YouTube makes an update to their mid-roll ads. Creators are upset.

Which isn't a surprise, consider that people get mad at almost any new update from YouTube. Though the outrage was clear. There were comments about how this is one of the worst update or that the update is littered with bugs and is poorly thought out.

For those out of the loop, YouTube will be adding more ads at natural breaks (such as scene transitions), but will have fewer ads on interruptive points. If you're not a part of the YPP or you let YouTube place ads automatically, this won't affect you. Creators will get the option to have both manual and automatic mid-rolls. What this mean is that you can add mid-rolls yourself, but if YouTube believes there are better places for ads, it'll do so automatically. You can opt-out of automatic placements at any time.

Creators are unhappy with this update, so much so that YouTube had to make a follow-up video answering questions. 👇

​

TK, the Director of the YouTube Partner Program, reasons that YouTube is making this update due to the change in how viewers see ads. Creators are making longer content and viewers are watching more on TV. So it's a no-brainer for YouTube to try to make the viewing experience better with less intrusive mid-rolls.

Got thoughts? Let us know on Discord!

Beware of phishing scams disguised as YouTube.

If you haven't heard, there's been a phishing scam involving an AI-generated video of the YouTube's CEO, Neal Mohan. How this scam works is that the bad actor will email or message you in disguise of YouTube. They'll include the AI-generated video of Neal talking about changes to monetization to make it feel legit.

DO NOT click on the video or any other links as that may lead you onto sites that'll install malware and/or steal your credentials!

Scammers are getting smarter with the tools available to them. No one is safe from scams. If you believe you'll never be scammed, then it just means you have yet to be hit with a scam designed for someone like you. The only way to avoid being scammed is through awareness and education.

YouTube is building a new AI tool to protect creators from AI.

This announcement was made back in September 2024, but YouTube is now sending out emails to creators for testing. We assume YouTube will be reaching to big YouTube creators and celebrities since their identity will most likely be used for deepfakes.

If selected, you can help YouTube by uploading a video selfie of yourself so YouTube's AI can detect and manage AI-generated content showing their faces. This means you'll need to give your consent of your likeness, but YouTube said they'll only be using this data for development of the protection tool. Whether you trust them or not is up to you.