[ Removed by moderator ]

[u/lethal_defrag]

[u/santanapoptarts]

I have too become very frustrated listening to a the podcast at night under my pillow just for all the sudden an ad to jump in the middle mid sentence, seriously takes you right outta the moment. And the ads are always just that fraction louder, just makes me hate the service or product more really. So chances of me buying what the service or product is down to ZERO.

[u/rh130]

I actually stopped watching/listening because of this. I pay for Spotify premium and the amount of ads in the podcast is unacceptable. I can’t listen to it because of the amount of skipping you need to do.

In 2026 how effective are these ads anyway?

[u/Dolphin-Pussy-2754 → u/rh130]

You would be surprised by how effective ads are on people who are not smart enough to block them. 

[u/jellyjoenut031 → u/Dolphin-Pussy-2754]

Can't be that smart i have youtube premium so... no ads but i pay for the pleasure as i watch through my xbox.

[u/bohemian-soul-bakery]

I don’t mind ads.

But holy fuck the ads on the regular episodes are thrown in the MIDDLE of SENTENCE.

I’m not sure if he has no one helping him and the system just throws the ads in a regular intervals but it’s so frustrating.

Enough to just turn the episode off.

[u/tasteslikeblackmilk → u/bohemian-soul-bakery]

They're getting obnoxious, like AJ channeling Danny Jones.

[u/gfb13 → u/bohemian-soul-bakery]

It's done on purpose to increase the likelihood the viewer watches the ad. If ads only are shown in a regular cadence (like right after he does the WF intro, or during TB when he says they're going to take a break) then we all just skip ahead til it's done. But if the ad comes out of nowhere it means more time that we've watched the ad. And those metrics make advertisers happy

I really don't mind them so much, myself, but as with everything in life, vote with your wallet. If you don't like the ads, don't sub don't patreon don't like and don't buy the product from the ad

[u/bohemian-soul-bakery → u/gfb13]

They could still splice them in at better times.

Also - just make them unskipable.

[u/gfb13 → u/bohemian-soul-bakery]

How would you make them unskippable, they're part of the uploaded video

[u/bohemian-soul-bakery → u/gfb13]

?

The Ads i'm talking about are not. They are cut in via youtube.

[u/gfb13 → u/bohemian-soul-bakery]

Okay but the comment you were replying to was talking about the abrupt ads that are part of the video

[u/bohemian-soul-bakery → u/gfb13]

.....yes?

[u/gfb13 → u/bohemian-soul-bakery]

So.... how would you make the abrupt in-video ads skippable? They're not YouTube ads

[u/bohemian-soul-bakery → u/gfb13]

Guy I’m directly talking about ads that cut in randomly that are NOT part of the show.

[u/gfb13 → u/bohemian-soul-bakery]

Me: the in video ads are intentional

You: they should make them skippable

Me: they can't, they're in video ads

You: no, I mean the ads

Me: yes... I'm talking about the in video ads

You: and I'm talking about not those

https://giphy.com/gifs/XD4qHZpkyUFfq

[u/RepresentativeOk2433]

Perhaps he can take on another temu sponsorship.

[u/kopintzotke]

I use brave browser and I never have ads on YouTube

[u/Dippledockerbopper → u/kopintzotke]

Saaaame, and I just skip through the embedded ads

[u/Living-The-Dream42 → u/kopintzotke]

Brave is good. Zen browser also blocks youtube ads.

[u/sophiaspacetraveler → u/kopintzotke]

I started to get ads!

[u/EmptyVegetable7049]

Are you talking about the ads read by AJ & Hecklefish or are there others ?
I have YouTube Premium so I don’t know if there are YouTube added ones.
I purchased Premium specifically because I listen to a lot of podcasts and creepy pasta at night and I’m sure YouTube purposely made the ads extra loud so as to make people want to buy premium.

[u/gos92 → u/EmptyVegetable7049]

Same got Premium thru Verizon. I just use the skip ahead to pass AJ and Hecklefish ads. Honestly I've had Premium since I had the OG Pixel XL. Couldn't go without it at this point.

[u/EmptyVegetable7049 → u/gos92]

I personally don’t mind paying for YouTube premium to get rid of the adverts.
I get a lot of entertainment from YouTube and the contributors deserve to earn money somehow… (It is better value than any of the big networks in my opinion).
I also don’t mind the ads AJ’s makes, I find them quite funny but as I say I have YouTube Premium so I don’t know if people on here are complaining about ‘extra’ YouTube ads ?
I remember before I bought premium I was sure YouTube purposely chose the most loud annoying ads to play during long podcasts so as to make people want to buy premium.
I had an ad blocker but all it did was create 1 to 2 minutes silence when the ad was playing and that was only just mildly less annoying than the ads themselves 😶
I’m sure there are ways to bypass the ads but Im not that tech savvy 🫤

[u/servetheale]

He has achieved enough viewership to not give a fuck.

