YouTube Red
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Type of site
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Subscription service |
|---|---|
| Founded | November 2014 |
| Headquarters | 901 Cherry Avenue, San Bruno, California, U.S. |
| Area served |
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| Industry | Internet |
| Parent | Google (through YouTube) |
| Website | www |
| Users |
 1.5 million (2016) |
| Launched | November 12, 2014 (as Music Key) |
| Current status | Active |
YouTube Red is a paid streaming subscription service exclusively for YouTube in the United States, Australia, Mexico, New Zealand and South Korea. It provides advertising-free streaming of all videos hosted by YouTube, offline and background playback of videos on mobile devices, access to advertising-free music streaming through Google Play Music, and access to "YouTube Red Original" series and films.
The service was originally launched in November 2014 as Music Key, offering only ad-free streaming of music and music videos from participating labels on YouTube and Google Play Music. The service was then revised and relaunched as YouTube Red on October 28, 2015, expanding its scope to offer ad-free access to all YouTube videos, as opposed to just music.
Besides ad-free streaming, YouTube Red has also participated with major networks and certain YouTube celebrities to offer "YouTube Red Originals", movies and shows exclusive only to Red members, such as the reality series, Scare PewDiePie. Access to this content is included with a YouTube Red subscription, but individual episodes and movies can be purchased through YouTube or Google Play Movies & TV in certain countries where subscriptions are not yet available.
The service was first unveiled in November 2014 as Music Key, serving as a collaboration between YouTube and Google Play Music, and meant to succeed the former's own subscription service. Music Key offered ad-free playback of music videos from participating labels hosted on YouTube, as well as background and offline playback of music videos on mobile devices from within the YouTube app. The service also included access to Google Play Music All Access, which provides ad-free audio streaming of a library of music. Alongside Music Key, Google also introduced tighter integration between Play Music and YouTube's apps, including the sharing of music recommendations, and access to YouTube's music videos from within the Play Music app. Music Key was not YouTube's first foray into premium content, having launched film rentals in 2010, and premium, subscription-based channels in 2013.
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