You can’t insert your own uploaded clip as a manual pre-roll ad on an active YouTube live stream. If you want an opening video to play before a scheduled event, YouTube’s built-in option is a scheduled-stream trailer. If you mean an advertisement, YouTube serves pre-roll ads automatically on monetized live streams; you can’t choose the ad creative, and not every viewer is guaranteed to see one.
First, choose the feature that matches what you mean
| What you want | YouTube feature | When it appears | Can it be your uploaded video? |
|---|---|---|---|
| An ad before a monetized live stream | Automatic pre-roll ad | Before the stream for viewers selected by YouTube’s ad system | No. It is platform-served advertising. |
| Your own branded or informational opening clip | Scheduled-stream trailer | On the scheduled stream’s watch page before the event | Yes, if the channel and video meet YouTube’s requirements. |
| An ad break while the stream is live | Mid-roll ad | During the stream | No. It is an ad break, not an uploaded trailer. |
YouTube describes its live pre-roll ads as running automatically. The trailer feature is the relevant choice when you want viewers to see your own video before the event.
Add a trailer to a scheduled YouTube live stream
Check eligibility and prepare the video
- YouTube says the channel must have more than 1,000 subscribers and no Community Guideline strikes.
- The trailer must be 15 seconds to 3 minutes long and in a format supported by YouTube.
- Use video with clear audio and video rights, and make sure it follows YouTube’s Community Guidelines.
- YouTube recommends matching the trailer’s aspect ratio and resolution to the stream video.
- Upload the trailer to your channel as a regular video before attaching it to the scheduled stream.
Attach it in YouTube Studio
- Open YouTube Studio and select Go Live.
- Create a scheduled live stream, or choose an existing scheduled stream from the Manage tab.
- Open Edit, then Customize.
- Under Trailer, click Add and select the video you uploaded.
- Save your changes.
The trailer plays for viewers on the scheduled stream’s watch page before the live stream starts. It is not inserted into the live broadcast itself.
If you mean YouTube-served pre-roll ads
For a monetized live stream, open it in Live Control Room and review its monetization settings. YouTube says pre-roll and display ads are automatically turned on when monetization is enabled. You cannot upload or select a particular ad to use as the pre-roll, and YouTube does not guarantee that each viewer will receive an ad.
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Mid-roll ads are a separate setting
Mid-rolls run during the live stream, not before it. YouTube supports automatic, scheduled, and manual mid-roll approaches. Its guidance recommends automatic mid-rolls; scheduled options let you choose intervals, while manual insertion requires you to select the breaks. A mid-roll may interrupt viewing, so it is not a substitute for a scheduled-stream trailer.
A Stream Deck is an optional control device mentioned by YouTube for inserting ads during a live stream. It does not add your own uploaded opening video before the event.
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Troubleshooting the trailer workflow
- You can’t find the Trailer option: Confirm the stream is scheduled and check that the channel meets YouTube’s stated eligibility requirements: more than 1,000 subscribers and no Community Guideline strikes.
- The video won’t appear in the selector: Confirm it has finished uploading to your channel, is supported by YouTube, and is between 15 seconds and 3 minutes long.
- The trailer appears in the wrong place: It plays on the scheduled stream’s watch page before the event. It does not play as part of the active live broadcast.
- Viewers report different ads—or no ad: YouTube selects which eligible viewers receive pre-roll ads. An ad is not guaranteed for every viewer, and creators cannot control the ad creative.
- You want an opening clip during an ongoing stream: The documented trailer feature is for a scheduled event before it starts. YouTube’s live ad controls cover ad breaks, not insertion of an uploaded custom pre-roll video.
Or let it run in the cloud
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