alt Hacker NewsI’m the opposite. I’ve almost entirely given up on YouTube because I know that, even if I pay, I’m subjected to the consequences of ads.
Content creators have paid sections in the video itself, the format optimises grabbing your attention, some legitimate-presenting channels are just real state for product placement...
You can’t win in that platform.
Replies
SponsorBlock and DeArrow are your friends
If you have a VPN, pretend you're in Moldova to enjoy ad-free, free YouTube.
You can't completely escape advertising while still participating in modern society but there's still a huge difference between free and premium YouTube in this regard.
Yes, creators have paid sections but they are skippable (and note YouTube helps you skip with a little white dot in the UI[1]) and creators have a strong incentive to protect their credibility. They have an ongoing "relationship" with their viewer. Not so for the random companies that get to spam you with unskippable adverts for crypto scams or fat-free yoghurt in the freezer version.
[1]They don't like sponsored segments as they don't get a cut most of the time. They do have a programme for arranging sponsored segments via the platform, in which case they _do_ get a cut. I'm not sure if they still offer the little skip-helper dot in that case... Anyone know?
SponsorBlock. I don’t see in video ads, not self ads and no sponsoring.
A recent feature for paid subscribers is the ability to skip frequently skipped sections which de facto skips in-video ads.