Popular video service YouTube is reportedly set to launch a paid subscription model for its specialist video channels.

The paid subscription model has been in the works for months and could launch as early as this week, a new report states.

According to the Financial Times report citing anonymous sources, the move aims to help some channels finance a wider range of content, such as movies and TV shows, while also serving as another source of revenue.

The report adds that the paid subscription model will apply to as many as 50 YouTube channels. A subscription to each channel could start as low as $1.99 per month. On the other hand, YouTube declined to comment or confirm anything for now.

"We have nothing to announce at this time, but we're looking into creating a subscription platform that could bring even more great content to YouTube for our users to enjoy and provide our creators with another vehicle to generate revenue from their content, beyond the rental and ad-supported models we offer," a YouTube spokesperson told Mashable.

This is not the first time that news and reports of a YouTube monetization of premium content are making the rounds. Back in January, for instance, AdAge said YouTube was planning to launch paid subscriptions for a couple dozen channels in April, according to "multiple people familiar with the plans."

"We have long maintained that different content requires different types of payment models ...The important thing is that, regardless of the model, our creators succeed on the platform," a YouTube representative told Mashable at the time. "There are a lot of our content creators that think they would benefit from subscriptions, so we're looking at that."

AndroidPolice also reported back in February that the most recent YouTube app update contained some code that indicated users could subscribe or unsubscribe from a paid channel. While YouTube apparently prefers to keep mum for now, signs do point toward a paid subscription model to arrive soon. On the other hand, this remains in the rumor state for now, so take things with a grain of salt until YouTube decides to make an official announcement.