On October 15, 2026, LinkedIn announced a test of In-Stream Ads, which run pre-roll video ads before eligible creators' videos and pay those creators when ads run. It's limited to select U.S. creators and advertisers for now, with no published pricing, revenue share or eligibility rules. For brands it means video ads that sit inside professional content rather than between posts, so the first seconds and the fit with the surrounding video matter more than ever.
What LinkedIn announced
LinkedIn is testing pre-roll ads that play before creators' videos, and it's paying those creators a share. It's called In-Stream Ads, announced October 15 alongside a new creator dashboard and, per Social Media Today, new filters for finding creators by audience and expertise. For now it's a test with select U.S. creators and advertisers.
What LinkedIn hasn't said: pricing, revenue share, eligibility or brand-safety controls. Treat it as a direction, not something you can budget for.
LinkedIn already had pre-roll through BrandLink, which runs before a curated set of creator and publisher videos. The difference here is reach. Social Media Today reports advertisers won't need a creator partnership, and creators can opt in. YouTube built a business on that exact trade. LinkedIn is borrowing it for a professional audience.
What it means for brand video
Sports fans already understand pre-roll. You sit through the ad because you want the game. The ads that stick are the ones that respect that and get out of the way.
Your ad lives inside someone else's content. The viewer clicked for that creator, not for you. The spot has to earn a few seconds of patience and look like it belongs next to professional work.
The first five seconds carry the whole thing. I'd design every LinkedIn video ad as a complete 5–6 second idea first, then extend it. Not the other way round.
Organic video gets harder. If creators are paid to post video, more people will post more of it. Phone footage is still fine. Vague, slow or generic isn't.
What I'd start now
You can't buy In-Stream Ads unless you're in the test, but a few things will pay off whatever format wins:
- Cut 6- and 15-second versions of your best existing video.
- Design for sound off, with captions and a clear first frame, and make the audio worth turning on.
- Put your people on camera. For most B2B companies, the best creators are already on staff.
- Write down your brand-safety lines before there's a buy on the table.
My take
LinkedIn is saying out loud what's been obvious for a while: attention there is moving to video, and creators need a reason to keep making it. The winners won't be the brands with the biggest media budgets. They'll be the ones with a clear message and enough good short video to say it ten different ways.
Questions we hear a lot
What are LinkedIn In-Stream Ads?
They're pre-roll video ads that play before eligible videos from LinkedIn creators. Creators who opt in earn money when ads run with their content. LinkedIn announced the test on October 15, 2026, for select U.S. creators and advertisers, with broader access planned over time.
Can any business buy LinkedIn In-Stream Ads now?
Not yet. It's a limited test, and LinkedIn hasn't published pricing, ad lengths, targeting or brand-safety controls for it. Its older pre-roll product, BrandLink, places 3 to 30 second ads before curated creator and publisher videos.
Should a small B2B company start making LinkedIn video because of this?
Not because of the ads program alone. The more useful signal is that LinkedIn is investing heavily in video and in tools for creators, so short, real videos from your own people are likely to keep getting attention there.
Sources
- LinkedIn Pressroom: New ways to build meaningful connections, grow your side hustle, and earn on LinkedIn (Oct 15, 2026)
- Social Media Today: LinkedIn adds new creator monetization options (Oct 15, 2026)
- PPC Land: LinkedIn tests paying US creators for pre-roll ads on their videos
- LinkedIn Marketing Solutions: BrandLink
Filed under Photo & Video
Evan Walker
Founder & Creative Director at Satellite Black, with experience across a broad range of industries working as a Creative Director, Developer, and strategist.
