YouTube rolls out ‘hype’ feature in 39 countries to boost smaller creators, skips Africa
The tool, which will be embedded on the side panel that houses the subscription, home, gaming and music menu, will now give viewers the option to “hype” videos from creators with fewer than 500,000 subscribers.
YouTube on Tuesday launched its new 'hype' feature aimed at helping small creators gain visibility through fan-driven support. However, African countries are notably absent from the rollout.
In a statement, YouTube said the tool, currently available in 39 countries across North America, Europe, Asia and parts of Latin America, will be embedded on the side panel that houses the subscription, home, gaming and music menu, and will now give viewers the option to “hype” videos from creators with fewer than 500,000 subscribers.
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'Hyped videos' can then climb national leaderboards, gaining extra visibility and engagement. Fans are limited to three hypes per week and can earn recognition via badges and notifications.
“Your viewers can hype a limited number of times at no cost for a specific video that has been published in the last seven days,” YouTube stated.
Creators will also be able to track their 'hypes' and 'hype points' in the YouTube Studio mobile app, and can check their video analytics for a new 'hype card' and recap in their weekly data stories.
Videos with the most hype points each week appear on a country-specific leaderboard that is ranked by the top hyped videos from the viewers in that country.
According to TechCrunch, paid hypes are currently being tested in Brazil and Turkey.
Why has Africa not been included
However, the exclusion of African countries in the 'global' expansion has raised questions among creators and digital advocates about YouTube’s priorities and regional strategy.
“Africa has millions of creators looking for exposure. Leaving out the entire continent sends a message, intentional or not,” said one creator from Kenya in a Reddit thread reacting to the launch.
While YouTube has not provided an official explanation, platform experts suggest the exclusion may relate to monetisation availability, network infrastructure, and creator market density, with the possibility that African regions will be considered in later rollout phases.
Eligibility for the YouTube hype feature
Channels eligible for the YouTube 'hype' feature must be part of the 'YouTube Partner Program' and have between 500 and 500,000 subscribers.
Additionally, this feature is available to creators residing in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Turkey, United Kingdom, and the United States.
For individual videos to be eligible for 'hype', they must not contain age-restricted content, misleading or clickbait material, or be unlisted or private.
Content made for kids, videos with Content ID claims, YouTube Giving fundraisers, live streams or premieres while live, and YouTube Shorts are also excluded.
Archived long-form videos from live streams or premieres become eligible once the live event concludes.
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