YouTube has launched its “Hype” feature worldwide, enabling fans to help their favourite creators gain visibility. First unveiled at Google’s Made On YouTube event in 2024, the feature adds a dedicated button beneath the existing “like” button on videos from creators with fewer than 500,000 subscribers.
Viewers can hype up to three videos per week for a creator of their choice. Each hype earns points that contribute to a ranked leaderboard, accessible in the Explore menu. To ensure fairness, smaller creators receive a larger boost, giving videos from creators with fewer subscribers a greater chance of rising on the leaderboard.
Videos that have received fan boosts display a “hyped” badge. Users can also filter their Home feed to view only content marked as hyped. YouTube notifies fans when a video they hyped approaches the leaderboard, and dedicated supporters can earn a monthly “hype star” badge to showcase their involvement.
YouTube said the Hype feature responds to fans’ desire to play an active role in a creator’s growth. The platform also sees potential for additional revenue, with plans to allow fans to purchase extra hypes in future.
The company is planning hype leaderboards for specific interests such as gaming and style, along with features that let fans share when they have hyped a video. Creators can monitor hype points and related metrics in the YouTube Studio mobile app, including a Hype card and weekly recap in video analytics.
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