YouTube's new 'Hype' button promotes smaller creators: How it works
What's the story
YouTube has launched a new feature called 'Hype,' aimed at promoting smaller creators on its platform. The announcement was made during the company's 'Made On YouTube' event. This innovative tool allows viewers to support their favorite content by clicking on the 'Hype' button located below the existing 'Like' button, thereby increasing its visibility and potential reach.
Eligibility
Game-changer for creators with under 500,000 subscribers
The 'Hype' feature is exclusively available for videos from creators with fewer than 500,000 subscribers. As a video garners more 'hypes,' it ascends on the leaderboard of the top 100 hyped videos. To prevent misuse of this feature, YouTube has currently limited users to giving three 'hypes' per week. This initiative was born out of YouTube's observation that enthusiastic fans were eager to contribute to a creator's success story.
Monetization
YouTube's future plans for 'Hype' include monetization
In the future, YouTube plans to allow fans to buy additional 'hypes,' opening up a new revenue stream for the platform. The details of how much YouTube will earn from these purchases have not been disclosed yet. As creators accumulate 'hypes,' they earn points that help them climb their country's weekly leaderboard. Additionally, YouTube is offering a small bonus for channels with fewer subscribers. Top hyped video will also receive special badge, the platform says.
Testing
Initial testing phase shows promising results
The 'Hype' feature underwent a four-week beta testing phase in Turkey, Taiwan, and Brazil. During this period, YouTube viewers hyped videos over five million times across more than 50,000 channels. The majority of users engaged in hyping videos were aged between 18 and 24 years old, making up over 30% of all beta users. These promising results indicate the potential success of this new feature in promoting smaller creators on the platform.
Recognition
Offering transparency and recognition for creators
A video is only eligible to be hyped in the first seven days after it's published. When a user hypes a video, they can see how many points it has and whether it has hit the leaderboard. At the end of each week, users receive a summary of the videos they hyped and their performance. This transparency allows creators to connect with their biggest fans, offload some promotional work, and monetize their most devoted viewers.