YouTube is testing a new way for fans to show some love to their favorite channels

What you need to know

• YouTube is testing "Hype" to boost small content creators in select regions.
• Viewers can use the Hype button to promote videos in the Explore section.
• The feature is available in Brazil, Turkey, and Taiwan, and only videos published in the past seven days can be hyped.

YouTube is experimenting with a new feature called "Hype" to boost community support for small content creators, available to viewers in select regions.

In a community post , YouTube says the new experimental feature lets viewers directly impact video rankings in the Explore section. With the Hype button under eligible videos, users can promote content they love and help it get discovered by more people.

Building on classic engagement metrics like likes and shares, YouTube has rolled out the new feature for viewers in Brazil, Turkey, and Taiwan. This new tool lets viewers boost the visibility of a video published in the past seven days. Hyped videos get a ranking lift in the Explore section, with their prominence growing based on the number of hype endorsements they receive.

Currently, viewers have access to various methods to support creators. Besides liking and sharing, they can use Super Chat and Super Stickers for direct financial contributions , adding to the ad revenue that creators earn.

YouTube's new feature takes a different approach by focusing on boosting smaller creators. Unlike past initiatives, Hype votes only affect a video's ranking in the Explore tab, not the Trending section. This helps new creators get discovered without being overshadowed by big, established channels.

For the time being, the feature is only available to a select group of YouTube Partner Program creators with less than 500,000 subscribers. Although it's not clear if it will be rolled out more widely, YouTube stresses that Hype votes are an extra ranking signal, separate from the main algorithm.

It's important to remember that content must follow YouTube's community guidelines to benefit from the Hype feature. The next few weeks will be a trial period for this new initiative, with possible tweaks based on viewer feedback.