Guide
YouTube mid-roll integration rates
Figures and workflows here are illustrations, not financial, tax, or accounting advice. Talk to a tax or finance specialist in your jurisdiction before you invoice, set payment terms, or treat a number as a rate you should charge.
View-band sheet (organic mid-roll)
Use 30-day median views on long-form uploads, not peak outliers and not Shorts. The percent band is a starting floor — niche, claims, and production time push it up.
| 30-day median views | ~1.0% floor | ~1.5% ask | Typical length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15,000 | $150 | $225 | 45–60s |
| 50,000 | $500 | $750 | 60–90s |
| 120,000 | $1,200 | $1,800 | 60–90s |
| 300,000 | $3,000 | $4,500 | 60–120s |
If the brand writes a legal-heavy script that needs two lawyers, treat that as production time — raise or bill hourly after the first draft.
Worked quote: 50k median channel
| Line | Math | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Mid-roll 60–90s (organic) | 1.2% of 50k views | $600 |
| 1 revision on segment | Included | $0 |
| Paid usage 90d (YouTube/Meta ads) | +50% | +$300 |
| Category exclusivity 30d | +25% | +$150 |
| Total | — | $1,050 |
Without usage/exclusivity the mid-roll is $600 — not “YouTube collab $600 including ads forever.”
What mid-roll is not
- Not a dedicated episode — that is a different SKU on the dedicated rates page.
- Not a verbal pre-roll or end-card only — those sit lower.
- Not automatic Shorts cutdowns — price Shorts separately.
Placement
Mid-roll after the hook usually outperforms a buried end mention. If they demand first 15 seconds, that is closer to pre-roll pricing plus a premium.
Card
List mid-roll next to dedicated and Shorts on the YouTube rate card so brands stop asking for “a YouTube” as one mushy number.
Related guides
Platform rates & formats
YouTube mid-roll rate questions
+How much should a YouTube mid-roll integration cost?
A working start is ~0.8–1.5% of your 30-day median long-form views as the organic fee, then sanity-check hours. Example: 50k median → ~$400–$750 before usage. Raise for scripted claims, props, or exclusivity.
+Is mid-roll the same as a dedicated video?
No. Mid-roll is a paid segment inside a video you were already making. Dedicated is a whole episode for the brand. Price dedicated ~2–3× a solid mid-roll, not “mid-roll × 1.1.”
+Does mid-roll include YouTube ads of the collab?
Organic mid-roll only unless stated. If they run the video or cut as a YouTube/Meta ad, add paid usage.
+How many revisions for a mid-roll?
One round on the integration segment. Rewriting the whole video because they disliked the organic A-roll is out of scope.
+Where does pre-roll sit vs mid-roll?
Pre-roll / end-mention is usually a cheaper sibling SKU — often ~0.25–0.45× mid-roll. Price it on the pre-roll mention page, not as a free throw-in.
Put mid-roll on the YouTube menu
BlueRateCard packages can list mid-roll, dedicated, and Shorts as separate SKUs with usage toggles. Free for creators.