YouTube’s “Hype” feature, which debuted last year and has now rolled out globally, is essentially the platform’s answer to a problem as old as the internet itself: how do you get discovered when millions of videos are uploaded every day?

If you’re not already massive, the algorithm can feel like a brick wall. While MrBeast gets 50 million views on videos about giving away private jets, smaller creators celebrate when they hit four figures. YouTube’s Hype feature is an attempt to inject some democracy into the system. Instead of relying purely on algorithmic discovery, YouTube is giving viewers a direct way to champion their favorite up-and-coming creators.

Here are the mechanics: viewers get three “hypes” per week to spend on videos from creators with less than 500,000 subscribers. These hypes translate into points that push videos onto a new ranked leaderboard in the Explore menu.

YouTube has weighted the system to favor smaller creators. The fewer subscribers you have, the bigger the boost your hype points provide. It’s like a progressive tax system for internet fame, where smaller creators get more bang for their hype buck.

Videos that receive enough hype earn a special “Hyped” badge (YouTube’s version of a verified checkmark for momentum). Fans can even filter their Home feed to see only hyped content. The platform has also sweetened the deal with “Hype Star” badges for dedicated fans and notifications when your hyped videos climb the leaderboard.

Whether this leads to more diverse, interesting content bubbling up or simply creates new forms of platform gaming, remains to be seen. But for now, YouTube has given every viewer the power to be someone’s hype person and that feels like a step in the right direction.

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