YouTube is set to change mid-roll ad placements starting in May 2025 to enhance the viewing experience.
Ads will now be inserted at more natural points, such as pauses or scene transitions, to minimize disruptions.
While creators should be aware of these adjustments, viewers won’t need to take any action.
If you’re an average YouTube user, there’s a good chance you enjoy both long-form videos and Shorts—even with ads.
We’ve all been there: you’re reaching a key moment in a video, fully engaged, and then—suddenly—an ad interrupts the experience.
Mid-roll ads aren’t just frustrating—they can disrupt the entire viewing experience.
While creators have the option to enable or disable these ads, many rely on YouTube to handle their placement automatically. The good news? Starting in May 2025, YouTube’s new approach should make ad breaks feel more natural, improving the overall experience for viewers.
YouTube officially announced via its Help page that mid-roll ads are getting an upgrade.
To enhance the viewing experience, YouTube will use its technology to place ads at more natural points in a video, such as pauses or scene transitions.
If everything goes as planned, this change should make ad breaks feel less intrusive, creating a smoother and more enjoyable experience for viewers.
This update takes effect on May 12, 2025, impacting creators who use automatic mid-roll ads. Their existing and future content will be adjusted to reflect these changes.
Creators who manually place mid-roll ads won’t need to make any changes but may want to opt out of this feature to maintain full control over their ad placement. However, if they choose to enable it, YouTube will insert additional ads where it deems appropriate.
YouTube also warns that if mid-roll ads are placed in disruptive sections of a video, creators may see a decline in revenue once this new system rolls out.
For creators, it’s a good idea to check out YouTube’s Help page for full details. As for viewers, no action is required—just expect better-timed ads in the coming months. And if you’d rather avoid ads altogether, YouTube Premium is always an option.
