In the world of copyright, most disputes aren't as straightforward as someone claiming you used their content. There can be a number of complicated moving parts when it comes to digital rights management and your responsibilities and obligations as a YouTube creator.

As a content creator or viewer on YouTube, you must have come across the terms 'copyright claim' and 'copyright strike.' They are both related to copyright infringement, but there are some significant differences between the two. Today, we'll discuss how they are different but let's start from the basics.

 This post is an overview of how copyright works on YouTube. Please consult a lawyer if you need advice on a specific case.

 is a legal right that grants creators of original work exclusive rights to use and distribute their creations. This right applies to various types of creative works, including music, videos, images, and literary works. In simpler terms, it means that the creator has the right to control how their work is used, distributed, and monetized.

Unsurprisingly, YouTube serious about copyright infringement. The platform has 

 that match copyright policies in the U.S. (and presumably beyond), and it states very clearly that:

“Creators should only upload videos that they have made or that they’re authorized to use. Users should not upload videos that they didn’t make or use content in videos that someone else owns without necessary authorizations."

So, with that warning in mind, let's take a more detailed look at claims and strikes.

What Does Copyright Claim Mean on YouTube?

A copyright claim is a notification sent by YouTube's Content ID system. It occurs when a portion of a channel owner's video matches another copyrighted work. That creator can then decide whether to make a claim, depending on whether the video falls under 

, instead of submitting a copyright takedown notice. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

A YouTube copyright claim will not adversely affect your channel.

The rights holder can claim the revenue on your video if you have used their content.

The copyright holder can place ads on your video to generate that revenue.

The copyright holder can restrict your video in some countries or regions.

The copyright holder may also choose to take no action (but absolutely don’t rely on that!)

Copyright claims are a part of Copyright Law.

They only apply to the videos flagged and not the entire channel

A claim can be proven false depending upon if you really own the content that is being claimed by someone else.

How to Remove YouTube Copyright Claims From Your Videos

As a general rule, copyright claims on YouTube are made against video clips, audio, and other content that qualifies as owned media and hasn’t been available for publication. Claims are issued to creators if they don't own the TV or music clips, music, or other copyrighted media.

The rights owners have full control of their Content ID policy. Some creators and media publishers always opt to stop certain content from being uploaded to YouTube, like TV clips or music videos. Others allow their content to remain published on the uploader’s channel but only if some or all of the advertising revenue is funneled back to the copyright owners as compensation.

That all sounds a little confusing, so let’s break it down.

ContentID claims come with a monetization, tracking, or viewing restriction rule. For the latter, the video may only remain live in certain countries or regions at the rightsholder’s discretion. The owner can also decide to:

Block the entire video from being viewed on YouTube.

Monetize the video by placing ads against it - this might come with the option of a potential revenue share with the uploader.

The rights owner takes 100% of the revenue share from ads. The creator can still keep the video up but they won’t generate any revenue from that upload.

Track the video’s viewership stats which disables any monetization and lets the owner see how well your video is performing in case they choose to claim any revenue in the future.

YouTube itself has a handy guide for the options 

 Not everyone can access the Content ID feature. YouTube has very specific criteria for rights owners who want to track their content. Find out 

What to Do if There's a Copyright Claim on Your Video

In order to resolve and remove a copyright claim, the uploader will need to dispute it. Once the claim has been formally disputed by the uploader, the rights owner then has 

 to that appeal with the option of either:

Releasing the claim if they find evidence that the uploader does in fact have permission to use the material (as is often the case when a creator uses a music track licensed through a third party like 

Rejecting the dispute and upholding the claim because they believe they still have a strong and valid case

Receiving a copyright claim takedown request can lead to a copyright strike against a YouTube channel. Even if the ownership of the video is being disputed, it can still make money, which will be stored in a separate account until the disagreement is settled.

The rights owner has 30 days to respond to the dispute. They can choose to release their claim, take down the video, or set up a delayed takedown. The uploader then has 7 days to retract their appeal.

Here is Rob, YouTuber-in-residence at vidIQ, explaining how to deal with copyright claims:

A YouTube copyright strike, also known as a DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) strike, is a warning issued by YouTube to a channel owner for violating the platform's copyright policy. It occurs when a creator notifies YouTube that their content has been used without their permission. The copyright owner can request that the video be removed, or they can choose to monetize it.

