The option has been rumoured as being on the way for months. It was finally officially confirmed in an email to YouTube partners last night which explained the changes.
Consumers will be able to pay to access a special version of YouTube which has all of the adverts removed. TechCrunch reports that the exact time frame for release and the pricing are not yet determined but partners will have to accept updated terms before June 15th 2015.
A statement given to Bloomberg from YouTube said: “While we can’t comment on ongoing discussions, giving fans more choice to enjoy the content they love and creators more opportunity to earn revenue are always amongst our top priorities.”
YouTubers will receive 55 percent of the total net revenues from subscription fees, the same amount as is paid from advertising revenues. The email suggests that the model will make it easier for video makers to gain more revenue.
Payouts will be based on monthly views and watchtime of videos relative to the total number of monthly views or viewing duration of a related participating subscription content.
YouTube has been getting close to directly charging users to view content for some time. A subscription-style music service launched in November. The site has also been expanding into a more family-friendly video streaming platform with the development of apps like YouTube for Kids.
This has been the subject of some controversy just this week though with critics seeing the displaying of adverts within the kids app as inappropriate. A group of children’s and consumer advocacy groups have sent a complaint to the Federal Trade Commission, accusing Google of “unfair and deceptive practices” by showing adverts to their children in what was billed as an innocent and safe app.
The change means that YouTube can move to being a service more reminiscent of movie and TV streaming services like Netflix. By eliminating the ads and offering subscriptions instead, YouTube can seem like a more grown-up place to view on-demand video content.