YouTube Creator Liaison Rene Ritchie has advised content creators on adapting to YouTube’s upcoming mid-roll advertising changes.
These changes take effect on May 12 and will alter how ads appear within videos.
Background
Starting May 12, YouTube will implement a new system prioritizing mid-roll ad placements during natural content breaks rather than at potentially disruptive moments.
YouTube will automatically place ads at natural transitions in videos, but creators can manually control ad placements if they prefer.
This update introduces a hybrid approach, allowing creators to use automatic and manual mid-roll placements simultaneously.
According to YouTube’s early testing, channels adopting this combined approach have seen an average increase in ad revenue of 5%.
Ritchie’s Adaptation Strategy
Sharing his approach on X, Ritchie outlined specific steps he’s taking with his own YouTube channel:
“I’m turning on auto mid-rolls, since that system will continue to be improved and optimized by launch and over time. For new videos, I’m manually inserting additional slots if and as needed where I think it’ll provide the best experience for viewers.”
For existing content, Ritchie recommends a prioritized approach, stating:
“For back catalog, I’m sorting by current watch time and doing the same for the top 20-50 most-watched videos.”
Maintaining Creator Control
Ritchie addressed concerns about YouTube potentially removing manual placement options:
“No one is taking away manual mid-roll placements. Creators can still put slots wherever and whenever we want.”
He reminded creators that designated ad slots don’t guarantee ad placement but indicate where ads can potentially appear.
Ritchie drew a parallel to YouTube’s retention analytics and explained how the new ad feedback tool provides valuable insights.
“In the days before the retention graph in Analytics, my 10-second long intro might have caused a ton of people to dip from the video and I never knew it. Similarly, I can still put that mid-roll slot anywhere I want, but now I’m getting data about how it will perform.”
Ongoing Improvements
YouTube is actively refining the automatic detection system and will continue improving it after the May launch.
Ritchie notes there’s a mutual interest in making mid-rolls more effective:
“YouTube and creators share revenue, so it’s in everyone’s best interest to make mid-rolls work better.”
What Creators Should Do Now
Based on both YouTube’s official guidance and Ritchie’s recommendations, creators should:
- Enable automatic mid-roll placement while maintaining manual control where needed
- Review high-performing back catalog content first
- Use the new feedback tool to identify potentially disruptive ad placements
Continue providing feedback to YouTube as the system develops. This interaction with Ritchie shows the team is listening.
Featured Image: Alejo Bernal/Shutterstock