PSA: You do NOT want to attract any copyright strikes against your channel!

A copyright strike is issued when a rights owner requests the legal removal of a video on YouTube because the uploader didn’t have permission to use their images, audio, or video clips. As you can see from the image above (

), a strike differs significantly from a claim.

Copyright strikes are manual and are activated when a rights owner files a DMCA takedown request. The owner must supply YouTube with specific information regarding the takedown which includes:

The rightsholder’s contact information.

A thorough description of the material the owner wants to protect.

A sworn statement of good faith belief that the material (a video clip, a gif, an image, etc.) has been used without express permission.

After a DMCA takedown notice request is filed by the rights owner, YouTube has to remove the video in question from the uploader’s channel. That creator is notified, and they can either file a counter-notice or accept the takedown decision.

If the video is taken down following a manual claim, the creator’s channel will receive a copyright strike. Oh, and deleting the offending video will not resolve the strike. The first strike can have a negative impact on channel features like live streaming and monetization. However, creators have the opportunity to redeem themselves by completing YouTube's Copyright School within 90 days.

If you receive a second strike before the first one expires, your account will remain out of good standing for another 90 days. If you receive a third strike before the first two expire, your account will be terminated, and all uploaded videos will be removed. Additionally, you may face legal challenges and be required to pay legal fees and fines if you lose the case.

 is someone asserting that you have used their content, whether that be a video clip, an image, or a piece of audio. A 

 is much more serious for a YouTube creator, and your channel can be suspended for repeated copyright offenses.

The difference between copyright takedowns and Content ID claims

The legal issues all YouTube creators need to know about

The expert's guide to Fair Use & copyright on YouTube

How to get royalty-free music for your YouTube videos

YouTube logo and statue of a woman balancing scales

YouTubers, do you know the difference between a copyright claim and a copyright strike? If not, find out right now.

Copyright Claims vs. Copyright Strikes: Here's the Difference

In this post, we show you how to unlock every single YouTube feature. A good place to start is to find out what YouTube features you already have, and you can do this by clicking 

 which will take you to a page that shows you most (but not all) of the YouTube features available.

 The first thing you should do when you create a YouTube account is to verify it as this will unlock many of the basic YouTube features. It only takes a minute and you do it 

 Custom thumbnails allow you to turn random still images that YouTube selects from your videos into powerful works of art that draw viewers into your videos. The best news is that custom thumbnails require zero views, zero subscribers, zero watchtime. All you need to do is verify your account! Check out how to 

 By default you can only upload videos to YouTube with a maximum length of 15 minutes, so to upload longer videos, just like custom thumbnails, you don't need any views, subscribers or watchtime. All you need to do is verify your account.

 vidIq livestreams every week on YouTube, auditing your YouTube channels, and helping you to grow. As with custom thumbnails and 15+ minute uploads, this does not require a single view, subscriber or any watchtime, only to verify your account, although you may need to wait 24 hours before you can do your first livestream once you enable it.

Those are the rules for desktop, but for mobile livestreaming, it's a little more complicated. You cannot livestream directly through the YouTube app if you have less than 1,000 subscribers. However, you can still livestream to YouTube on a mobile device using third-party applications without a thousand subscribers.

 A custom URL is one of the first steps you can take to branding your channel and protecting your presence on YouTube. In order to be eligible for a custom URL, your channel requires 100 subscribers, to be at least 30 days old, and have a unique channel icon and channel art. Each channel can only have one custom URL. It cannot be transferred to another channel, but you can remove and change your custom URL up to three times a year.

 One of the most powerful ways to reach your audience is through the Community tab. We use it every day to engage with you, and we find that people just can't get enough of voting polls. To unlock the Community tab, you will need 1,000 subscribers. Once you reach that target, it may take up to a week before you have access to it and YouTube should send you a notification when you unlock it. Check out this video on 

how to build a YouTube audience through the Community Tab

 Probably the most important one of the lot for many of you, is monetization. I'm sure you've heard of the big two requirements for this before, but there are more besides. You will need 1,000 subscribers on your channel and 4,000 hours of watchtime over the last 12 months. As well as this you will need a Google AdSense account set up and linked to your YouTube account. Your channel must also be in good standing regarding community and copyright strikes and follow all YouTube policies. Not having all of this in perfect order can affect your application. Finally the YouTube Partner Program must also be available in your country.

