YouTube Premium is one of the most popular subscription services for ad-free video streaming, offline downloads, and background playback. It’s a great gift idea for friends or family who spend a lot of time on YouTube — but can you actually gift YouTube Premium to someone?
Let’s break it down.
💡 Short Answer: Not Yet — YouTube Doesn’t Officially Support Gifting Premium
As of 2025, YouTube does not currently offer a built-in option to gift a YouTube Premium subscription directly through its platform.
This means you can’t purchase a “YouTube Premium Gift Card” or send a subscription directly to another user’s Google account — at least not in the same way you can gift services like Spotify Premium or Netflix.
This has been confirmed in the official YouTube Community threads (source: Google Help), where users have asked for a gifting feature, but YouTube has not implemented one yet.
🎟️ Workarounds: How to Gift YouTube Premium Indirectly
Although there’s no direct “Gift Premium” button, there are safe and easy alternatives to give someone YouTube Premium access.
1. Use a Google Play Gift Card
You can buy a Google Play gift card and let your recipient use the balance to pay for YouTube Premium.
Steps:
- Buy a Google Play gift card (physical or digital) from a retailer or Google’s store.
- The recipient redeems the card to their Google account.
- They visit YouTube Premium and subscribe.
- When prompted for payment, they select Google Play balance as the payment method.
✅ Works for: YouTube Premium, YouTube Music Premium, YouTube TV, and other Google Play purchases.
(Source: Google Help – Redeem a YouTube gift card or code)
2. Pay for a Family Plan
If you already have YouTube Premium, you can add up to 5 family members under one subscription.
How it works:
- You purchase a YouTube Premium Family Plan.
- Add your family members (they must live in the same household).
- They’ll receive an invite and get full Premium benefits.
✅ This is an easy way to “gift” YouTube Premium access without needing a separate purchase.
(Source: YouTube Premium Family Plan Info)
3. Pay Directly for Someone’s Subscription
If you know the person well (e.g., family or close friend), you can:
- Log into their device (with permission)
- Subscribe to YouTube Premium using your payment method
- Disable auto-renewal after one month
⚠️ Note: This method should only be used with someone you trust, since it requires access to their Google account or device.
🛍️ Why YouTube Might Add a Gifting Option Soon
Other major streaming platforms — like Spotify, Netflix, and Apple Music — already allow users to gift subscriptions.
Given the popularity of YouTube Premium, it’s likely that Google may introduce a YouTube Premium gift option in the future, especially as part of its Google Play gifting system.
🧠 Alternatives You Can Gift Instead
If you’re looking for a similar digital gift experience, consider:
- Google Play Gift Cards (usable for YouTube Premium, apps, movies, and games)
- YouTube Gift Cards (for rentals, movies, or channel memberships)
- YouTube Channel Memberships — you can gift memberships to others on specific channels (source: YouTube Help)
✅ Summary
| Option | Can You Gift Directly? | How It Works |
|---|---|---|
| YouTube Premium | ❌ No | No official gift feature yet |
| Google Play Gift Card | ✅ Yes | Recipient redeems and pays for Premium |
| Family Plan | ✅ Yes | Add up to 5 members under one plan |
| Channel Memberships | ✅ Yes | Gift memberships to other viewers |
💬 Final Thoughts
While you can’t directly gift a YouTube Premium subscription yet, you can still share the experience through Google Play gift cards, family plans, or channel memberships.
If you’re hoping to surprise someone with ad-free YouTube and background listening, a Google Play gift card remains the easiest and most flexible workaround in 2025.
