YouTube has announced a plan to improve the quality of mid-roll ads starting on May 12, 2025.
The company will move ads, which could be considered interruptive by viewers, to more “natural break points” in videos. Ads that appear in the middle of a sentence or action scene will be relocated to less intrusive moments, such as pauses or transitions, in order to make them less disruptive to the viewer’s experience.
Along with this change, YouTube will update older videos released before February 24, 2025, with automatic ad slots placed at natural break points on videos that have manually placed mid-roll ads. Video creators will have the option to opt out of these updates by visiting YouTube Studio and going to the Earn tab.
For creators, this change could lead to increased revenue. YouTube’s test in July 2024 found that channels that had a mix of manual and auto mid-roll ads experienced a 5% increase in ad revenue.
Additionally, YouTube is rolling out a new tool called "Feedback in YouTube Studio" this week. This tool will inform creators if their manually placed ads are considered interruptive, allowing them to make necessary adjustments to improve the viewing experience and maximise revenue.
