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Creator Economy

The Startup Delivering Gifts on Creators’ Wishlists

By Kaya Yurieff · Dec 19, 2023 2:07pm PST
As we’re in the thick of the gift-giving season, plenty of creators are recommending their favorite products and compiling guides of items people should buy for loved ones. But some emerging creators are also encouraging their fans to purchase them a gift. While creators more commonly garner support through tipping, or crowdfunding and... As we’re in the thick of the gift-giving season, plenty of creators are recommending their...
The "besties" at the All-In Summit in September. Photo via YouTube.
Creator Economy

The ‘All-In’ Hosts Make the Leap from Investors to Influencers

By Julia Black · Dec 18, 2023 2:36pm PST · 3 comments
On Friday, I published my long read on All-In, the podcast that half of Silicon Valley loves—and the other half loves to hate. The hosts, entrepreneurs and tech investors Jason Calacanis, David Friedberg, Chamath Palihapitiya and David Sacks, have successfully used the show to snatch back the mic from a critical press and, arguably, to distract... On Friday, I published my long read on All-In, the podcast that half of Silicon Valley loves—and...
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Creator Economy

TikTok’s Unanswered European Question

By Theo Wayt · Dec 14, 2023 3:35pm PST
This holiday season, many creators have jumped into the e-commerce fray on TikTok, promoting products through livestreams and other videos. But while TikTok Shop, the video app’s new e-commerce feature, is available in the U.S., U.K. and much of Asia, TikTok still hasn’t launched it in the European Union—and hasn’t said when, if ever, it... This holiday season, many creators have jumped into the e-commerce fray on TikTok, promoting...
Serena Kerrigan. Photo by Katie Lovelace.
The Second Act of Serena F–ing Kerrigan
By Kalley Huang · Dec 13, 2023 2:46pm PST · 1 comment
Serena Kerrigan. Photo by Katie Lovelace.
Creator Economy

The Second Act of Serena F–ing Kerrigan

By Kalley Huang · Dec 13, 2023 2:46pm PST · 1 comment
During the pandemic, Serena Kerrigan livestreamed her dates on Instagram every week, introducing a new prospective mate each time. Over the course of 2020, she dated 50 people. The series, called “Let’s F—ing Date,” won her an audience that now totals 600,000 followers on TikTok and nearly 200,000 on Instagram. In September of that year,... During the pandemic, Serena Kerrigan livestreamed her dates on Instagram every week,...
Meta's headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif. Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images.
Creator Economy

Facebook Drops Video Rev Sharing in Bet Creators Will Like the Alternative

By Kaya Yurieff · Dec 12, 2023 3:28pm PST
Facebook wants more creators to set up shop on the blue app, and executives are betting a change to how it shares revenue from video ads will help. The flagship Meta Platforms app is dropping its practice of giving creators 55% of ad revenue on certain videos, something it’s done dating back to the 2017 Facebook Watch days, in favor of a... Facebook wants more creators to set up shop on the blue app, and executives are betting a change...
Lighthouse leaders from left to right: Lucy Tate, Jon Goss, and Steve Nolte. Photo: Whalar
Creator Economy

Whalar Expands From Influencer Marketing to Software and Creator Campuses

By Kaya Yurieff · Dec 11, 2023 2:26pm PST
The past few years have brought an explosion of creator economy startups that tended to focus on one niche offering, say tax help or online courses. As many struggle with a drop in venture funding, some boot-strapped companies have been expanding. Whalar, best known for influencer marketing and managing creators, has quietly launched... The past few years have brought an explosion of creator economy startups that tended to focus on...
Photo by Roslan Rahman/AFP via Getty Images.
Creator Economy

