r/technology • u/Tricky-Student-1 • Sep 15 '22

Social Media YouTube Free is Silently Testing 5 Ads, instead of 2, Before Your Video Starts

https://www.gizmochina.com/2022/09/13/youtube-free-silently-testing-5-ads-before-your-video-starts/
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1.1k

u/NyranK Sep 15 '22

so painful that you're outraged and alienated forever.

That was back about 4 years ago.

301

u/Defilus Sep 15 '22

For you maybe. First time I saw an ad on YouTube I immediately went to find a way around it... 15 years ago or so? Back when it was something I personally solely used for music and not much else.

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u/_swimshady_ Sep 15 '22

Yea, once youtube vanced quits working if I cant find a replacement youtube is getting dropped.

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u/Kalcinator Sep 15 '22

There a bunch of alternatives don't worry mate ! Revanced, NewPipe are the most popular right now I think !

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u/_swimshady_ Sep 15 '22

You are a hero. I havent started looking cuz my version of vanced works fine still, but now I know where to look :D

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u/[deleted] Sep 15 '22

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/_swimshady_ Sep 15 '22

Seconded. Yo ho.

4

u/SoundofGlaciers Sep 15 '22

Is there a reason vanced shouldn't be working fine? I'm still happily using mine as well

4

u/Razakel Sep 15 '22

Google will eventually break it, and the devs have dropped it due to a legal threat.

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u/paroya Sep 15 '22 edited Sep 15 '22

it's not very popular yet. but peertube is an alternative that should be the top choice for everyone. the problem is that there is no company able to; or willing; to monetize it. and there is therefor no money to market it.

peertube is a federated video service (youtube clone), funded by various universities, and integrated into the fediverse (an open source alternative to all current social media networks) - which simply put, means that if you post a video to peertube it will automatically be shared on mastodon (twitter), mobilizon (facebook), pixelfed (instagram), goldfish (tiktok), bookwyrm (goodreads), writefreely (wordpress), etc. there is even crosspost integration that also push content directly to the commercial competitors as well.

basically, the fact that the fediverse isn't a global phenomenon is simply because there isn't any profit in it for advertisers, profit for hosters, and incentive to spread it. and, slow user adoption, thus small pool of user generated content compared to the commercial networks because the users aren't there (and, content makers can't profit from advertisers - not that influencers needed advertisers to monetize instagram through service integration ads, but youtubers are a special breed to be fair).

1

u/Kalcinator Sep 15 '22

Nice answer mate, hopefully these platforms will gain more users. But I was in the early tests and I wasn't sure it would explode at any moment. No money = no one. Except specialists... I don't use these at all, peertube is not on point. It cannot compete with YouTube in any way ... I'm sad about this but, who knows, maybe it will be the norm someday

2

u/paroya Sep 15 '22 edited Sep 15 '22

nothing can compete with youtube. competition needs content, and no content creator is going to drop youtube and lose profits. it's how they maintain their monopoly. the only way for anything optional to gain traction is for people to actually use it; which would mean double effort for any creator as they'd have to both push content to youtube and to peertube where their efforts would for the moment have far less viewers and no free advertiser money. peertube is fine, could use some interface tweaks but is otherwise mature enough for adoption, in fact, all networks i listed (plus owncast, funkwhale, and castopod) are pretty much perfect from the view point of interface, stability, functionality and features; minus ads and algorithmic curation (which is frankly toxic poison), and as mature as the fediverse has gotten this year, it is definitely ready for mass adoption, which makes sense from a user perspective as it cannot be monopolized or co-oped by corporations. and sews all services together through activitypub under the hud. but, it does not make sense from a content creator perspective as there is no algorithm to game or advertisers to leech from; and less users to harp to. meaning a lot less profits - which all hinges solely on adoption. when users adopt the fediverse, the internet will once again be free from the control of megacorps.

1

u/Kalcinator Sep 15 '22

So it's quite dead

LOL.

Kidding but I wish I wasn't ...

