Why YouTube’s latest ad blocker crackdown is good news for creators
YouTube has ramped up its ad blocker efforts- and while viewers are annoyed, creators could cash in.
YouTube cracks down on ad blockers, again
Ad blocking has always been frowned upon by YouTube, but the platform has reinforced its stance this month according to 9to5Google. Users trying to watch videos with an ad blocker now get hit with messages such as “Ad blockers violate YouTube’s Terms of Service” or “Ad blockers are not allowed on YouTube”. This then prevents playback until the ad blockers are disabled.
This latest crackdown follows YouTube’s ongoing efforts against ad blockers. Last year, the platform introduced measures which prevented many popular blockers. Of course, users naturally found other loopholes around it. Now YouTube is doubling down, with many other popular ad blockers no longer working.
YouTube’s message? If users want to watch YouTube ad free, people can subscribe to Premium.
However, many viewers have taken to Reddit to voice their frustration. One user called on YouTube to “JUST GIVE UP OH MY GOD”, with another saying it was “out of hand”.
this shit is getting out of hand
byu/Reddit_user_32389 inyoutube
Good news for creators?
Ad-revenue is the main source of income for YouTube and its creators. If viewers don’t see ads, creators don’t get paid. If a good chunk of viewers are using ad blockers, the total revenue that can be shared to creators drops.
How many people are we talking about? It’s hard to estimate the scale of the impact. According to Statista, around 912 million internet users were blocking ads in Q2 2023 which represents roughly 17.6% of all social media users. If you loosely apply this (already loose estimate) to YouTube’s 2.5 billion + monthly user base, it could mean 400 million people skipping ads- denying creators a significant cut.
While this is a very loose estimate, it could show just how much revenue is arguably being lost by YouTube and its creators. This is especially the case given that advertisers and publishers lose upward of $50 billion in revenue from ad blockers annually.
The bottom line
Sure, no one loves sitting through back-to-back unskippable ads before you can even start watching a video. However, those ads are what keep the platform free and ensure creators get paid.
YouTube’s tighter grip on ad blockers should mean more money flowing back to those putting in the work. This could through more ad-revenue or increased subscription revenue, as YouTube is telling users they can still “go ad-free with YouTube Premium, and creators can still get paid from your subscription”.
For independent artists and music industry professionals using YouTube, this marks a positive shift. It signals that YouTube is serious about protecting creator income.