The number of ads on YouTube has increased. Their placement has also been altered, with users on the free tier finding this very frustrating.
YouTube is the king of video social media. Estimates are that over 20 million pieces of content are uploaded to it every single day, with YouTube Shorts averaging around 200 billion daily views. With this comes a huge potential for revenue, mainly from the ads that are placed in and between videos. Yet in the last few months, many users have noticed an increase in frequency and length, which is damaging their enjoyment of the platform.
Key Takeaways
- YouTube has increased the number and frequency of ads, frustrating many users, especially those on the free tier.
- YouTube ads are video-based, offering powerful engagement, but users can block them using third-party ad blockers.
- New features like Peak Points interrupt videos at critical moments, likely to annoy viewers instead of engaging them.
- YouTube offers various ad types, including TrueView and non-skippable ads, with the latter being particularly irritating.
- Users can combat ads either by subscribing to a premium tier or by using ad blockers, which can also enhance online security.
Table of contents
What Exactly Are YouTube Ads?
Google is the owner of YouTube, and thus, many of its ads share core similarities. The difference with YouTube is that its ads are made from videos, making them much more powerful than text or image alone. Many people do not realise that it is actually possible to block these ads using a third-party YouTube ad blocker. Working automatically, they allow viewers to skip all ads with no interruption. This works automatically, meaning viewing can continue as it used to before the recent changes.
For those without one, these ads can be extremely annoying. They can play before, during, or after a video, particularly frustrating if you are in the middle of a music video. While some can be skipped, others can not. As Google and YouTube have so much data on users, these ads can be targeted on a pay-per-click basis, making them very useful and a great revenue haul.
Has the Amount of Videos Increased?
Back in May 2025 during one of its Upfront presentations, YouTube announced a new feature called Peak Points. It uses Google’s Gemini AI to find the most important, peak moments in a video and then interrupt them with ads. The logic is that viewers will be most invested in the video by this point, and seemingly will be more likely to engage with the ad.
This has made videos on the platform really troublesome. Where once they would play and be gone, they are now interrupting the crucial moment, which is the reason people came to watch the video in the first place. The downside to this, which Google seems to have overlooked, is that these peak points are the times that people least want to be interrupted. The solution the platform provides is, of course, to pay $13.99 for a higher-level subscription. Yet a quality ad blocker can be found much more cheaply, and even for free.
The Types of YouTube Ads
YouTube also has a selection of ads that it provides. The first are TrueView ads, which come in two different types themselves. The first are video discovery ads, which appear when people discover content in searches, and people need to click on them to begin viewing. This makes them strong because if clicks are made, these viewers must be interested, and this also makes them the least annoying type of ad.
In TrueView, instream ads are the real bugbear. They play before, during, or after a video. Text and overlays can be added alongside them. Luckily for viewers, these are the ones that can be skipped.
Bumper ads are arguably the most irritating. Six seconds long, they can not be skipped. Played during, before, or after a video, they are often used to boost brand awareness. Yet true non-skippable ads are the real issue, which can run for 15 seconds. This is a real gamble for businesses, as done wrong, they can make people turn away from a brand.
How to Combat YouTube Ads
Moving platforms is not really an option. YouTube has cornered the market on video social media, and there really isn’t any competition in terms of available content or usability. That means you have to get rid of the ads another way.
YouTube’s solution is to go premium. Yet this is becoming increasingly expensive, depending on the jurisdiction or country the viewer is in. It also does not omit all ads, and there are still some that will be played occasionally, often in music content. They also keep changing the goalposts, so in a few months you may find more creeping in.
The second option is to get an ad blocker. YouTube is really against these, for obvious reasons, as it prevents their main revenue stream. Yet they are cheaper than premium tiers, and are just as effective.
Do some research on the best YouTube ad blockers. When you find one, it will simply be a case of downloading it to your browser or device. These come in different types, and some may be free, while others may be paid.
They can also be used as security tools, blocking ads from malicious websites, keeping your system clean and healthy in the process. This should leave you free to watch content uninterrupted.
