YouTube Introduces 'Hype' Feature to Support and Elevate Smaller Content Creators

YouTube revealed on Monday that it is trying out a novel approach to boosting community support for smaller content creators. This new addition, labeled ‘Hype,' is accessible to viewers in specific regions. Eligible content creators will be included in this fresh initiative, which is one among several new tools being developed by the video-streaming giant, including a potential sleep timer feature.

A community specialist detailed the specifics of the new ‘Hype' feature on YouTube's support page. Viewers in Brazil, Turkey, and Taiwan now have the option to ‘Hype' a video, along with liking it, thereby enhancing its ranking among other videos posted in the previous seven days. According to the company, the more a video is hyped, the higher its rank.

Currently, viewers can like and share videos they enjoy, which aids creators. Additionally, they can utilize features such as Super Chat and Super Stickers to provide monetary support in addition to the ad revenue.

According to YouTube, the rankings based on ‘Hype' will be displayed under the Explore tab. This is expected to help smaller content creators obtain increased community support and extend their reach to a broader audience.

However, there is a limitation. Only YouTube Partner Program creators with fewer than 500,000 subscribers can participate in the ‘Hype' program. Moreover, all their videos must adhere to YouTube's Community Guidelines. This initiative is still in the testing stage, and it is unclear if it will be expanded to more content creators.

On June 17, YouTube revealed it would enable users to post comments in the videos below to provide simple, comprehensible context. This addition, another experimental feature, is being introduced in English to users in the US.

Users will notice a new Add note option below the video. They can use the textbox to provide additional context and then click Send to publish the note. YouTube states that the published note will exclude the creator's name.