Thanks for the guide, but these are exactly the type of hoops I was talking about needing to jump through. Still, if and when I get a Google smart TV maybe I'll do this but I have a Roku.
If I did that I would just create another Google account specifically for YouTube so I don't risk my main account. But then my main account has so many subscriptions and so much watch history that would also be a significant dislike for me.
90% of my usage is on Mobile and through my Roku TV which both use specific apps to view YouTube. That's my problem.
I can use revanced to change the app on my phone, or download another app like NewPipe and that would work for a bit. But the hoops I'm referring to are when the apps get banned and need to be updated to work again, AND the hoops I feel I'd need to go to for an ad blocker at the router level so my Roku TV won't show ads through YouTube. (Though I should probably look into that anyway to get rid of ads on my TVs home screen).
It just feels like a hassle to me, and I'm paying $8/mo as a student anyway so it's pretty cheap too.
But to be fair, if YouTube themselves don't make anything then the service that hosts my content creators isn't sustainable. So just getting premium feels like the most moral option all things considered, at least for me.
'Murica #1!!! (In high internet prices)