Expanding its global reach, YouTube Premium, and by extension YouTube Music Premium, is now available in Kenya. The membership has been unavailable in the country through official channels, but this finally comes to an end having arrived as a pleasant late-night surprise on Tuesday both on Android, iOS and desktop.
Signing up for a YouTube Premium account gives you access to both YouTube and YouTube Music with no ads on videos. Furthermore you can now listen to music when offline or when the app is in the background, something that isn’t possible with the free versions of both apps. The first month is free trial, after which you’ll be charged depending on the plan you signed up for. There are three packages to pick from: Individual, Family, and Student plan. Each has different perks, which also means different subscription fees.
The individual plan costs Kshs 499 per month. On the other hand, the family plan will set you back Kshs 949 per month. You can add up to 5 family members in your household aged 13 and above, but all of them need a Google Account. If you’re still in school, YouTube Premium can be yours for Kshs 289 per month. But keep in mind that the student plan is only available to full-time students in higher education institutions, and eligibility will be verified by a third-party verification service. Also, membership is only valid for up to 4 years maximum and requires annual re-verification to confirm your eligibility.
While the pricing on Android and desktop is in local currency, iOS still shows up in US dollars. Apparently, iPhone users will pay $4.99 per month for the individual plan and $9.49 for the family plan. At the current exchange rate, iOS users may have to part with over Kshs 700 for the individual plan and nearly Kshs 1,500 for the family plan. As a workaround, iPhone users in Kenya can sign up for YouTube Premium on a web browser and then log in to their app after signing up. Interestingly, though, I don’t see a student plan on iOS, meaning you’ll need an Android device or use the desktop version to sign up for YouTube Premium.
For those only interested in YouTube Music Premium without the perks of YouTube Premium, Google has your back. For an individual plan, you’ll part with Kshs 419 per month, a difference of Kshs. 80. As for the family plan, you’ll pay Kshs 669 per month, a difference of Kshs 280. I’m not sure why I’d pay only for the music plan, but it’s good to have these options for those who need them.
In addition to Kenya, YouTube Premium is rolling out to users in Ghana and Senegal as well, expanding the service’s footprint in Sub-Saharan Africa where it has previously only been made available in Nigeria and South Africa.
