YouTube recently announced the testing of a new feature called ‘Hype’, aimed at providing more community support to small content creators. This feature will allow viewers in select regions to ‘Hype’ a video, in addition to liking it, which will help boost its rankings amongst other videos published in the last seven days. According to the company, the more hyped a video is, the higher it will be ranked.
Content creators who are YouTube Partner Program members with less than 500,000 subscribers are eligible for the ‘Hype’ program. However, all of their videos must comply with YouTube’s Community Guidelines to qualify for this new initiative. The goal of this program is to provide greater community support and help these small creators reach a wider audience.
The ‘Hype’-based rankings will appear under the Explore tab on YouTube, which is expected to give more visibility to videos from small content creators. By boosting the rankings of these videos, YouTube aims to increase their reach and provide them with an opportunity to grow their audience base. This move signifies the platform’s commitment to supporting and nurturing emerging talent in the content creation space.
YouTube also announced another experimental feature that enables users to post comments below videos to provide easy-to-understand context. This feature is currently available in the English language to users in the US. Users can now use the Add Note option below the video to add more context and information, thereby enhancing the overall viewing experience.
While the ‘Hype’ program is still in the testing phase and limited to a select group of content creators, there is a possibility that it may be rolled out to more creators in the future. YouTube is constantly exploring new ways to support its creator community and provide them with the tools and resources needed to succeed on the platform. As the digital landscape continues to evolve, platforms like YouTube are adapting to meet the changing needs of content creators and viewers alike.
The introduction of the ‘Hype’ program by YouTube represents a step towards providing more community support to small content creators and helping them grow their online presence. By implementing innovative features like ‘Hype’ and the ability to add notes below videos, YouTube is enhancing the overall user experience and creating new opportunities for creators to showcase their talent. It will be interesting to see how these new features evolve and the impact they have on the YouTube community as a whole.