Have you ever clicked a YouTube creator’s suggested video link when it pops up mid-clip? No? You’re far from alone. YouTube has revealed that it’s removing the ability to promote videos, playlists or livestreams through in-video notifications as of December 14th. The streaming service isn’t shy about the reason why: few people were actually interested in these links. Only 1 in 20 people actually clicked on them, and many of those people were taken to a dead livestream. Users said it felt like spam, according to YouTube.
The company doesn’t think this will cause too many problems. Cards and end screen video links are more effective, YouTube said. For third-party links, it wants you to use video descriptions, channel pages or even your channel artwork.
YouTube told us this will remove existing in-video notifications, which could lead to some awkward moments in videos where presenters point to pop-ups that no longer exist. On the balance, though, this appears to be positive news if you’re a YouTube fan. It should mean fewer intrusions while you’re viewing on the web, and fewer creators going out of their way to plug one video while you’re watching another.
Source: YouTube
