If you’ve ever streamed or published branded videos on YouTube, you’ve probably thought: “Can I decide when or how ads or sponsor messages appear — instead of letting YouTube or the algorithm choose?”

That’s where dynamic ad insertion (DAI) comes in. We prepared a detailed article on this recent announcement made by YouTube including all the details we think you should know as a creator and small business owner.

DAI allows creators (and platforms) to mark moments inside their videos to insert or replace ads dynamically. This means that the ad content can change without re-uploading or re-editing the video.

Right now, this is already possible on YouTube Live Streams (through third-party integrations), and it’s coming soon for on-demand videos (VOD) with YouTube’s new brand sponsorship feature and it’s expected to roll out platform-wide in 2026.

What You Can Do Right Now (2025): Dynamic Ad Insertion for YouTube Live

Let’s start with what’s already available.

If your channel is part of the YouTube Partner Program (YPP) and you have monetization turned on, you can trigger mid-roll ad breaks during a live stream — either manually or automatically.

This is done through YouTube Studio’s Live Control Room or the YouTube Live Streaming API (cuepoints).

When you click “Insert Ad Break,” YouTube serves an ad to eligible viewers in real time — without interrupting your live feed for everyone.

Want to take it further? Meet Grabyo Producer and Videon LiveEdge

You can already work with third-party tools like Grabyo Producer (cloud-based) and Videon LiveEdge (hardware-based) to enable dynamic ad insertion on YouTube Live using SCTE-35 markers. They are the industry standard for signaling ad breaks.

These platforms send special metadata to YouTube to tell it when and where to insert ads, allowing for more precision and automation.

But it’s important to clarify:

✅ These integrations apply only to live streams on YouTube They are not yet for on-demand videos (VOD) or pre-recorded uploads.

Coming Soon: Dynamic Brand Sponsorship Insertion for On-Demand Videos

YouTube is quietly preparing a major upgrade for creators who run sponsored or branded content.

The new dynamic brand sponsorship feature (sometimes called Dynamic Ad Insertion for VOD) will allow creators to:

Swap out outdated brand deals with new ones, without re-editing or re-uploading videos
Generate recurring revenue from their full back catalog
Offer more flexibility to sponsors who want fresh campaigns on existing videos

Why it matters

Until now, once a sponsorship was baked into a video, that’s it. You couldn’t easily change the brand integration or refresh it later. This new system will change that, bringing creators closer to broadcast-style monetization.

The YouTube DAI Timeline (Projected)

YouTube has outlined a phased approach for this rollout:

Phase	Timing	What Happens
Preparation	Late 2025	Creators are encouraged to audit their content, label sponsored segments clearly, and start conversations with potential brand partners.
Testing	Early 2026	A small group of creators will begin testing the new dynamic brand sponsorship feature for VOD.
Full Rollout	Later 2026	The feature becomes available platform-wide for all eligible creators in the YouTube Partner Program.

When fully launched, this feature will allow creators to retrofit existing videos with swappable ad markers — turning their full catalog into living, monetizable inventory.

Quick Comparison: What’s Possible Now vs. Coming Soon

Feature	Available Today	Coming in 2026
Dynamic Ad Insertion (Live)	✅ Yes, using YouTube’s Live API or 3rd-party tools like Grabyo Producer & Videon LiveEdge	—
Dynamic Brand Sponsorships (VOD)	❌ Not yet	✅ Early 2026 testing, full rollout later in 2026
SCTE-35 Marker Support	✅ For Live Streams via partners	✅ Expected for VOD sponsorship markers
Who Can Access	YouTube Partner Program creators with live monetization enabled	Select creators first, then all eligible channels
Goal	Monetize live broadcasts dynamically	Refresh and monetize entire video libraries with new brand deals

What Creators Should Do Now

Even before the VOD version arrives, you can prepare strategically:

Audit your existing videos.
Note which ones include brand mentions, sponsored intros, or integrations.
Tag or label your content properly.
This helps YouTube and your future partners understand your ad-friendly inventory.
Experiment with live dynamic ads.
If you stream events, panels, or performances, test YouTube’s “Insert Ad Break” feature.
Explore partner tools.
Tools like Grabyo and Videon are already helping creators simulate what’s next — giving you hands-on experience before 2026.

Feisworld’s Take

Dynamic ad insertion is one of those technologies that quietly changes everything. Right now, it’s mostly visible in the live streaming world, giving creators real-time control over when ads appear.
But the real excitement is coming in 2026, when YouTube brings this flexibility to your entire video catalog.

Imagine being able to replace a sponsor mention from 2022 with a new 2026 campaign — in seconds, not weeks. That’s the future YouTube is building toward.

As someone who works with creators and brands every day, I see this as a huge win:

More control for creators
More opportunities for advertisers
More ways to keep older content fresh and profitable

Final Thoughts

Dynamic ad insertion isn’t just for big networks anymore — it’s becoming a creator tool.

In the meantime, creators who experiment with YouTube Live workflows (and platforms like Grabyo Producer or Videon LiveEdge) will already be one step ahead when the VOD sponsorship update lands in 2026.

What are your thoughts on this anticipated change for YouTube? Let me know in the comments below.

Dynamic Ad Insertion on YouTube (for Real People): What’s Available Now, and What’s Coming in 2026