Caption – Gemini AI will help YouTube insert ads at the most engaging point of the videos. (Image credit – YouTube)
YouTube is getting smarter about how it shows ads, thanks to AI. During its recent “Brandcast,” YouTube shared that it’s now using Gemini AI to figure out the best moments in a video to place ads specifically right after the parts people care about most.
These key moments are now being labelled as “Peak Points.” They’re the parts of a video where viewers are most engaged, maybe a big reveal or an exciting moment that keeps people hooked. YouTube says it will place ads after these moments, not during them, to avoid interrupting the most important parts of a video.
In a blog post, YouTube revealed that this new ad product will ensure ads are inserted in a video at the point just after where the audience is most engaged.
The streaming platform explained, “We also announced Peak Points, a new product built with Gemini that identifies the most meaningful, or “peak,” moments within YouTube’s popular content to place your brand where audiences are the most engaged.”
In a demo, YouTube showed an ad appearing right after a proposal scene and not during, so it doesn’t break the flow. This approach could be a win-win as ads appear when people are still paying attention, but without cutting into a key moment.
There’s no official release date yet, but it sounds like this feature could roll out soon.
Caption – YouTube now has a Weekly Top Podcast Shows chart. (Image credit – YouTube)
YouTube has also launched a new Weekly Top Podcast Shows chart in the US, reflecting its push into podcasts. The chart can be found at charts.youtube.com/podcasts and highlights the top 100 podcasts in the US based on watch time. It updates every Wednesday with the current list showing data from May 5–11, 2025.
YouTube says, “Charts will include playlists that are designated as ‘podcasts’ by the creator in the upload process, and will not include playlists that contain only clips or Shorts.”
This new chart is part of the larger YouTube Charts section that also covers trending music, songs, artists and Shorts.
The idea is to help users find shows they might be missing or see how their favourites are ranking.
YouTube adds that the new chart “recognizes and celebrates top podcasters who are redefining the next era of entertainment with engaging, influential, culture-defining shows across a variety of genres like News, Sports, Comedy, and True Crime.”
YouTube is also planning to expand podcast charts to more regions and says it’s “building out more features.”
Even though it’s been a quiet few months for new podcast-related tools, YouTube is still widely used for podcast listening. In fact, Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend just started uploading full video episodes this week, showing there’s still strong demand, even without major new updates since late 2023 or early 2024.
Answer. YouTube is using Gemini AI to place ads at “Peak Points”, which are the most engaging moments in a video. Ads will appear right after these moments, not during, to avoid disrupting key scenes.
Answer. YouTube’s new Weekly Top Podcast Shows chart ranks the top 100 podcasts in the US based on watch time. It updates every Wednesday and includes full podcast playlists, but not clips or Shorts.
Answer. Yes, YouTube plans to expand podcast charts to more regions and is developing additional features to enhance podcast discovery and engagement.
Also Read:
Highlights OnePlus N6x became Amazon India’s top-selling smartphone in August 2026. It led sales in…
Highlights OPPO K14 Plus 5G India launch set for September 29, priced under ₹45,000. It…
Highlights OPPO Pad Mini tipped to launch in India in October alongside the OPPO F35…
HighlightsOppo OPPO F35 series featuring the standard F35 and higher-end F35 Pro tipped to launch…
Highlights Vivo S2 FE is tipped to launch in India on October 6 alongside the…
Highlights Vivo has hiked prices across its Y series in India, affecting Y51 Pro, Y31t,…
This website uses cookies.