One of the world’s most popular tech channels, Linus Tech Tips (LTT), has decided to turn off all members-only videos on YouTube. The decision came on October 7, 2025, after thousands of fans complained that YouTube’s new system was making the platform frustrating to use.
In a video titled “Members Only Videos are a HUGE Problem on YouTube,” LTT founder Linus Sebastian explained why the team is shutting down paid videos on YouTube and refunding supporters.
For years, YouTube allowed creators to share extra videos with paying subscribers under a “channel membership” feature. Fans could choose to pay for bonus content, while regular viewers could continue watching free videos as usual. But recently, YouTube changed how its recommendations and search results work.
Now, even people who aren’t members keep seeing “members-only” videos in their feeds, videos they can’t actually watch unless they pay. This caused a lot of confusion and anger.
Many fans said their feeds were filled with locked videos, and they felt like YouTube was spamming them with paywalls.
Linus said he received hundreds of messages from loyal fans who were unhappy about the change. They felt excluded, thinking LTT was forcing them to pay for regular content. In reality, it was YouTube’s system promoting those videos automatically.
To protect their audience’s experience, Linus Tech Tips has removed or hidden all paywalled videos from YouTube. Anyone who paid for those videos will get a refund for the unused part of their membership. Regular perks like comment badges and emojis will still be available, but LTT says more changes could come if YouTube doesn’t fix the problem soon.
For fans who still want to support LTT and watch exclusive videos, the team is moving everything to their own platform, Floatplane, where they have full control over how videos appear. Floatplane won’t have the same paywall confusion because it’s built to give creators and viewers more freedom.
LTT’s move has started a huge discussion in the YouTube community. Other big creators, including DankPods and popular gaming and education channels, say they’re facing the same problems. Many agree that YouTube’s new system hurts both creators and viewers.
People on Reddit and tech forums are calling for more control options like a setting that lets users hide members-only content from their recommendations. So far, YouTube hasn’t made any promises to fix it. Linus said in private talks, YouTube didn’t offer any clear solution or timeline, which pushed LTT to act independently.
Here’s what’s really going on behind the scenes:
- YouTube doesn’t allow creators or viewers to turn off or filter members-only video promotions.
- LTT is refunding all members who paid for exclusive videos.
- Floatplane, LTT’s independent platform, continues to host all their exclusive and behind-the-scenes content.
- LTT says most fans support the decision, appreciating that the channel put the audience’s experience first.
Linus Tech Tips’ bold decision is sending a message to YouTube and the entire creator community. It shows what can happen when platforms put algorithms and revenue before users. LTT’s stand is not just about one channel; it’s about protecting viewer trust and creative freedom.
Now, the big question is whether YouTube will listen. Will it change its system to give creators more control or continue pushing paywalled videos at the cost of viewer experience?
For now, Linus Tech Tips is leading by example, putting honesty, choice, and transparency ahead of profit, and reminding everyone what made YouTube great in the first place.