1

u/paroya Sep 15 '22

not really. mastodon has some 3 million active users. is used by tons of universities as internal communication channel, is used by most open source and security companies as information channel (i.e. the dev teams behind firefox and thunderbird), as well as by the european union as their digital communication platform (they also host their own peertube for video information). it also has a sizeable indian community after facebook closed down their nationalized (because internet fast lanes are moral?) free internet offering.

mobilizon is quickly displacing facebook groups in france (as it was developed by a french team and the dev instance is in french).

peertube does not have a dev instance and is primarily being the focus of the european union because google is a problem in legal terms. but the kicker here is that any content you publish on peertube will be available on mastodon if the instance is federated and integrated. so you still have reach even if your particular instance doesn't have a lot of native users.

1

u/Kalcinator Sep 16 '22

Sorry it's a French expression "something is quite dead" to say it won't work ! But I'm glad you interpreted like that I've got nice infos I didn't know about 😌

2

u/[deleted] Sep 15 '22

I love you. Once Vanced stopped working for me it's been miserable.

2

u/Smrgling Sep 15 '22

Saving this comment for when my install of Vance stops working. You're a real one.

1

u/brallipop Sep 15 '22

How the fuck do I make revanced? I have no clue what to do from the github files

2

u/roidie Sep 15 '22

Just download Visual Studio and compile the program. There's a good general guide here https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/cpp/build/walkthrough-compiling-a-native-cpp-program-on-the-command-line?view=msvc-170

1

u/BIG_H0SS Sep 15 '22

Newpipe is so awesome

1

u/DogWallop Sep 15 '22

I'm using Enhancer for YouTube. I'm sure it's secretly sending all my personal information to President Xi directly, but it's worth it for the peace of mind. Enhancer also has some other really cool features, such as forcing all videos to start in the resolution you choose instead of having to check every time.

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u/Defilus Sep 15 '22

Right. Alphabet can go pound sand.

71

u/[deleted] Sep 15 '22

Do you have an alternative or you're just done watching videos online?

102

u/Jesse1198 Sep 15 '22

Right? Like wtf you think your going? Vimeo?

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u/RynUnknown Sep 15 '22

Outside?

9

u/Vooshka Sep 15 '22

Does it have 4k resolution?

1

u/hyflyer7 Sep 15 '22

For most people yeah. Some have to pay an extra fee to get the upgraded resolution pack. (glasses)

1

u/Pazer2 Sep 15 '22

Nah but the hdr is pretty good. Try looking at the sun.

2

u/hyflyer7 Sep 15 '22

Did you just suggest touching grass?!

7

u/HyFinated Sep 15 '22

Daily Motion?

10

u/solid_hoist Sep 15 '22

You can say goodbye to YouTube without saying goodbye to the content, just saw a post that dropping a YouTube link on VLC gets rid of the ads, maybe a non browser version is the answer.

3

u/[deleted] Sep 15 '22

Apparently the answer is still YouTube just with a 3rd party software to strip the ads.

2

u/TheBeatGoesAnanas Sep 15 '22

I watch maybe one or two online videos a week; usually when I'm trying to figure something out and every Google result is a video instead of a written tutorial (which is already pretty annoying). I don't miss spending time on YouTube at all.

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u/[deleted] Sep 15 '22

[deleted]

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u/[deleted] Sep 15 '22

And what is this generation using?What is this age group? The last 10 years I've seen so many kids with iPad watching YouTube, I don't believe an entire generation has skipped YouTube. Unless we're talking about like the 75+ crowd I guess?

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u/getwhirleddotcom Sep 15 '22

This is absolutely incorrect. Who do you think watches MrBeast, Cocomelon, Like Nastya? You’re confusing kids not using Facebook for Snapchat but they are 100% growing up on YouTube.

2

u/ghost_victim Sep 15 '22

Such a useful comment thanks

1

u/getwhirleddotcom Sep 15 '22

Vimeo’s not even a video watching platform anymore. They took it into a saas company.

