Whether or not YouTube will be offering paid subscriptions has been somewhat of a mystery for awhile now. Speculations have been running wild. Today, some new light has been shed on the situation. YouTube has officially announced that the website will be offering paid subscriptions for certain YouTube channels.

The paid subscription model will apply to YouTube specialty video channels. This change is expected to roll out this week. YouTube has stated that around 50 channels will now be available via subscription only. Which channels will be impacted and how do you subscribe? Details below.

Channel Information

Google hasn't announced the list of channels that will be subscription-based quite yet. That list is expected to surface this week, though. The company has stated that subscriptions will start as low as $1.99 per month, which is more than reasonable. Why is YouTube launching paid channels?

Approximately 45% of paid subscription fees will go directly to YouTube. That's not a bad little pay off for the company, and it's a great way for YouTube to generate needed revenue. With rates as low as $1.99 per month, YouTube enthusiasts will also have a chance to subscribe to favorite channels, and receive optimal programming.

More Information and Details

Financial Times broke this news late last night, so this is relatively new news that you are reading. As such, Google hasn't released a ton of details about the new subscription service. What can be guessed at is that the subscription-based channels will be the most popular ones on YouTube right now. So, you probably won't have to pay to watch your favorite videos if those are on the small scale.

As mentioned, YouTube does plan to roll out this service this week, so I will have more details for you then. Right now, you can still enjoy most YouTube channels for free. At $1.99, though, most people will be able to afford to pay for a YouTube subscription. It's also interesting to point out that YouTube will be making channel creators quite happy with this new model.

Good For All

YouTube wants to keep its biggest users happy. On the consumer side, a subscription video service that starts as low as $1.99 isn't bad at all. On the business side of things, channels that will be charging will be able to generate some revenue through YouTube, and that's been a long time coming.

So, YouTube's decision to go subscription-based is a good one. It's also one that I've been speculating about for many months now. Back in February, YouTube did tell press that the company was working on a subscription model, and now that model is finally here. Are you excited? Will you pay to use YouTube? It will be interesting to see whether or not this model works.

On the one hand, a subscription YouTube model is a good thing. On the other hand, many people are used to using YouTube for free, so the subscription idea might not work as well as planned. I'll keep you posted as YouTube announces more details.