Small content creators just got a big boost with YouTube's 'Hype'

YouTube is giving smaller content creators in India a powerful new tool to get noticed. The video platform has officially launched Hype, a feature designed to help emerging YouTubers gain visibility and reach fresh audiences.

Targeted at creators with between 500 and 500,000 subscribers, Hype allows viewers to actively support a video in the crucial first seven days after it’s published. Sitting just below the Like button, the new Hype option lets users “hype” up to three videos per week for free. Each hype earns points for the video, boosting its chances of rising up a dedicated leaderboard found under YouTube’s Explore tab.

The higher a video ranks, the more likely it is to appear on the YouTube homepage, a key discovery point for many users. Videos that receive strong engagement may also get special badges, highlighting them as viewer favourites.

To ensure that newer creators aren’t drowned out by more established names, YouTube has added a bonus point system. The fewer the subscribers a channel has, the more bonus points it earns when hyped. This gives lesser-known creators a better shot at climbing the ranks and attracting new followers.

“YouTube Hype is designed to help creators reach new audiences, which can often be a hurdle — even for those with loyal fanbases,” the company said in its announcement. Google India echoed the sentiment, adding, “We want to make sure everyone has a fair opportunity at the limelight.”

The feature has already been tested in markets like Turkey, Taiwan, and Brazil, where over 5 million hypes were registered across 50,000 channels during the first four weeks.

India, with its diverse and fast-growing creator community, is now the latest country to receive the feature. From gaming and cooking to tech and beauty, creators across all genres stand to benefit.

Hype is part of a broader push from YouTube to empower its creator base. Other recent tools include automatic dubbing for multilingual content, AI-powered idea suggestions in YouTube Studio, and new digital items like Jewels and Gifts that fans can share during livestreams.

With the launch of Hype in India, small creators now have a better chance to rise, get seen, and build lasting audiences, one hype at a time.