YouTube Removes Trending Page & Trending Now List - What's Changing?

YouTube Discontinues Trending Page for Categorized Charts

YouTube announced on Thursday that it will be phasing out its traditional Trending page and Trending Now list. Instead, the platform will introduce charts organized by specific content categories.

Shift to Category-Specific Trending Content

This transition signifies a move away from a single, comprehensive list of trending videos. YouTube will now focus on showcasing the most popular content within defined categories on YouTube Charts.

The platform explains that this update reflects how users currently discover trending content. When the original Trending page launched in 2015, identifying viral videos was simpler with a unified list.

New Chart Categories

The initial category-specific charts will include:

• Trending Music Videos
• Weekly Top Podcast Shows
• Trending Movie Trailers

YouTube intends to expand the number of content categories available in the future.

Personalized Recommendations Remain Key

Alongside the new charts, YouTube will continue to leverage personalized recommendations to suggest videos to viewers. This approach aims to present a broader range of relevant, popular content in a more organic way.

Viewers can still access non-personalized content through the Explore menu, by visiting creator channels, and via their subscription feeds.

The Evolution of Trends

YouTube attributes this change to the increasing fragmentation of trends. Modern trends are often shaped by numerous videos catering to diverse communities, resulting in a proliferation of micro-trends.

Furthermore, viewers are now discovering trends through various platform features, including recommendations, search results, and comment sections. The reliance on the Trending tab has diminished as algorithmic recommendations have become more prevalent.

Adapting to Changing Viewer Habits

This adaptation to evolving viewer behavior is logical, particularly considering the platform’s significant transformation over the past decade. In 2015, YouTube was primarily known for user-generated content.

Today, it hosts professional, long-form and short-form videos from both independent creators and established media companies, all vying for advertising revenue.

Support for Creators Continues

YouTube remains committed to providing creators with tools to understand audience preferences. The Inspiration Tab within YouTube Studio will continue to offer personalized insights to help creators identify emerging trends for their channels.

New initiatives are also being developed to support up-and-coming creators and enhance their discoverability, such as the “Hype” feature, which allows viewers to promote videos they enjoy.

Creators on the Rise

YouTube will also highlight promising creators through its official social media channels (@YouTube) and the main YouTube channel.

These changes are scheduled to take effect within the next few weeks.