YouTube have introduced a Trending tab on their homepage and apps that shows a list of videos currently gaining traction.

YouTube announced on their blog yesterday a new Trending feature to coincide with the release of their YouTube Rewind 2015 video, a recap of the year on YouTube. With YouTube Trending it’s now easier than ever to find the hottest new videos that are quickly gaining views.

As YouTube say on their blog: “It’s the best way to catch the videos, creators, and trends that people watch, share, and talk about each and every day. See ’em as they take off and before they appear in YouTube Rewind 2016.”

The Trending tab uses an algorithm that examines videos based on their comments, views and “external references”, assumably how much a video has been shared. The tab will vary slightly depending on your location, for localised content, but won’t relate to your viewing history in any way. On the YouTube Android application you can also select from a number of categories including music, gaming, and news, for specific viral videos.

My personal experience of the Trending tab so far has shown a slightly mismatched feed of news clips, celebrity moments, sports and famous YouTuber’s videos. Whether this feature is likely to appeal to people is yet to be seen but whether it does or not, having only been released for a day I’m sure we can expect to see improvements especially if YouTube curate the feed to a greater extent.