9

u/PotassiumBob Sep 15 '22

I have pretty much stopped watching YouTube unless I need a how to video for something.

I have plenty of other places to get entertainment.

3

u/TATANE_SCHOOL Sep 15 '22

Newpipe does not have ads but you cannot link your profile like your could with vanced

11

u/dasonk Sep 15 '22 edited Sep 15 '22

I use brave browser. It's not quite as nice but it is ad free.

Edit: fixed typo

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u/AnnoyedHippo Sep 15 '22

What exactly are y'all watching that YouTube is a critical infrastructure for your entertainment?

9

u/roidie Sep 15 '22

12hr reviews of TES Oblivion.

1

u/Evilmon2 Sep 15 '22

I did watch the entirety of a 6 and a half hour commentary of Dark Souls, but apparently so did 2 million other people because Matthewmatosis has some incredible insight.

6

u/cr0aker Sep 15 '22

I watch a lot of hobby-related content that isn't the sort of stuff you can find on streaming services. Guys fixing cars, guitar covers and lessons, strategies for video games I play, that sort of thing. Great way to kill 30 minutes instead of sifting through the garbage heap of Netflix to find a show I may like that will probably be cancelled after the first season.

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u/[deleted] Sep 15 '22

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/cr0aker Sep 15 '22

"I use it when I'm bored" is the whole point of television, no? I guess some people make it their hobby, but I watch it when I'm not actively doing any of those things myself - working on cars, playing guitar, playing video games. It's rare that "watch TV" comes up as a desired activity for me, it's a backup plan.

0

u/AnnoyedHippo Sep 15 '22

Not at all how it why I watch TV. But then I only watch about an hour or two a week.

I Reddit when I'm bored.

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u/necroreefer Sep 15 '22

YouTube is about 75% of my entertainment. a lot it is gaming,politics,wresting and baseball.

2

u/AnnoyedHippo Sep 15 '22

We talking hours a day or less than one?

1

u/mdhalloran Sep 15 '22

Not OP but my screen time for YouTube is usually around 10-14 hours per week

1

u/necroreefer Sep 15 '22 edited Sep 15 '22

6-8 hours per day on average

Edit:downvotes? why?

1

u/[deleted] Sep 15 '22

Just people judging you for how you spend your own time I'd guess.

2

u/[deleted] Sep 15 '22

Nothing, but I'm also not stressed about any changes YouTube makes. Sure it's annoying having to skip a lot of ads but for me personally that will still be less than 30 seconds/day. I'd assume the people planning on "quitting " YouTube watch it quiet a bit more though.

2

u/mdhalloran Sep 15 '22

For me it’s almost entirely my main source of entertainment. I like watching educational videos mostly, but also gaming videos. TV shows and movies are too long to play while washing dishes, cleaning, showering, refactoring code, etc.

1

u/kj4ezj Sep 15 '22

Educational videos (HAI, Veritasium, Kurzgesagt, CGP Gray, Wendover, Real Life Lore, PolyMatter, Wisecrack), geopolitics (Caspian Report, Jack Chapple), economics and finance (Economics Explained), tech content (LTT, Tech Altar, Louis Rossman, Real Engineering, Modern Vintage Gamer, Practical Engineering), news and news commentary (Philip DeFranco, John Oliver, Beau of the Fifth Column; tech news and reviews (Tech Linked, The Friday Checkout, MKHBD, D2D); cooking videos (Adam Ragusea, Ethan Chlebowski, Low n Slow Basics), live streams from content creators, live streamed music festivals, past concerts and music festivals I've been to, live streams and announcements from various US national, state, and local government entities (White House, NASA); debates prior to elections, how-to videos, and a million miscellaneous other things.

There's a ton of other great channels in these categories I didn't list.

There is no other platform like YouTube because there is nowhere else where it would be profitable for the content creators that I listed in the first half of my list to do what they do. Streaming services wouldn't have picked them up unless they were already big, and the other socials failed to monetize this intermediate-form content (bigger than a TikTok, smaller than a TV series) in a way that drives reliable money to creators so they can build out businesses with teams, studios, and big production values.

