I’m self-hosting Invidious… I get a nice, free YouTube experience without ever visiting YouTube.
I’m never going to pay to see ads in my life. Nope.
Sadly I do so every week when going to the cinema
I haven’t gone to a movie in like… 10 years probably. Ha…
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.
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.
Or use stube on android tv and recanced on phones. One of the reasons I can’t go to iOS.
####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.
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’ll never pay for until until 1. It’s reasonably priced, 2. Downvotes are returned and 3 sponsor block is integrated into the app.
Sponsor block is not going to be included as those are not controlled by YouTube. They are the Chanel’s sponsorship.
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.
If you use yt music and watch YouTube as your main entertainment, it’s well worth it imo.
With that said, I’ve been degoogling and this is probably the one I won’t be able to break.
Same here. YT is the only Google owned service I still use. I personally don’t mind the cost, since I watch a lot and wish to support the people that make the content. I would love a proper alternative but I don’t see that happen any time soon.
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
How does Newpipe work? It feels too good to be free.
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.
You can also use the Orion browser with Ublock Origin on iPhone.
Mac also has the excellent Orion Browser where you can install uBlock origin
Youtube ReVanced
Revanced still Relies on G services
Also, Theres this very unknown app Called Freetube for all plattforms or newpipe for Android
I tried Freetube for a while, but it just never works. An actual coin flip each day whether or not anything would load at all. I got so tired of it I just went back to Youtube, as I’ve only ever seen one single ad in my entire time using uBlock Origin on Librewolf.
Revanced uses microG, which is optional. I also mentioned that these were the easiest methods. But, you’re absolutely right in that there are plenty of other methods to choose from.
Can I block youtube ads with a transparent proxy like squid ? What about a self-hosted youtube auto-downloading queue list ? I’m fine with .mp4 files !
I think it is extremely hard because they are served from the same servers (technically, ads are YouTube videos)
And if the logic on the client isn’t removed, it will hang waiting for the ad
Can I block youtube ads with a transparent proxy like squid ?
I haven’t tried that, so I’m not entirely sure. I just focused on the easy methods that most people will gravitate towards.
Try it and let us know what you find!
What about a self-hosted youtube auto-downloading queue list ? I’m fine with .mp4 files !
Sounds like
yt-dlp
. Lots of people use that to get around ads, and also for data hoarding.
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.
Damn, you pay and still get ads? Does that count as findom? Like it feels very cucky, doesn’t it?
Also starting to spread on the cheapest plans of streaming services like Prime and Netflix.
It’s like cable TV, pay $100+/mo just to watch ads
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.
if ublock origin stops working, you can erase your youtube cookies or wait a few hours for a ublock origin update to work around it.
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.
freetube still works great! no ads, and an easy to use interface.
Adblock/revanced are working. Google’s ad revenue is getting squeezed and so they need to shoehorn more ads everywhere to get the same revenue levels, since so many people never see the ads.
Keep using them. You’re making business really difficult for scummy Google.
Adblock, maybe a noticeable fraction on desktop, but Revanced users are within a rounding error of the total users, surely?
I feel like both populations are now dwarfed by the numbers watching YT on their TV’s built-in apps, which throw demented amounts of ads at you.
The $ revenue share to creators per video view has dropped, even though the percentage of Google’s ad revenue shared with the creator has remained the same. So to me this means Google is earning less per video view. (That could also be just a result of the ad market in general collapsing, eg advertisers just pay less)
Also, Google has added new requirements to get the video share. You need to post new videos at a regular cadence, or they kick you out–even if your old videos are still getting views. (began being enforced in 2023, I think). Its another way they can keep their revenue numbers looking OK by cutting a cost associated with older videos.
Google has also escalated their efforts to make it more difficult to view content without also viewing the ads.
So maybe its wishful thinking, but I think they are feeling the squeeze.
Unfortunately unlike the reddit or twitter situations its significantly harder to accumulate enough fresh video content to attract the views necessary to get the ball rolling and make a shift away from YouTube.
I’m dating this person and we were watching YT and she didn’t have any ad blocker up and I was fucking blown away
Revanced users are within a rounding error of the total users, surely?
Some of us use NewPipe. 🤷♂️
Because the fucking line must go fucking up! the large hot forks should be going up the CEOs and investors asses instead!
wtf is premium lite?!!? Lmao
it’s the opposite of Economy Plus
Oh so you pay to be abused, gotcha.