Once you meet all of these requirements you can apply and must go through a review process. If you are rejected, you can apply again in 30 days. We know this is a huge topic with a lot of questions. We've made lots of videos that specifically address monetization, so click on this 

 Super Chats enable your fans to financially contribute to your livestream and prioritize their message at the top of the livestream chat feed. To allow viewers to Super Chat you, your channel must be monetized, of course, with at least 1,000 subscribers. You must also be over the age of 18 and be located in one of the countries that supports Super Chat.

 YouTube Stories allow you to capture micro-moments behind the scenes of your videos to share just like you would an Instagram Story. The Stories feature is currently in beta and available to all eligible channels with over 10,000 subscribers. It may take up to four weeks for Stories to show up after reaching 10,000 subscribers.

 There are many ways to make an income on YouTube, merchandise being one of them, and you may have noticed merchandise carousels appearing on channels. This is part of YouTube's direct merchandising feature, taking all of the pain out of setting it up yourself. As you might expect, being another income revenue stream, to get access to merchandising on YouTube, you must already be in the Partner Program and have 10,000 subscribers. You also need a clean slate when it comes to community guideline strikes.

 A channel membership allows the viewer or subscriber to become a member of that YouTube channel for a monthly fee, and it enables the channel to offer unique perks to those members. Think of it as a Patreon-type service directly tied into the YouTube platform. This YouTube feature has the biggest requirements list of the lot. Already in the Partner Program, 30,000 subscribers, over the age of 18, and available in your country. You and your multi-channel network, if you are with one, must follow the Terms of Service, including the Commerce Product Addendum, and your channel must have zero active strikes. And even if you do meet all of the above, YouTube is still rolling out this service, so it might not yet be available to you.

 If someone else is using your content on YouTube, it may appear in the Copyright Matching list. This allows you to review the match and then take appropriate action. As of now YouTube are currently rolling this out as a small pilot project to channels already in the YouTube Partner Program, so just keep an eye out for it in your Creator Studio.

 I'm sure you've seen this season-slash-episode format that appears on some video titles. They replace hashtags and locations, and when you click on them, they take you to the playlist. We’re calling these "YouTube Season Playlist" for now, and when I asked YouTube how to get this, they told me it was through YouTube invite only. These shouldn’t be mistaken for official series playlists, which are available to all video creators who have verified their account. This does not give you seasons or episode numbers, but does change how your videos are presented and discovered on YouTube.

If you want to take your YouTube channel to the next level then make sure to download vidIQ. It will help you research YouTube, analyze videos, audit your own channel, and take actionable steps 

Have you unlocked every feature available to you as a YouTube creator? We show you how to get access to some of the best features on the platform.

How to Unlock EVERY SINGLE YouTube Feature!

Copyright claims and the effect they have on your ability to monetize your content on YouTube is one of the most asked questions we receive at vidIQ. And I think the reason for that is because YouTube itself doesn’t provide a definitive answer.

Also, if you apply for the YouTube Partner Program and are rejected, YouTube doesn’t give you a thorough enough explanation as to why which also adds to the confusion, if in fact, you do have a strike or claim against one of your videos.

When a creator uses content without the permission of the owner of that content, the creator runs the risk of violating copyright laws.

Now, fair use aside (read more about that defence in the 

expert's guide to fair use & copyright on YouTube

), let's just say you are guilty of using another person's work. YouTube handles this in two different ways: copyright claims and copyright strikes.

When you receive a copyright claim, YouTube, as a third party, is basically saying that you the creator, can use the copyright owner’s content, but the owner of that copyrighted content has the right to place adverts on your video and earn income from it.

In this case, you the creator are not punished for uploading the content that doesn’t belong to you, but you won’t generate any revenue from that upload.

