YouTube is removing its Trending page and Trending Now list in favor of category-specific charts, the company announced Thursday. With this change, YouTube is moving away from a single, all-encompassing list of trending content to displaying the most popular content in specific categories on YouTube Charts.
The platform claims that this update is better suited to the modern way of identifying trending content, noting that when the Trending page was launched in 2015, it was much easier to capture the viral videos that everyone was talking about with a single list.
New charts for specific categories include “Most Popular Music Videos,” “Top Weekly Podcast Shows,” and “Most Popular Movie Trailers.” YouTube plans to add more content categories in the future.
“Along with highlighting popular content in charts, we will continue to show viewers videos we think they will enjoy through personalized recommendations,” the company explained in a blog post. “This way, we can show a wider range of popular content that is relevant, and it feels more natural to how viewers already find new videos.”
Viewers can view non-personalized content through the Explore menu, creators’ channels, and their subscription feed.
YouTube says it’s making these changes because trends are influenced by many different videos created by different fandoms, resulting in more microtrends than ever before.
In addition, YouTube notes that viewers find trends in a variety of places on the platform, including recommendations, search, and comments. Previously, people found trending content to watch on the Trending tab, but now they receive content through personalized algorithmic recommendations. These changes have led to a decline in the number of visits to the Trending page, especially over the past five years, YouTube says.
It makes sense for the company to adapt to the evolution of viewer habits, especially since the platform has transformed quite a bit over the past decade. In 2015, YouTube was seen primarily as a place for amateur videos. Today, it’s home to professional feature-length (and short-form) content from independent creators and established media outlets, all competing for a share of advertising revenue.
The company says it is still focused on giving creators the tools to determine what is popular with their audience.
“The Inspiration tab in YouTube Studio will continue to provide creators with personalized insights to help them identify the next big thing for their channel,” YouTube said in a blog post. “We’re also creating new ways to support emerging creators and help them become known, like our ‘Hype’ feature, which allows viewers to amplify fresh videos they like.”
