How much is YouTube ad depends on multiple factors, including which type of ad you choose and how you configure it. For example, you can choose between a cost-per-view (CPV) or cost-per-click (CPC) pricing model depending on your campaign goals and subtypes. Choosing the latter will require more budget, since you pay for clicks as well as views. In addition, certain targeting options like age or income-based bid adjustments can increase the cost of your ads in highly competitive markets.

The type of ad you choose also influences your overall YouTube advertising rate, with each format offering a different level of visibility within the platform. For example, TrueView in-stream ads play before, during, or after video content and are billed on a CPV basis. Bumper ads are short, non-skippable ads that are billed on a CPM basis. These ads typically range from 6 to 15 seconds in length and cannot be skipped, ensuring your message reaches the audience you’re targeting.

How Much Is a YouTube Ad? Understanding Pricing

Display ads, which are billed on a CPM basis, run along the right-hand sidebar of YouTube watch pages and homepages. Overlay ads are semi-transparent banners that appear on the bottom portion of a video and can be used to promote products or services related to the videos they appear in. Sponsored cards, which can be run on both desktop and mobile, are text-based ads that can feature links to your website, landing page, or social media channels. Finally, masthead ads are a premium advertising format that appears at the top of the YouTube homepage and plays soundless for 30 seconds on desktop and for the full duration of the video on mobile.