A copyright claim is a lot better than receiving a copyright strike. A strike means the owner of the I.P. you are using (whether that’s a video clip, an image, or audio) isn't playing ball at all. If the owner asserts their rights to their own content, your video will be removed from your channel and you will also receive a copyright strike.

Three copyright strikes and your channel will be terminated. And it might not end there either. In extreme cases, you could find yourself in legal hot water and have to defend yourself in court.

Copyright laws are complicated. To quickly get up to speed on the basics, take time to watch the video below. It’s old in YouTube years but is still one of the very best explanations we’ve seen on the subject:

There are a few more things to clarify. Your channel doesn’t have to be monetized in order to receive copyright claims and copyright strikes.

Even if you have zero subscribers, zero views and it's your very first video, if you have used copyrighted content belongs to another creator, you could get a claim or a strike.

Also, there is no guidebook or directory that's going to tell you whether or not you will get a copyright claim or a copyright strike. You need to use your common sense.

The YouTube copyright system isn't something that you can hack, and it's not a game to be played with. If your mindset is, I know the risks, I'm going to use somebody else’s content anyway because I just want to monetize some of mine, then you're probably going to run into problems.

Having said that, there are many creators who’ve probably use copyrighted content unintentionally and now they're worried about whether or not their entire channel is going to be affected when it comes to applying for monetization. So let's look at what YouTube does tell us about applying for the 

The first one being the review process. If you just needed 

1000 subscribers and 4000 hours of Watch Time

, all of this will be very simple. But to monetize your channel, you also need to comply with YouTube's community guidelines, Terms of Service, copyright guidelines, and Google's ad policies.

Now that's a lot of complicated stuff and requires human input which is why each channel that applies for the YouTube Partner Program must be assessed by a human reviewer, as the platform makes clear:

Not to give humankind a bad rap here but we're not perfect, were rarely consistent and we can't do absolutely everything all at once. Now, of course, a human is going to follow a set of guidelines and protocols from YouTube, and they look something like this:

It's not a complete list of everything that YouTube will review on your channel, but when it comes to the question of copyright affecting your application, ‘

’ are probably the two biggest red flags.

For example, let's say you've made 10 videos on your channel and just one of those videos has a copyright claim but that single video accounts for 60% of your Watch Time because it went viral, thanks to the copyright content within that video.

In that case, have you really reached 4000 hours of Watch Time within the spirit of the YouTube monetization program?

On the other hand, let's say a creator has hundreds of videos on their channel and four or five of them have copyright claims but those videos account for just 20 to 30 hours of the channels total Watch Time. The human reviewer at YouTube is probably going to recognize that as nothing to be too concerned about.

__And just to be clear, this is hypothetical, I'm not saying this as fact, I'm just putting myself in YouTube shoes. __

Now some may argue what's wrong with using copyrighted content on my channel. I'm not monetized, but it allows you to put adverts on my videos so that YouTube earns money from it. While in the short term that may be true and it will earn YouTube a few extra bucks, in the long term it degrades the credibility of the platform.

So if you have a copyright claim or a copyright strike on your channel, will you be rejected for monetization? No, but bear in mind copyright strikes are serious offenses.

If your channel has no copyright claims, and no copyright strikes, you'll automatically be accepted into the YouTube Partner Program. Again, no because you've also got to consider all of the other community guidelines you need to adhere to.

As always, when it comes to YouTube, it's never a black or white answer, but let's fast forward to the worst-case scenario. You know, you've got copyright claims on your channel, you apply for monetization and you're rejected. What happens next?

Well, there is a silver lining. You can reapply, but it gets awkward. If you use someone else's content enough to annoy YouTube, they will reject your application via email with the headline reason of either duplication or reuse content.

The frustrating problem from the creator’s point of view is that YouTube won't tell you specifically what's wrong with your channel. They will list a certain video that needs to be removed or tell you that you need to get rid of some copyright claimed videos. You have to work it out. And then 30 days after you were rejected, you can reapply.

If you want to more insights into YouTube then make sure to download vidIQ. Over 1 million creators use vidIQ to help with keyword and competitor research, channel audits, and so much more. 

And if you’re serious about growing your YouTube views and subscribers, sign up for exclusive access to the 

. Learn how to launch a successful YouTube Channel in just 30 days.

