Google announced a new feature for YouTube that it says is “all about helping emerging YouTube channels grow by connecting them with new audiences”. Called “Hype”, it allows any YouTube user to hype videos.
The only restrictions are that the video needs to have been published a maximum of seven days ago and that the publisher has less than 500,000 subscribers. This should apply to most channels on YouTube therefore, especially since it sounds a bit crazy that a channel with 450,000 subscribers is considered emerging.
Anyway, each YouTube user has three hypes per week. You need to be signed in to hype a video and YouTube will show a leaderboard of the “most hyped” videos from the week on the site.
In the future, Google plans to introduce options to purchase hypes. Means, once you run out of your three hypes you can start buying more. Useful for the creators whose videos you push, but also for Google as it will certainly take its share of the price of that.
Google says that hyping pushes videos to regional leaderboards, where they may get more exposure and thus views. In addition to that, hyped videos get a special badge on YouTube. It appears, however, that the amount of hype has no influence on recommendations or search results.
Is it worthwhile then? Probably not. While fans may be able to push videos from a certain creator to the top hype charts of the week, the system seems to benefit larger channels closer to the 500k limit more than smaller ones with just a few users.
The main benefactor will be Google, as users will certainly use the option to buy more hypes to push their favorite creators on the site. Also, the amount of hype a video gets on YouTube says nothing about its quality or usefulness to you.
All in all, it does not sound overly useful and could potentially be just another scheme by Google to earn more revenue on the site.
Now You: what is your take on the new Hype option on YouTube? Cool new feature that sounds useful and could really help smaller channels stand a chance against the juggernauts? Or another cash grab by Google?
Pointless hype. A desperate attempt to “snag” content creators with the snares of false hopes and expectations.
A cash grab in microtransaction form for those that can’t afford the regular SEO costs or don’t understand how it actually works.
To hype, to promote. If it’s like scoring hotels, restaurants and you name it, basically I wouldn’t rely excessively on hyped videos to get to any conclusion: promoting and advertising may be equivalent, if not in direct cash at least in terms of investment; nowadays suspicion is so developed that expressing one’s likes triggers awareness, because mankind has used and abused of hypocrisy and lies.
When it comes to purchasing apps (planned), it’d be for those who can afford it. Lastly, putting the limit to 500,000 subscribers is odd. If you have more than, say 100,000 subscribers personally I’d consider it as a success. I think it also depends on how you interact, if you do, with YouTube: many communities more or less stick to the content of their cultural bubbles so to say, and maybe is that where competition may be translated to active hyping with the latest YouTube questionable feature.
Money is the only thing google cares about. You’d think they would help Canadian seniors retire sence the Canadian Gov doesn’t care..
“Everybody wants to rule the world”