Earlier this month, when users try to access the drop-down menu for the resolution options of YouTube, the word "Premium" appears next to 4k/2160p, indicating that to be able to watch the video in 4K, one must be a premium user.
According to Engadget, this doesn't apply to everyone, meaning it was only an experimental feature made available to a limited number of users.
But it seems that YouTube has finally decided to end this experiment. The test involves paying $11.99 a month to get premium membership.
YouTube Tests its Premium Subscription
Since 2010, YouTube has supported 4K videos. In the past 12 years, YouTube users can freely watch 4K videos. Likewise, even the higher resolutions such as 8K, which was introduced in 2015, have been available to users without any payment.
However, YouTube decided to add a new restriction. Users need to have a "YouTube Premium" account to be able to watch videos in 4K. This was implemented earlier this month as part of the streaming platform's experiment.
In addition, YouTube Premium users can watch videos in the platform without advertising. It also allows users to play videos in the background on Android, as well as download videos to watch offline.
As part of the experiment, YouTube Premium subscription also comes with Google's music streaming service bundle with YouTube Music.
But just recently, YouTube revealed via Twitter that it is ending its experiment, according to The Verge. The test that made 4K videos exclusive to YouTube Premium subscribers was discontinued by the streaming platform.
"We've fully turned off this experiment. viewers should now be able to access 4K quality resolutions without Premium membership," TeamYouTube tweeted.
With this confirmation from the streaming platform, all subscribers should be able to watch videos at the highest resolution without having to pay a subscription fee.
Meanwhile, it is unclear why YouTube decided to discontinue the experiment. According to Engadget, it is highly possible that it is because the experiment got negative feedback from users.
Read Also: New YouTube Premium Referral Program Offers 12 Months Free | Here's How
YouTube Tries to Convert Free Users Into Paid Users
The experiment was conducted to get feedback from users in case a particular feature would be included in a premium tier.
According to The Verge, YouTube said in a now-deleted tweet that some of the users who got the premium upgrade were "part of our experiment to know better the feature preferences of Premium & non-Premium viewers."
In the U.S., users have to pay $9.99 per month for YouTube Music and $11.99 per month for YouTube Premium. For the Premium subscription, users get ad-free viewing, video downloads for offline consumption, plus background play.
Googles pricing for the said subscription varies across the globe. There are more than 50 million paid subscribers across both subscriptions worldwide, according to the company.
YouTube has been attempting various ways to try to convert free users into paid users. The streaming platform ran an experiment earlier this year, which shows users up to 11 unskippable ads before the start of a long video.
With this, users can eventually have an uninterrupted viewing experience. However, just like YouTube Premium, YouTube ended it within days after it was introduced.
Related Article: YouTube is Now Asking Users to Upgrade to Premium to Watch 4K Videos