TikTok ‘Swipe Out Hate’ Campaign Follows a Now Familiar Playbook

By Kaya Yurieff · Dec 7, 2023 4:03pm PST
This afternoon, we published a story about TikTok’s latest moves to address mounting criticism that antisemitism and other hate speech has proliferated in videos about the Hamas-Israel war, including an upcoming “Swipe Out Hate” campaign in its app and a new “anti-hate and discrimination” task force to tackle antisemitism and Islamophobia. ... This afternoon, we published a story about TikTok’s latest moves to address mounting criticism...
Players at a New Orleans Pelicans and Milwaukee Bucks game in New Orleans. Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images.
Warner’s ‘House of Highlights’ Is Cutting New Deals with Creators
By Sahil Patel · Dec 6, 2023 2:32pm PST
Players at a New Orleans Pelicans and Milwaukee Bucks game in New Orleans. Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images.
Creator Economy

Warner’s ‘House of Highlights’ Is Cutting New Deals with Creators

By Sahil Patel · Dec 6, 2023 2:32pm PST
You probably first came across House of Highlights years ago on Instagram after the channel posted a clip of LeBron James blocking a shot or Steph Curry hitting a three-point shot from deep. You may have also noticed these NBA stars liking and commenting on those posts. House of Highlights, or HOH for short, has become as much of a household... You probably first came across House of Highlights years ago on Instagram after the channel...
How Startups' AI Dubbing Features Compare
Creator Economy

How Startups' AI Dubbing Features Compare

By Kalley Huang · Dec 5, 2023 4:47pm PST
The creator economy is global, but many creators make content in only one language. To reach more fans, some creators are replacing the audio with a translated version, known as dubbing. But dubbing can cost as much as $75 per minute, according to Bunny Studio, which provides creative services including voiceovers. Generative artificial... The creator economy is global, but many creators make content in only one language. To reach more...
Jack Settleman, a creator and the founder of Snapback Sports. Photo: Snapback Sports.
Creator Economy

Why This Creator Abandoned His YouTube Channel With 600,000 Subscribers—and Started Over

By Kaya Yurieff · Dec 4, 2023 3:28pm PST
Jack Settleman grew a sport-focused YouTube account to nearly 600,000 subscribers. Then he made a surprising decision: Last month he stopped posting to the account, which had become popular thanks to some of its Shorts videos, and decided to start over. This new channel, under the same name Snapback Sports, focuses on sharing experiences at... Jack Settleman grew a sport-focused YouTube account to nearly 600,000 subscribers. Then he made a...
The TikTok Shop Live Dashboard, for BK Beauty Photo by Paul Jauregui.
Creator Economy

‘A Monster Explosion:’ TikTok Discounts and Livestreams Juice Holiday Sales

By Ann Gehan · Nov 30, 2023 2:29pm PST
This holiday shopping season is acting as a coming out party for TikTok Shop, the video app’s new shopping feature, which has been wooing shoppers with big discounts. To get a sense of how the first Black Friday weekend for brands using TikTok Shop went, I caught up with Paul Jauregui, the cofounder of BK Beauty. The Austin-based seller of... This holiday shopping season is acting as a coming out party for TikTok Shop, the video app’s new...
In March, an AI-generated image of the Pope in a Balenciaga puffer jacket went viral when it fooled social media users into thinking it was a real photo. Image via Midjourney.
More AI, More Problems
By Kalley Huang · Nov 29, 2023 4:15pm PST
In March, an AI-generated image of the Pope in a Balenciaga puffer jacket went viral when it fooled social media users into thinking it was a real photo. Image via Midjourney.
Creator Economy

More AI, More Problems

By Kalley Huang · Nov 29, 2023 4:15pm PST
Creators have started using generative artificial intelligence to make their jobs easier, and more startups are looking to provide those tools. At least 19 creator startups center on AI, according to our Creator Economy Database.Still, creators are worried they won’t get credit for their work. Already, some like comedian Sarah Silverman have... Creators have started using generative artificial intelligence to make their jobs easier, and...
Celebrity chef Andre Rush (left) and Aura CEO Hari Ravichandran. Photo: Aura
Creator Economy