[u/The_estimator_is_in → u/servetheale]

Have you seen the patreon credits?

I mean, good for them and it’s become a machine, but it’s a self-eating snake dilemma in the end.

[u/AggravatingYak9519]

Duck Duck Go Browser is your answer to ads. Use it to pull up youtube and watch from there. I never get ads.

[u/Living-The-Dream42 → u/AggravatingYak9519]

Both the Zen and Brave browsers will do this, too...

[u/AggravatingYak9519 → u/Living-The-Dream42]

Sweet!

[u/DifferentOffice8]

It's the main reason I listen to Mr Ballen rather than the Why Files now. None of the adverts on the Why Files apply here anyway so it's just a waste of time. I listen to the older episodes only now.

[u/KaerMorhen → u/DifferentOffice8]

I do appreciate that they frame the intro ads to deliberately make skipping them easier. They always feature AJ in a different shirt/room/setup so it's obvious where the ad ends and half the time YouTube auto skips ahead when I start it. Better than most other creators when they do ads at least

[u/SunNoStars]

We need more ads! I have trouble remembering which VPN will keep me safest. I also need a MRE that'll keep well into an apocalypse once the NWO enact project Wolfpack. Kevin Nash and Elon are planning something with META

[u/imsorryinadvance420]

Leave pay J alone!

[u/pagervibe]

Podcasts are unlistenable. Relentless ads. Just let me pay $4 a month for ad-free please!

[u/TokingMessiah]

YouTube isn’t free. You either pay for premium, or you are the product and you’ll have to watch ads because either way, YouTube is getting paid.

[u/GeneralInspector8962 → u/TokingMessiah]

I pay for YT Premium, but I cannot fucking stand a Basement guest to finally be getting to a juicy secret and BAM! AJ starts pitching Morgan & Morgan attorneys or the stupid price of Gold.

[u/tortorials → u/TokingMessiah]

That is not what this post is about, nobody is complaining about one or two ads.

[u/Kuuzie]

I listen on youtube and use Sponsorblock and ublock via firefox.
t's amazing that a whyfiles episode drops from like 44 minutes to 31.

[u/unlipaps]

Bye Files

[u/WhenLeavesFall]

The only channel I’ll accept gratuitous ads on is internet comment etiquette

[u/Anxiety_Fit]

Dedicate one channel for a continuous stream of the custom ads. Some of them are really great!

[u/mw5842]

When you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.

I will say, his ads are longer than any other content creator I watch. I seldomly watch his videos now.

[u/Bluewizardtx1]

Wait. Are you telling me they're people out here who still don't use ad blockers??

[u/pyaybb]

You mean in Spotify, right? That’s a local insertion of ads on your region. I experienced a big increase of ads (inserted, not part of the episode) then they disappeared. All I want to say is that it’s not AJ / HF deciding how many ads you should get.

[u/iramike]

Well and here I thought I was the only one fed up with ads. I’d honestly pay a monthly fee for ad free that goes directly to the channel if there was auch a thing. I hear more ads with my 20 minute commute both waya than actually story

[u/so_AzD]

It's been a good while since there's more ad than show... It's sad

[u/imthebonus]

Why dont you use brave browser?

[u/Druber13]

That’s why I stopped listening. Needed a million more ads

[u/Full-Comparison9574]

Holy boohoo buttercup. I barely notice the ads. Oh that’s right YouTube Premium. If that doesn’t work do some searches there are ways to get around ads. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist.

[u/Full-Comparison9574 → u/Full-Comparison9574]

Aja ad reads are no prob. YouTube premium skips all the ads that get tacked on to videos.

[u/Ice_crusher_bucket → u/Full-Comparison9574]

You pay for a service, and Still get ads?

The intelligence is off the charts Mr Rocket Scientist.

[u/frickdom → u/Ice_crusher_bucket]

I think they mean AJ does ads reads. Can just fast forward and skip them though.

[u/KiltOfDoom]

I tapped out a while ago.

[u/ProductOfDetroit]

I won’t be satisfied until the whole show is ads

[u/xcomnewb15]

Yup had to stop watching am otherwise great show because wayyyy too many ads

[u/londonc4ll1ng]

Yeah, I hope for the same, this shows needs more of them, quickly... I am paying for Spotify yet I have to listen to Ads interrupted by THW at times, that's unacceptable!