YouTube has been experimenting with new features a lot lately. Last month, YouTube started rolling out an updated miniplayer with a new design to Android. Now, YouTube is trying to boost audience engagement during live streams through a leaderboard.
Live stream viewers on YouTube will get a chance to pop up on that leaderboard
YouTube says it’s testing a new feature that displays an engagement leaderboard for live streams of some creators. Per the announcement post, the leaderboard shows the top 50 most engaged viewers on that channel.
That’s not all; YouTube is also making engaging with live streams a fun game. The company notes that viewers will be able to earn points by engaging in any way. They can comment, send super chats, etc., during a live stream. Viewers can check the earned points through a crown icon located at the top of the live chat.
It’s unclear whether viewers will earn more points than others based on a specific way of engagement. If you want to check the top 50 leaderboard, you’ve to click on the crown icon. YouTube says that you might also earn a badge if you grab the top three spots. That badge will then be displayed next to their names on the live streams.
You can also opt out of the experiment
YouTube is aware that there might be some viewers who wouldn’t want their name popping up on that live stream leaderboard. Such viewers can always opt out of this experiment. To do so, you’ve to go to YouTube Settings and select “Turn off leaderboard participation.”
It’s worth noting that YouTube is experimenting with the live stream leaderboard feature with a small group of users. However, it plans to expand the feature later on to the masses. Not to forget, the announcement came just a day after YouTube announced the ability to use Google Lens within YouTube Shorts. Thanks to the integration, you will soon be able to use Circle to Search while watching Shorts.
