NewPipe does not see themselves as a project focused on blocking ads but as a privacy first project.

See their reasoning for rejecting the sponsor block PR here: https://github.com/TeamNewPipe/NewPipe/pull/3205

One can disagree with their decision but I can understand why they did this and since somebody offers builds, I don't understand why people are often angry towards the NewPipe maintainers.

Also this https://github.com/TeamNewPipe/NewPipe/issues/2554

There's a NewPipe fork with SponsorBlock support

https://github.com/polymorphicshade/NewPipe

I will say, at first I was skeptical Sponsorblock would work, but after trying it, I'm really surprised by how good it is. Even videos from smaller channels generally have annotations. I also really enjoy the other types of annotations, such as "highlight" which is often used to annotate when the important part of a video is. For example, during the 3 hour long launch broadcast for JWST, it was used to mark where the countdown starts.

A few YouTubers are circumventing SponsorBlock by namedropping their favorite VPN sporadically throughout their content. Not long before creators end up sounding like the Secretary of State from Idiocracy.

Still possible to fix with SponsorBlock, but just makes the skips feel more awkward unfortunately. There is also mute segments to help make these more seemless

Brought to you by Carl's Jr.

yep. https://github.com/polymorphicshade/NewPipe/

a fork of newpipe for sponsorblock specific functionality. i use this now

Not trying to make accusations but why would anyone block these segments? Isn't that how the content creator is making a living? I just skip them by hand if they go on and on or I've already seen it or whatever.

It's entirely different than using uBlock for youtube ads which reduces the amount of ad views for the youtuber which definitely reduces their revenue.

I presume these sponsorships are just part of the creator's video, no different than the regular content, and not like those 'real' advertisements where your video gets paused and the ad is embedded into different video player.

This is literally skipping by hand but just automated, I don't see a difference.

The reason the sponsors pay for this stuff is because people watch it. Systems which encourage widespread automated skipping of sponsored segments discourages their use in the first place and either eliminates a source of revenue for creators or escalates the arms race to embed sponsorships more and more thoroughly into primary content.

why would you ask someone why they do something and then immediately explain that you literally do the exact same thing? the only difference is you do it manually and they found a way to automate it.

the reason they skip them is the exact same reason people use ad block on youtube or download movies. they don't care and it's more convenient that way.

I explained why I skipped it in some circumstances, I think I probably watch 90% of them. Or does this sponsor block thing let you choose when to skip? It didn't look like it but that would be great if so.

The creator does not get money from you watching these ads, they get money from you buying the products or services advertized - if you're not going to buy any of these things anyhow then why subject yourself to it ? Skipping an ad for a VPN provider if your are not going to buy VPN services literally has zero effect.

This even holds for ads where views are counted - if I'm not going to buy the wares you are screaming at me about and I chose to not watch this ad, thereby reducing the view count, what I have actually done is make the advertizement more targeted.

I should be thanked and compensated for my free non-labour that I have given to the advertizement industry instead of vilified. Isn't this what they all want? Targeted ads ?

I am not going to buy any of these godawful services and products in the first place, so why bother bothering me.

They're reasonable points, and I'm not trying to start a war. Specifically for youtube I guess I find it weird because the people I watch on there at least are regular folks, not big faceless marketing machines, I want to support them. Or at least shaft them by hand rather than automatically :P. As to why I think you're supporting them by watching the sponsored bits:

1. As I mentioned in another comment, if nobody's watching then the sponsors won't sponsor. You can argue that this isn't tracked, or whatever, but that's a bit like the free rider problem - "ok" if a few people do it but if everyone did it the system doesn't work.

2. Like it or not, ads aren't just about you buying things. They're about making consumers aware. Six months later you won't even know how you knew it when you mention it to someone. I hate this so I don't watch ads; I give one of my most-hated companies money so I don't see ads. I don't watch free to air tv, either.

3. Maybe you will buy the thing! Can't always tell, if you have a modicum of trust for the creator you might pay attention to how they describe the features and use their links. Bit optimistic but eh.

Just my opinion obviously :)

Only used it on desktop - it skips by default and you can tap enter to unskip. There's quite a few configurable options.

For the Sponsorblock browser addons you can configure them to only show you a button to skip the segments if you like. I'm not sure if that option is available in Vanced or the NewPipe Sponsorblock fork.

I tried it and found it was way too aggressive in its default settings by blocking things like intros, recaps, things they think are off topic, and the timings were often not exact so it would jump back in mid sentence. I'm sure there are ways to adjust these to my liking but it was just easier to uninstall it.

AFAIK they get paid by including the sponsored segment in their videos, not by how many viewers specifically watched that segments.

I'm not going to buy anything based on the sponsor segment, so skipping it doesn't deprive the creator of any money.

That's true in the short term, but sponsors don't pay for people to shill their products if nobody's watching.

Of course someone is watching — the kinds of people who would never use NewPipe in the first place.