YouTube Music and Premium Add 25 Million Subscribers in 20 Months

Paying for music has become second nature to millions of listeners who would rather enjoy their favourite songs without constant interruptions. Whether they're commuting, working or relaxing at home, people want easy access to whatever they're in the mood to hear. That growing appetite is bringing more money into the music business, with artists hoping to benefit along the way. YouTube has now reached a major milestone, although catching Spotify is another challenge entirely.

150 Million and Counting: YouTube’s Milestone Run

YouTube Music and Premium have surpassed 150 million subscribers worldwide, including free trials. Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai announced the milestone on October 28 while discussing the company's latest financial results. Back in March 2025, the two services had 125 million subscribers. Further back to February 2024, that number was just 100 million.

Clearly, YouTube has come a long way. But here's something worth noticing: subscriber growth has slowed. Around 1.3 million people are joining each month, compared with nearly two million previously. Those numbers are still impressive, just not quite as fast as before.

Subscription Revenues Drive Alphabet’s Bottom Line

Subscriber numbers aren't the only thing climbing. YouTube earned $11.21 billion from advertising between July and September, up 9.2% compared with the same period last year. Alphabet also brought in $14.29 billion from subscriptions, devices and other services, an 11% increase. That figure covers several businesses, including YouTube and Google One, rather than music subscriptions alone.

People signing up for paid services are becoming increasingly important to YouTube, with subscriptions growing faster than advertising. And American customers have already felt the difference in their wallets. Following April's price increases, YouTube Premium now costs $15.99 monthly, while YouTube Music is $11.99.

The Heavyweight Battle: Spotify’s 306-Million Lead

YouTube has plenty to celebrate, but Spotify isn't exactly struggling to keep up. By the end of September, the Swedish streaming service had 306 million Premium subscribers, having added another six million during the third quarter. Its next target? Reaching 316 million paying subscribers before 2026 ends.

There's one detail worth remembering, though. YouTube's figure includes free trials and Premium memberships, which offer ad-free videos, offline downloads and background listening alongside music. Spotify's figure counts paying subscribers, making a direct comparison somewhat misleading. Still, both companies are bringing more listeners into their paid services.

What Independent Artists and Rights Holders Stand to Gain

Every new subscriber represents another potential listener for artists trying to get their music heard. More paying members could also bring additional earnings, although nobody is guaranteed a bigger payday. How much musicians receive depends on how often their songs are played and how those recordings make money.

Getting music onto several streaming services is therefore worth considering, particularly for independent artists building an audience. YouTube Content ID can provide another way to earn when other people use eligible songs in their videos. YouTube hopes to become the music industry's biggest source of revenue, but Spotify remains a formidable rival. Whatever happens between them, musicians have more chances to reach people who might love their next release.

Editor’s Note: While direct audio streams drive core subscription revenue, YouTube’s proprietary Content ID system captures a unique revenue stream unavailable on traditional platforms. By automatically identifying copyrighted sound recordings across user-generated content, Content ID allows artists, songwriters, and rights holders to monetize fan-made uploads, covers, and background audio track usage. Coupled with ad-supported video streams, this automated matching system powers YouTube's dual monetization model—which contributed to over $8 billion paid to the global music industry in the past year alone.