YouTube announced that it is further investing in original content from its creators, helping to fund new content and help “top creators” get more material to their fans.

Several years ago, YouTube spent over $100 million on original content from channels. It’s unclear exactly how much they’re dishing out this time, but it’s said to be in the millions.

“As any creator will tell you, making compelling new content isn’t easy, and we expect to learn a lot through this process,” says Alex Carloss, Head of YouTube Originals in a blog post. “We’ll experiment with new formats and ideas. We’ll get our hands dirty. We’ll make some mistakes. Together, we’ll (hopefully) create some fantastic new content on YouTube. But one thing is certain: there’s no one we’d rather go on this adventure with than our creators.”

“It’s been an incredible few years for YouTube. And with YouTube stars jumping from their bedrooms to billboards in Times Square, we think there’s never been a better time to be a creator,” said Carloss.

The new round of content funding is likely a move to keep YouTube channels that have gained massive followings from jumping ship to a competing service. Rumor has it that Facebook, for example, has been trying to steal some of them away.

Image: Derek (Netflix) via YouTube