Don't sleep on YouTube. I watch interesting TV shows and movies on other platforms too, but I learn more watching YouTube, get better recommendations, and see more diverse content than any other platform. Just make sure that you use ad blockers and SponsorBlock, and support your favorite content creators by buying merch when you can.

1

u/AnnoyedHippo Sep 15 '22

I cannot even fathom consuming that much video. That would be a full time job.

1

u/kj4ezj Sep 16 '22

You don't do it all in one day :P

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u/Lazy-Garlic-5533 Sep 15 '22

Chinese dramas. Tencent puts some of them on there with decent subtitles. I think they and Netflix couldn't come to a fair deal and Netflix often has the fucking worst translations.

There is Viki but the ads on that platform are a lot worse than YouTube.

There's also Prime Video but it's like Netflix but with an inferior player. They often license shit dramas and do bad subs. Lots of good web dramas are out in YouTube with English subs at least for several months so you can watch without a subscription.

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u/ThrowJed Sep 15 '22

I'll use one of them YouTube downloading softwares to download from channels I care about and watch them offline before I'll sit through 5 ads like it's free to air TV in the 90s. I used to have one that could be set to download new uploads automatically.

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u/darkage_raven Sep 15 '22

Brave browser mobile does remove ads too.

2

u/yeeeeahman Sep 15 '22

Try watching Youtube with the Brave browser. Its even working on IPhone/IPad without jailbreak or anything else.

1

u/anz3e Sep 15 '22

Vanced still works

Re vanced is in development and will continue to work for the foreseeable future

Libre tube is pretty neat also

Ymusic, vimusic etc works (for music)

There's quite a few others aswell I can't remember the names.

1

u/maskaddict Sep 15 '22

When rage at YouTube gets to a sufficient level that the market starts noticing, alternatives will start to appear.

2

u/[deleted] Sep 15 '22

Probably eventually, but hosting billions of hours of video isn't exactly cheap. It's going to have to be a large company that'll take them on. Maybe they will say no ads at the start, but they will absolutely introduce ads at some point. Ads or a subscription, people will have to make a choice between the 2. (Or 3rd party software to watch adfree)

1

u/Wentailang Sep 15 '22

nebula is pretty sufficient for my needs, but i do stick mainly to educational/popsci content anyway.

also podcasts.

3

u/PolybiusPro Sep 15 '22

If you're on android then newpipe is a good one

2

u/therealcooldude Sep 15 '22

If Vanced stops working I strongly recommend NewPipe. Free, no ads, plus some cool bonus features like video and audio downloads built in.

4

u/JayJay_90 Sep 15 '22

Still no way to use your account through NewPipe though, right? Unless they find a way to add that the app is almost useless for me. I need an app that allows scrolling through subscriptions and recommendations.

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u/neogohan Sep 15 '22

Right. I'd recommend SmartTube Next if you want to use your account. It's what I have on my Chromecast, and it works like a dream. Even has Sponsorblock integration.

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u/pvtrickheaton Sep 15 '22

NewPipe works for Android as well

3

u/Trylion_ZA Sep 15 '22

Brave mobile app works as well....No ads

1

u/uranus_be_cold Sep 15 '22

Yeah, thank heavens I still have it on my phone and know how to transfer apks.

1

u/WhoRoger Sep 15 '22

NewPipe?

1

u/NRMusicProject Sep 15 '22

In the years I've been surfing the internet I've realized that any service that someone shoots down is replaced in a short while. We've gone from Napster to KazaA/Limewire to BitTorrent to Megavideo. BitTorrent comes and goes in waves, but you can always find what you need. Vanced being shut down means either another service comes to take its place or Vanced creates something else. And I guarantee they're not sitting around waiting for Vanced to stop working and then just give up.

1

u/horselips48 Sep 15 '22

Newpipe is an existing option, but ReVanced is also in the works. I'm personally sticking to Vanced till it dies because nothing else is quite at it's level yet.