If you have a copyright claim or a copyright strike against any of your videos, will you still be able to apply for the YouTube Partner Program and monetize your content? Find out now.

Can I Still Monetize My YouTube Channel If I have a Copyright Claim?

Halloween is one of the biggest and most celebrated tentpole events of the year, and thousands of creators have already been publishing content around the topic on YouTube. There are still major opportunities to create videos about the holiday - but what keywords and terms have YouTube users been searching for around this event in the last 30 days? Let's dive in.

If you plan on a Halloween inspired video then you need to know what keywords YouTube viewers are searching for. You should also know when they are searching for that content so you can maximize your video’s viewing potential. Using the invaluable 

, we can confirm that the following are the most searched for Halloween keywords and phrases on YouTube right now:

When are Viewers Searching for Halloween Content on YouTube?

YouTube is an extraordinary place to find content on almost any subject under the sun. But interest in that content is often seasonal, especially when it comes to tentpole or holiday events.

, interest from YouTube viewers in Halloween starts to peak around the end of August, and lasts right through to the beginning of November. No big surprises there of course but a good strategy would be to publish 2 to 4 weeks ahead of October 31st to attracts those views and engagements.

Don’t forget that tentpole content is evergreen so if you’ve published any Halloween clips on YouTube in the past, and you believe the videos are still relevant, 

update your titles and custom thumbnails to see if can leverage the interest in the content that always comes this way this time of year.

Finding Opportunities to Create Halloween Content on YouTube

When viewers are searching for content on YouTube, it’s usually with a question in mind. They want an answer on a particular topic, or will you use a core keyword as a kickoff point for more ideas.

A look at top most searched-for keywords brings up a lot of search intent around costumes for Halloween, so let’s take a deeper dive into what viewers are interested in around this category:

Top 10 Halloween Costume Keywords: YouTube

If you want an idea of the type of Halloween costume ideas that YouTube viewers love, take a look at this upload, published by CloeCouture in October 2016. To date, it has generated over 30M views, and is generating over 2.5K views per hour at time of writing:

Top 10 Halloween Food Keywords on YouTube

Halloween content around party food, snacks, and treats is also a total winner with viewers (and creators) on YouTube. Here are the top keywords in this category:

King of the food channels, Tasty, uploaded this 17:51 minute video a week before Halloween 2018 which attracted 12.3M views. 2 weeks before Halloween 2019, it is generated an amazing 4,000 views per hour.

Top 10 Halloween Makeup Keywords on YouTube

Halloween is perhaps the one time of the year where anyone, young or old, male or female, can go to town with a painted face. Makeup tutorials are big business on YouTube, and those how to’s that focus on Halloween wildly popular. The most searched for keywords are:

To prove how evergreen Halloween makeup tutorials are on YouTube, this was was published in October 2017, has garnered nearly 42M views, and is right now generating 4.5K new views per hour:

If you want to take your YouTube channel to the next level and 

 then make sure to download vidIQ. Join over 1 million other users and use vidIQ to help you research YouTube, analyze videos, audit your own channel, and take actionable steps 

Halloween is just around the corner! Here are the most searched keywords on YouTube around this spooky tentpole event.

Top 15 Halloween Keywords on YouTube

Given the mass appeal of Roblox, it's no wonder so many YouTubers want to make this content their bread and butter. But how do you grow a Roblox channel, especially when there are already so many YouTubers covering this game? Take a read of the steps you should take, or watch the following video for advice:

How to Grow a Roblox YouTube Channel: Content Ideas

Step one for growing a Roblox channel is to think really hard about your strategy. Sadly, just you alone playing Roblox and uploading that footage to YouTube probably won't cut it if you're just starting out. Instead, you need to be focused on the Roblox community at large, and how you can bring some extra value to it.

This could be a short video about your top five Roblox games, or you could do some in-depth reviews of Roblox games that are currently trending. Better yet, you could review brand new games that nobody's quite discovered yet. Now, these new games might not always trend, but if they do, you'll be one of the first to the party. And it's still a win-win because if they don't trend, you’ll still build some good faith within the community.

The person who made that game is going to be pretty excited that somebody liked it enough to take the time to make some videos around it, and this could be a great way to make some new connections and some new friends, which is always important.

