On October 28, 2015, YouTube launched YouTube Red in the United States. The service did not replace free YouTube; it added a paid layer for viewers who wanted videos without ads, offline saving, and background playback on a phone.
The idea also changed the relationship between a paying viewer and a creator. YouTube said a Red member could generate as much or more value for creators than a typical ad-viewing user, and that creators did not need to produce a special version of their videos to participate.
Google Play Music was bundled into the early membership, linking video and music listening in one subscription. That pairing hinted that YouTube was becoming more than a website people opened for a single clip; it was becoming a service people could carry through the day.
In May 2018, YouTube Red was renamed YouTube Premium. The new name arrived with a reimagined YouTube Music, continued ad-free and background viewing, downloads across YouTube, and a larger slate of original series and films.
The name changed, but the central experiment stayed recognizable: can a free, ad-supported video library add a paid experience without closing the open door? YouTube’s answer was to keep the public platform and place convenience, music, and originals on top of it.