YouTube Red has been around for a little over two years now and the paid subscription version of the video platform has had its hits and misses. Yes, the prospect of ad-free videos is one that's hard to ignore, but even at $10 per month, there was perhaps not enough original content to justify the cost. Well YouTube is aiming to change things with YouTube Red by rebranding it as YouTube Premium.

The change will take effect from 22 May, which will also see a price increase in the monthly subscription to $12. Users interested in signing up for the service can still get YouTube Premium for $10, but only if they get it before 22 May. Those currently with YouTube Red will make the transition to Premium for their $10 a month fee, but it's unclear if that will change to the new pricing in future. The same goes for those who sign up before 22 May.  

The service is set to launch in the following countries from next week Tuesday, with other regions set to follow in the coming year - United States, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, and South Korea, with Austria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and United Kingdom.   

Whether this new version of YouTube proves more successful than its predecessor remains to be seen, but given the increase in original content, as well as Hollywood A-listers making exclusive videos for YouTube Premium, it may prove more worthwhile.