Of course, Roblox also offers a very unique opportunity around how-to videos, because if you know how to create a game in Roblox, then you could create an entire channel around that to benefit others. Just like top Roblox creator 

Once you've determined the type of content you're going to make to help get discovered, it's time to do that general YouTube research. For example, what type of thumbnails generally play well for the Roblox audience? What kind of content is getting views?

As a creator, you'll always need to be on the lookout for specific games and challenges as you look to test different types of content on your channel. This is a natural next step when trying to come up with new ideas.

Learn From (But Don’t Copy) Your Competitors

Because Roblox is a hugely popular game on YouTube, you’re going to have some competition. Step two is to determine who your competitors are and what they’re covering in the world of Roblox right now. Handily, vidIQ’s ‘

’ is a great resource for doing just that.

If you have vidIQ installed, you can find the ‘Competitor’ tool n the left-hand column of YouTube Studio. Once you've chosen your competitors, and I would recommend you choose competitors that are closer to your channel in size, you can determine how their content is doing. You can filter by content that was uploaded within a certain timeframe, and also by view count. 

 on how to get the most out of our ‘Competitor’ tool.

Double Down on the Roblox Content That’s Actually Working For You

Step three for growing your Roblox channel is going to be to double down on the content that's working and not to be afraid to move on from the content that's not. For a new channel playing something as massive as Roblox, we recommend making 80% of your videos those high-value videos - the how-tos, the reviews, the tutorials - and the other 20% spending time testing out new ideas.

Perhaps those new ideas could include a let's-play of you and your favorite Roblox game, or you could even schedule a Roblox livestream. Whatever the case may be, you should always set aside some time in your upload schedule to test out new ideas, because one of those could really take off for you.

Let's not forget another important aspect to all of this is going to be to keep your eye on the prize. Roblox is by no means a small gaming niche, 

so if you're going to be playing Roblox on your Roblox channel, it is super critical that you only play Roblox on your Roblox channel.

 But since Roblox is a game full of games, that shouldn't be too difficult.

We’d also advise that if you have a favorite Roblox game that itself has its own very large community, you can apply all the strategies we've discussed today to that one game as a way to start your channel. This would be a best-case scenario for growing a new Roblox channel if in fact, that game has enough content and a big enough community to keep you busy for a long time.

Then, eventually, as you grow, it will be possible to niche out a little bit and explore different types of Roblox games within the community. Remember, Dead Zone got so big that it eventually spun off into its own standalone game. And their community has gotten so active that they're creating mods and maps and all kinds of stuff and sharing it with one another.

Want To Get More Views on YouTube as a Gaming Channel?

If you want to take your YouTube gaming channel to the next level and 

And if you’re really serious about growing your YouTube views and subscribers, sign up for exclusive access to the 

 and learn how to launch a successful YouTube Channel in just 30 days.

Everyone and their dog might be playing Roblox on YouTube, but it's not too late to start your own successful channel about the game.

How to Grow Your Roblox Channel on YouTube

 and have the ability to monetize your video content, you may already know that the threshold for inserting mid-roll ads into videos is now 

So, instead of uploading 4 videos a month at 10 minutes long, could you publish 5 videos at 8 minutes long and still earn the same mid-roll ad revenue? To answer this incredibly hypothetical question; __

This change is retroactive, meaning that any videos you previously published to your channel (that are between 8 and 10 minutes long) are now eligible for mid-rolls. Oh, and YouTube has automatically turned them on for you unless you opted out before the change. For more information, take a look at our video regarding this significant update ⬇️

YouTube Mid-Roll Ads and Your YouTube Audience

Now, this all seems like great news, right? YouTube can earn more revenue from adverts, and creators can place more adverts on videos to generate advertising revenue. Also, advertisers can pick and choose from more videos in a bid to reach their intended target audience.

On the one side, we have creators, and on the other side, we have viewers, and what connects these two is the distribution platform known as YouTube

The moment you as a creator, put an advert in your video, you are creating an obstacle, a potential barrier to the value that the viewer is going to get from your content. But at the same time, you as a creator, want to be able to generate revenue, because can't always make YouTube videos for free.

