YouTube's subscription service, Red, has been out for a while now. Here's why you might want to sign up. Google's well aware that YouTube is a video powerhouse of viral hits, music videos and unique shows you cannot find anywhere else. Hoping to capitalize on its unstoppable success, Google created YouTube Red , a paid monthly subscription service with several perks that make your viewing experience better. Here's what you should know before you sign up. Editors' note: This story was originally published on February 3,

The service provides ad-free access to content across the service, as well as access to premium YouTube Originals programming produced in collaboration with the site's creators, downloading videos and background playback of videos on mobile devices, and access to the YouTube Music music streaming service. The service was originally launched in November as Music Key , offering only advertisement-free streaming of music videos from participating labels on YouTube and Google Play Music. YouTube announced the rebranding of the service as YouTube Premium on May 17, , alongside the return of a separate, YouTube Music subscription service.

Subscriber Account active since. YouTube Red. For the record, Mahaney thinks it's a good thing, but unlikely to make a lot of money in the short term. The similarities in the names and in their respective URLs could cause a lot of consumer confusion and awkward web surfing experiences. The name "RedTube" itself is already uncomfortably close to "YouTube.