YouTube, the Google-owned video streaming giant, has announced a significant shift in its approach to showcasing trending content. The platform is phasing out its universal ‘Trending’ page and ‘Trending Now’ list, opting instead for category-specific lists to highlight popular videos.
This change means that rather than a single, all-encompassing list of trending videos, users will now find content categorized by genre. These categories include trending music videos, top weekly podcasts, and popular movie trailers, with plans to add more categories in the future.
According to YouTube, this update better reflects how users discover trending content today. The platform explained that when the ‘Trending’ page was launched in 2015, it was easier to aggregate popular videos that everyone was talking about into a single list. However, viewing habits have changed significantly since then.
“In addition to highlighting trending content in genre-specific lists, we will continue to surface videos we think viewers will enjoy through personalized recommendations,” YouTube stated online. “This way, we can showcase a broader range of relevant trending content, and make the way viewers find new videos feel more natural.”
Viewers can still browse non-personalized content through the ‘Explore’ section, creator channels, and individual account feeds. YouTube suggests that trends are now shaped by a multitude of diverse fan groups, leading to more niche trending topics than ever before.
The platform indicates that users are increasingly finding trending content through various avenues, including recommendations, search, and comments. This shift has reportedly led to a decline in user traffic to the traditional ‘Trending’ page, particularly in recent months. This new approach aims to provide a more personalized and relevant experience for YouTube users, aligning trending content with individual preferences.
