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Streaming services are a pillar of modern entertainment, and almost all of them require some form of subscription to access content or have an enjoyable viewing or listening experience. according to Deloitte’s 2026 digital media trends According to the report, 90% of American households have a paid subscription to a video-on-demand service, paying an average of $71 for the four services.
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If you’re not careful, it’s easy to rack up a hefty monthly subscription tab that’s on par with the average cable subscription, which is $122 a month, according to one 2024 allconnect Report. I manage to keep my music and TV subscription bills under $50 a month. I’ve tried several services and canceled most after their free trial period ended. All four made the cut. here’s why.
1. Apple Music
price: $10.99 per month
Music streaming subscriptions are a must for me, as I listen to music while working, driving, cooking, and everything in between. I can usually handle a few commercials here and there while watching a YouTube video or TV show, but there’s nothing more annoying than a 30-second ad interrupting my living room concert.
Too: Spotify vs. Apple Music: I’m subscribed to both streaming services and I love it
An $11 per month subscription rewards me with streaming in Hi-Res Lossless and Dolby Atmos, access to the platform’s many radio shows and artist interviews, local and international radio broadcasts, and curated playlists for music discovery.
Apple Music’s catalog is a bit more expansive and discovery-focused than services like Tidal and Qobuz, and it offers Dolby Atmos streaming (unlike Qobuz), while still offering many tracks up to 24-bit/192kHz.
2. YouTube Premium Lite
price: $8.99 per month
I watch YouTube a lot. This is the forum I spend the most time looking at. Despite my YouTube obsession, I have always been adamant about giving any money to this platform. But one day, on a 45-minute flight to Atlanta from Wilmington, NC (a regional flight without Wi-Fi), I allowed YouTube to bill my Google account for a Premium Lite subscription so I could download a video to pass the time. I vowed to cancel as soon as my free trial ended.
Also: YouTube Premium vs. YouTube Premium Lite: Is the upgrade worth the $6 difference?
Although my ego was bruised, I never canceled the subscription, and I never will, as long as it remained at a reasonable price (Youtube raised its prices earlier this month). The YouTube Premium subscription comes with YouTube Music, but I’m happy with Apple Music, so I don’t want to pay for a service I’ll never use.
Some people may be disappointed to see some ads in exchange for the $9 per month price of YouTube Premium Lite, but I can spend hours watching YouTube videos without any ads. As stated in YouTube’s fine print, music-related content comes with ads, and I can confirm this. Otherwise, the videos I enjoy, like long-form videos about medieval life, documentaries on pop culture, and hours’ worth of Wired’s tech support YouTube series, are ad-free.
3. Peacock
price: $10.99 per month
As a certified Bravoholic and Love Island fanatic, a Peacock subscription is a must-have in my household. Peacock is home to many old and new reality shows, which I mostly watch. In addition to reality TV, my husband uses this service to watch live sporting events like NFL and NBA games.
I have a premium account rather than a select account, so I am not restricted from any content on the platform. Additionally, despite my lower tier subscription, live sporting events are streamed in Dolby Atmos. This feature is a plus. Watching your team lose in spatial audio stings a little less.
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Otherwise, I don’t watch anything else on Peacock. For any other service, I would have canceled because my tastes are so specific, but I watch enough hours of Real Housewives alone to make my $11 per month worth it. Compared to the ad interruptions of YouTube and Netflix, Peacock forces subscribers to sit through longer commercials.
A 90-second commercial can be annoying when the Housewives drama gets juicy, but it’s a perfect time to take a snack break and remind yourself that 90 seconds isn’t worth the extra $7 per month.
Netflix Standard with Ads
price: $8.99 per month
Netflix is another streaming service that I’m very judicious about how much I’m willing to spend each month. Netflix has an incredible selection of original documentaries that I thoroughly enjoy, with the occasional live WWE event I watch passively.
There are only two people in my house, so we have no problem streaming at the same time. Also, Netflix says some titles are locked, but that’s never been an issue for me. I had to dig deep into Netflix’s catalog to watch a locked TV show or movie. Finally, Netflix promises spatial audio for Premium subscribers, but if you have a 5.1 setup, you’ll still get traditional surround sound, so I don’t think I’m missing out.
Also: Is Netflix Premium Worth It? I compared standard and ad-free plans to find the best deal
On the advertising front, Netflix doesn’t bombard me with long commercials every 15 to 30 minutes. I’ve noticed that I’ll get 15 to 30 seconds of ads every hour, which I can easily digest. Considering the ad-free Netflix subscription is an extra $11 per month, I have no problem.
bottom line
I’m someone who will watch ads in exchange for a lower monthly bill for every platform except music streaming. I think streaming platforms take advantage of ads to push people to pay more to avoid ads, but on platforms like YouTube and Netflix they’re not an issue for me. I use them as a break to check my phone, grab a snack, or come back to reality after three hours straight on the couch watching TV — a wake-up call, if you will.
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To me, the occasional ad isn’t worth more than several dollars per month, especially when I already subscribe to multiple platforms to enjoy my entertainment.