So, on the one hand, you've got to build your community, and on the other hand, you need to build your YouTube business. It’s a fine balance, but there are ways you can achieve it.

, Tom Martin, about best practices around mid-roll ads, especially know YouTube has updated this feature. Check out Tom’s 

vidIQ: Tom, the move to allow mid-roll ad inserts to videos of 8 minutes and over is new. What should creators know about the change?

 Before the feature went live on the 27th of July, YouTube sent out an email to creators that give them the option to opt-out of the auto insertion of ads across their channel.

At first, I was under the impression that it would only apply to qualified videos uploaded after that date. But from what I've heard from other creators, it applies to all videos that can benefit from monetization. That means that unless creators chose to opt-out before the 27th of July, mid-rolls have automatically been injected.

Now, that’s great for many creators in the 

, because they don’t have to really lift a finger to benefit from the change. But I know others aren’t happy with the placement of ads in their 8+ minute videos and are having to manually update each video. And in some cases, we are talking of hundreds, if not thousands of videos.

I believe there used to be a way to bulk edit ad placements, but I don't think that works anymore, because I could no longer find that option.

vidIQ: Does it really matter where a mid-roll ad is placed on a qualifying video?

 It does to a lot of creators, yes. In fact, many channels choose not to enable mid-rolls at all as they find them too disruptive to their viewers. Yoga videos for example, or music videos where a mid-roll ad would seem really out of place.

As it’s an automated process, YouTube can’t necessarily choose the very best placement for the ad, in the same way a human would. That's why I don't automatically use YouTube’s suggested ad breaks. Instead, I place every one of my midroll ads manually, and I always have done.

vidIQ: Can you change the position of a mid-roll ad after YouTube has inserted it?

 Yes, although it is a manual process. But I do it manually anyway because I think it's a better experience for the audience. Otherwise, there’s the risk that the ad could cut off the presenter mid-sentence, or something equally as jarring.

I believe you can also set up the feature so all future videos don't automatically insert a mid-roll ad on qualifying uploads. It's just that all of your old videos will now have been updated, so you’ll need to go back and turn those off if you want to.

vidIQ: Do you think this is a positive move from YouTube?

 I think, overall, it's really good for creators because it will stop people padding out their videos with extra content just to get past that 10-minute threshold. It must have unlocked millions and millions of videos that are between 8 and 10 minutes, which is definitely more revenue in creators' pockets.

YouTube attracts a lot of criticism regarding a perceived lack of communication about changes, but I actually think this was communicated well. It’s up to all creators or channel management teams to read their emails from YouTube and take the action they need to, so they don’t need to go back in and fix things.

It also makes perfect sense from YouTube's point of view. Obviously, they have lost revenue with a lot of the ‘Adpocalypse’ type events that have happened over the last few years, and with COVID-19, a lot of companies also reduced their ad budget in regard to the platform. With CPMs down, this is probably an attempt to try and get ahead of the curve for increasing revenues.

Think how much more money they will make by automatically turning these mid-rolls on rather than just sitting there letting people realize it’s an option then opting in. It's probably going to generate many, many more millions in the long run for YouTube.

How to Manage YouTube Mid-Roll Ads and Placements

A simple question for the YouTube viewer is, how many adverts do you think you are willing to go through in an eight-minute video? Our guess would be, at most, two. Also, it's really important to provide the viewer with some real value before you insert any adverts.

So, you're probably looking at your first mid-roll at maybe three or four minutes, and then another one in the five to six minute range.

Now, of course, you can leave all of this to YouTube to automatically insert the mid-roll ads, but if you are really strategic, you can place them exactly where you want to in your videos. This is how to do that:

Click on the ‘Monetization’ link in the left-hand menu

Once the mid-roll chat box is ticked, click on the ‘Manage Mid-Rolls’ link

A new dashboard will open that allows you to place or move mid-roll ads on your video

For the best viewer experience, place them strategically at points where you've created tension in the storytelling, or you've just revealed or about to reveal something integral to why the viewer clicked on the video in the first place.

If your channel is monetized, YouTube has now made mid-roll ads available to any video that’s 8 minutes or longer. This means YOU can earn more money!

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