on every device and at higher quality, and Youtube Music wipes the floor with Spotify.

[sholio]

Oooh. Thank you so much, that's exactly what I was looking for!

[sweetsorcery]

I'm glad it's useful. :)

[brightknightie]

I would like to strongly +1 Sweetsorcery's endorsement of YouTube Premium. I find it worth every penny to be able to enjoy YouTube ad-free. I watch more on YouTube, not to mention YouTube Music on top, than any of my other streaming services. I am definitely getting my money's worth.

[yhlee]

Yep, that was my gripe - I could swear it used to download actual videos for when I'm OFFLINE, and now...it doesn't. Which is why I canceled. :/

[sholio]

You'd think download means DOWNLOAD, right?? So annoying.

[yhlee]

YES. Like if they'd been up front about it, meh but I'd know? And instead this. I refuse to give them my money anymore.

[madripoor_rose]

I keep meaning to get an account with Youtube because they have the Relic Hunter tv series, but have it age-locked. I just can't be arsed to come up with another screenname and password, tho.

[sholio]

Technically I have two; one's for posting non-fandom stuff (on the infrequent occasions when I want to do that), and the other's for fanvids and just general browsing. I really don't do anything but browse 99% of the time, though, including actually interacting with/liking/commenting on videos ... I probably should do more of that, now that I think about it.

[rosanicus]

If you're looking for a free alternative for downloading, I use an android app called NewPipe which is ad free and lets you properly download to your phone/device as well as streaming and you can copy your subscriptions over

[sholio]

Thank you for the rec! (I've currently got one - I went and found a recommended one after the premium thing didn't pan out - but if that one goes the way of ad traps and malware, I'll obvs. be looking for something else.)

[jennaria]

Honestly, for me YouTube Premium is worth is because I like to listen to ASMR to fall asleep, and there's nothing to jar you out of a nice doze like Sudden Ad. (Or worse, Sudden Political Ad.)

[sholio]

I can definitely see how Sudden Ad would be the exact opposite of what you want for that!

[yalumesse]

Ugh, they're so controlling. I'll never try it now. Thanks for letting us know :)

[sholio]

It was definitely not what I wanted!

[sallymn]

Thanks for the warning! I have a downloader that does youtube (dailymotion, bilibili and others), don't know if it would work on Premium though. In a way I can understand why they don't want to let people have a physical copy (I did say understand, NOT approve of) because then they might not get rewatches... but still, I think that was a dodgy move.

It's probably possible to really download, I know people can do it with Disney+ but the instructions I once saw left me kerflummoxed.

[sholio]

I think I explained badly ... Youtube Premium (supposedly) allows you to download any video from Youtube using a button under the video. It just doesn't do what a downloader does; it puts a copy in your account instead, where Youtube can still get at it.

A desktop downloader does the same thing; it's just that I've been trying for years and years to avoid having to install one, due to general paranoia. But all the online download helper sites have gone the way of malware, and I've finally given up and installed a downloader since it seems to be the only way to keep a copy these days.