Do YouTubers Get Paid if You Skip Ads?

Last Updated on May 9, 2025 by Eric Cantu

If you’re someone looking to build revenue with YouTube, an important question to know the answer to is, “Do YouTubers get paid if you skip ads?”

I’m a massive proponent of the YouTube opportunity! It’s a huge reason for my success. Let’s dive into how YouTube ad revenue works for the creators and if those creators get paid even when you skip the ads.

Do YouTubers Get Paid if You Skip Ads?

If the viewer skips the ad in the first 30 seconds, no revenue is earned. However, if the viewer watches at least 30 seconds of the ad or interacts with it, the YouTuber will earn ad revenue.

In this article I’ll discuss how YouTube ad revenue words for creators, what counts as a ad view, and other factors that affect how much money a YouTube creator can make from ads.

How do YouTubers get paid through ads?

Most everyone realizes you can earn substantial revenue from a website, but what about YouTube? To get you up to speed on how ads work on YouTube, check out this quick video. It’s an easy watch.

https://youtu.be/WPR9PCoeqog

It’s almost hard to remember an “ad-less” YouTube. We’ve gotten so used to the multiple ads we see before, during, and post video.

I remember the first time I saw what I thought was a pesky YouTube ad. “What the…?”

But now, we’re completely used to having to endure a minimum of either 5 or 15 seconds of multiple ads before we get to that precious fail video.

So how do YouTube creators like myself get paid through those ads?

YouTube channels can become monetized at the 500 subscriber mark. Content creators can then get paid a portion of the revenue generated by an ad. How much they get paid depends on ad format, the target audience, advertisers bidding strategy, and other factors.

While the most obvious ads are the ones that play before we get to our video, there are many ad formats on YouTube including display ads that play next to the video, overlay ads that play over the top of the video, and sponsored ads that are integrated into the content itself.

The types of ads you see typically depend on whether you’re watching on mobile or desktop.

What counts as an ad view on YouTube?

YouTube defines an ad view as “when a viewer watches 30 seconds of your video ad (or the duration if it’s shorter than 30 seconds) or interacts with your ad, whichever comes first.”

So, as an example,

• if an ad is 20 seconds long and the viewers watches all of it, it counts as a view.
• If an ad is 1 minute long and the view watches 30 seconds of it, it counts as a view.
• If an ad is 30 seconds long and 5 seconds in the viewer clicks through it to the advertiser’s website, it counts as a view.

How YouTube Creators Can Maximize Their Ad Revenue

YouTube as a business is a very real thing. So how can you maximize your YouTube ad revenue?

• Create engaging video content. This should be your goal even if your channel hasn’t reached the monetization level. Engaging YouTube video content is the key to success.. Engaging content makes your audience watch until the end.
• Target specific demographics. Advertisers pay more for ads depending on the demographics. If you can find and target the demographics advertisers pay more to get, you can earn more revenue.
• Encourage viewers to interact with the ad. This seems a bit like a reach, but some YouTubers will actually incentivize for their audience to click on ads by offering special giveaways.
• Collaborate with advertisers. Many YouTube creators will work directly with advertisers and create sponsored content to increase their ad revenue. It’s important to make sure you’re working within YouTube’s guidelines if you choose to do so.

What Are Alternative Ways for YouTubers to Monetize Their Content?

Ad revenue isn’t the only way YouTubers can monetize their video content.

• Merchandising. If your channel gets big enough you could actually start selling some sweet merch! T-shirts, hats, stickers, etc. can turn your channel into an exclusive club for your subscribers to brag about being a part of!
• Donations. A donation button can be added to your video descriptions to encourage your audience to help fund your channel. You can offer exclusive content or giveaways. Patreon is a good example of making this work.
• Product placement. How about subtly placing specific products in your videos to get your audience’s attention and then placing affiliate links in the video description so they can buy them for themselves? Cha-ching!
• Conversions. Affiliate marketing on a platform like YouTube is a massive way to earn consistent monthly revenue. Every time your audience makes a purchase through an affiliate link of a product or service you’ve promoted you earn a commission.

Want to get started building your YouTube empire? Check out this 5 class series I put together on Wealthy Affiliate. Watch the entire series FREE by creating an account through my link.

Or click the video below to open it in a new window.

What Happens If Your Audience Uses Ad Blockers?

This could be a YouTube revenue killer.

If a viewer is using ad blockers to automatically skip ads, as the YouTube creator you won’t get any ad revenue for those skipped ads. If a high number of your subscribers use ad blockers, you’re revenue could very well go bye-bye.

One way to counter this would be to create sponsored content within the video itself by working directly with advertisers so your ad revenue at least has a chance to survive.

Want training that delivers? Check out my detailed review and full walkthrough of the affiliate marketing training platform I owe all my success to! The training is straightforward, affordable, and you can test drive it first to see if it’s a good fit. Click here to check out my full review!

Final Thoughts

YouTube ad revenue is a big reason why Youtube is such an incredible opportunity. Creators still get paid in certain circumstances even when a full ad isn’t viewed. With other ways to earn revenue on YouTube, don’t let this opportunity pass you by!

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