YouTube is rolling out a new feature called “Hype” to help amplify smaller creators. This feature allows fans to allocate “hype points” to videos from emerging channels, which will then help those clips get more reach based on that interest.
In the above example, there will be some videos that will be eligible for Hype points, which will allow people who are viewing the video to highlight clips that they think should be getting more exposure.
As per YouTube:
“If a video’s been out less than 7 days from a creator with under 500,000 subscribers, you can “hype” it, and go beyond liking and sharing. The more hype it gets, the higher it climbs on a new leaderboard with the top 100 hyped videos from the week.”
YouTube is currently testing Hype with a small number of creators in Brazil, but plans to expand the rollout in the new year. This initial test will provide YouTube with valuable feedback to refine and improve the Hype system.
In addition to Hype, YouTube is also testing a redesigned “Member Hub” on the channel membership page. This updated membership tab will make it easier to see the perks of being a channel member and to upgrade your subscription in-stream.
Finally, YouTube is rolling out an update that will make it easier to access text formatting options within the “Description” fields in YouTube Studio. Creators will now be able to access bold, italic, or strike-through text via icons in the bottom left-hand of the description tab, enabling further, simple customization of video info.