YouTube’s “Hype” feature — a tool designed to help fans boost visibility for their favorite creators — is now launching worldwide, the company said Tuesday. First introduced in 2024 at Google’s Made On YouTube event, the feature will now appear on videos from creators with fewer than 500,000 subscribers across 39 countries, including the U.S., U.K., Japan, Korea, Indonesia, and India.
How Hype Works
The feature adds a dedicated “Hype” button under videos, just below the “like” button. Fans can hype up to three videos per week. Each hype gives videos points that influence their position on a new leaderboard located in YouTube’s Explore menu. To level the playing field, YouTube will give smaller creators an extra boost when fans hype their videos.
Videos that receive this support will display a “hyped” badge. Users can also filter their feeds to see only hyped videos and receive notifications when a video they hyped is close to breaking into the leaderboard. Dedicated fans can earn monthly “hype star” badges for consistent support.
Future Plans and Monetization
While the feature is currently free, YouTube confirmed it is testing paid hypes in Brazil and Turkey, which would allow fans to purchase additional boosts for creators they support. The company also plans to launch leaderboards for specific interest categories like gaming and fashion, as well as social sharing tools so fans can showcase their hypes.
Creators will be able to monitor their hypes and points through the YouTube Studio mobile app. They will also receive a new “Hype card” in their video analytics, along with a weekly recap in their data stories.
Author’s Opinion
YouTube’s decision to introduce Hype globally is a smart way to reward smaller creators who often struggle to break through. It gives fans a sense of agency in boosting content they love, which could improve community engagement. However, layering yet another feature into an already busy app risks overwhelming casual users. If YouTube isn’t careful, the platform could feel cluttered, especially as more monetization options like paid hypes are introduced. Striking the right balance between fan-driven growth and feature overload will determine whether Hype becomes a lasting success or just another forgotten experiment.
Featured image credit: ilgmyzin via Unsplash
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