Google Subscriptions increases in Q4 as YouTube to Record $60B Annual Revenue

Google’s subscriptions are growing fast, and YouTube is set to hit a huge $60 billion in yearly revenue. This comes from Alphabet, the company that owns YouTube and Google. On Wednesday, they shared exciting updates about their money from ads and paid services. Now, they have 325 million people paying for Google One and YouTube Premium. That’s up from 300 million just three months ago. More people want these services, and it’s helping YouTube make more cash.

In the fourth quarter, YouTube’s ad money went up by 9% to $11.38 billion. This was a bit less than what experts guessed, which was $11.84 billion. But looking at the whole year, YouTube did great. Its total money from ads and subscriptions reached $60 billion. That’s 17% more than last year. This shows YouTube keeps getting bigger and more popular around the world.

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A big reason for the growth is YouTube Premium. It costs $8 a month and lets users watch videos without ads. The company says this plan is pulling in lots of new fans, though they didn’t share exact numbers. YouTube Premium is also growing strong overall. People love the ad-free watching, better video quality, and extras like downloads for offline use. As more join, it boosts Alphabet’s steady income from subscriptions, not just one-time ads.

Alphabet’s boss, Sundar Pichai, talked about big plans for subscriptions. He wants to grow them even more, especially with YouTube TV. This is their live TV service. Pichai said they will soon launch new YouTube TV plans. These will give users more choices, like over 10 packages for different types of shows. Think sports, movies, news, or kids’ stuff. This should make it easier for families to pick what they want without paying for everything. With more people cutting cords on cable TV, YouTube TV is a smart way to grab those viewers.

YouTube is also doing well with short videos called Shorts. They got 200 billion views each day in the quarter, same as last year. That’s still a massive number, showing Shorts stays hot. In some countries, ads on these quick clips make more money per hour than regular video ads. This could mean big changes for how creators earn.

Podcasts are another bright spot. Viewers watched 700 million hours of them on TVs in October alone. Pichai pointed this out as a fast-growing area. People are enjoying podcasts on bigger screens at home, which opens new ways for makers to reach fans.

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AI is helping too. Over 1 million channels use YouTube’s AI tools to create videos. Plus, 20 million people tried the Gemini-powered tool for finding content in December. These features make it simpler for everyone to make and discover videos.

Overall, YouTube’s mix of ads, subscriptions, Shorts, podcasts, and AI is working well. The jump to 325 million paid users shows trust in their services. With new TV plans coming, revenue should climb higher. YouTube isn’t just a video site anymore, it’s a full entertainment hub pulling in billions. As habits shift to streaming and AI, Alphabet looks ready to lead.

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