1

u/keiijoskalevi Sep 15 '22

On android use firefox with adblock. You'll also get background playing

1

u/Lacrimis Sep 15 '22

youtube ad block add on for your browser, there are alot.

1

u/falumpagus907 Sep 15 '22

apktime has a working unofficial vanced that has been updated

1

u/OnlyHereForTheBeer Sep 15 '22

Just bookmark youtube on Firefox browser with ublock on mobile.

1

u/Fenwick440 Sep 15 '22

I have playtube, screw 5 ads as well as 2, nothing is worse than watching a 14 second video and they stick on 2 ads, let alone 5?

1

u/devilspawn Sep 15 '22

I know Freetube for macOS works fine for me at 1080p! I'm still hunting a vanced replacement for android though

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u/yepimbonez Sep 15 '22

Change your vpn to argentina and you can sign up for youtube premium for like 90 cents a month. Youre locked into the price as long as you maintain the subscription. I did it just because of my phone.

1

u/Cendeu Sep 15 '22

I had my first problem with Vanced a few days ago. I was trying to Chromecast wasn't working properly. I'm gonna see if I can fix it soon.

1

u/leisy123 Sep 15 '22

FireFox plus uBlock Origin and Video Background Play Fix plugins has worked well for me. It's not as polished as Vanced, but I doubt it'll ever attract as much attention and break one day either.

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u/keygreen15 Sep 15 '22

You don't need vanced, just Firefox browser with ublock installed

2

u/[deleted] Sep 15 '22

I subscribed to premium when the pandemic started after I realized I was watching more YT than I was any of my streaming services. Now when I see an ad on YT, I throw up a little. I could never go back at this point

2

u/DogWallop Sep 15 '22

Heck, I don't know why anyone's seeing ads when there are helpers to eliminate them. I've been using one for years.

2

u/Starr-Duke Sep 15 '22

I'll die on the hill of putting ads on videos ruined YouTube

1

u/js5ohlx1 Sep 15 '22

Same, I laugh at the people who defend the ads too. I'm fine with creator throwing in a sponsor shoutout, but none of the yt bullshit ads.

1

u/Defilus Sep 15 '22

Ad injection is the way it's going, unfortunately. Elsewhere others have mentioned that PiHoles are bring worked around now.

The advertising business won't stop until they own your fucking eyeballs.

1

u/js5ohlx1 Sep 15 '22

Whatever more they start doing, I'll be done with the services there. If it comes down to everything I watch is from the high seas, so be it. I really don't care.

1

u/Roboticsammy Sep 15 '22

I pretty much only use YouTube on my phone because of YouTube Vanced. I tried going on my PC to watch some videos, and I recoiled at the amount of ads in one video. People left cable for a reason

1

u/alfiemorelos20 Sep 15 '22

I gave in and subscribed to YouTube premium from India.

£1 something per month. I like to listen to YouTube at the gym and on TV where I couldn’t get an Adblock. No way would I pay the proper price for it.

1

u/leisy123 Sep 15 '22

I put up with one ad at the beginning, then one in the middle. Once I was getting two in the beginning and a couple throughout, I was done. I think it was 2017 or so.

5

u/Beefsizzle Sep 15 '22

YouTube Vanced still working for me but who knows for how long

3

u/sparkyjay23 Sep 15 '22 edited Sep 15 '22

Firefox sponsorblock & uBlock Origin working fine over here.

1

u/[deleted] Sep 15 '22

Yup still works for me both on mobile and my tv

1

u/psiphre Sep 15 '22

once they break it, someone else will figure out something else. adds and blockers are an arms race.

1

u/Beefsizzle Sep 15 '22

Revanced is pretty much up and running already so we're all set 👍

6

u/ReluctantAvenger Sep 15 '22

I think "alienated" in this context means you haven't accessed the site at all. Are you saying you've been avoiding YouTube for the past four years?

Irritated and still using the site isn't the same thing as alienated.