Why a Cybersecurity Startup Is Boosting Its Influencer Marketing Budget

By Kaya Yurieff · Nov 28, 2023 2:52pm PST
Even cybersecurity startups are starting to use influencers to market their products.Aura, a five-year-old cybersecurity startup last valued at $2.5 billion, started working with influencers about two years ago as a way to raise awareness about its AI-powered product that protects families against online fraud, such as identity theft. In 2024,... Even cybersecurity startups are starting to use influencers to market their products.Aura, a...
Photo by AFP via Getty
Creator Economy

Why Your TikTok Feed Is Looking More Like YouTube

By Kaya Yurieff · Nov 27, 2023 2:00pm PST
This morning, I published a deep dive into TikTok’s push into longer videos. While TikTok popularized 15-second clips, last month it began testing videos that are 15 minutes. It’s also incentivizing creators to post longer videos with a new creator fund that only rewards videos that are more than a minute. And it’s been testing full-screen... This morning, I published a deep dive into TikTok’s push into longer videos. While TikTok...
Photo via Shutterstock
Creator Economy

Deep Discounts at TikTok Shop

By Margaux MacColl · Nov 22, 2023 1:18pm PST · 1 comment
The upcoming few days will be a test of TikTok’s recent, aggressive effort to expand into e-commerce. Recently I've gotten a taste of TikTok shopping. In a few words: it's seductive, as long as the discounts last.Overnight last month I realized the app had sneakily wedged a new TikTok Shop tab between my For You and Following page, and, after... The upcoming few days will be a test of TikTok’s recent, aggressive effort to expand into...
James Hoffman. Photo by Anil Mistry.
X Has its OpenAI Moment; Interview With a Coffee Influencer
By Kalley Huang · Nov 21, 2023 4:31pm PST · 1 comment
James Hoffman. Photo by Anil Mistry.
Creator Economy

X Has its OpenAI Moment; Interview With a Coffee Influencer

By Kalley Huang · Nov 21, 2023 4:31pm PST · 1 comment
After the surprise ouster of Sam Altman from OpenAI over the weekend, X was atwitter—pun intended—with real-time updates about what was happening. Our feeds were flooded with heart emojis, cryptic messages about what’s next, posts saying “OpenAI is nothing without its people” and, of course, total speculation.“See, Twitter’s not dead,” comedian... After the surprise ouster of Sam Altman from OpenAI over the weekend, X was atwitter—pun intended...
Emmett Shear speaks during TwitchCon 2022 on October 7, 2022 in San Diego, California. Photo by Robin L. Marshall/Getty.
Creator Economy

Emmett Shear’s Next Act; Startup Kick Spikes Bank Products

By Kaya Yurieff · Nov 20, 2023 4:38pm PST
My colleagues have spent most of the last three days trying to get ahead the twists and turns at OpenAI. Besides co-founder Sam Altman being a bona fide influencer in his own right, with 2.2 million followers on his @sama, this telenovela on warp speed intersects the creator economy in some surprising ways. First and foremost, the embattled... My colleagues have spent most of the last three days trying to get ahead the twists and turns at...
Frances Haugen. Photo by Roy Rochlin via Getty.
Creator Economy

How Whistleblowers Changed Our Understanding of Meta

By Sylvia Varnham O'Regan · Nov 16, 2023 3:53pm PST · 1 comment
Before Frances Haugen became a global public figure for leaking a trove of internal documents on Facebook, she carefully avoided alerting Facebook’s security to her plans. The details on how—fascinating to journalists and probably alarming to any CEO—suggest Haugen knew she was about to launch a grenade into the strenuously cultivated public... Before Frances Haugen became a global public figure for leaking a trove of internal documents on...
Evan Spiegel, CEO of Snap Inc. Photo via Getty.
Creator Economy

Spiegel’s Shakeup Hits Snap Stories Group

By Erin Woo · Nov 15, 2023 3:45pm PST
For the past week and a half, I’ve been reporting on a social media CEO who’s been slashing product management staff, taking a hands-on role with product decisions and extolling the benefits of spending longer hours in the office. It wasn’t Elon Musk.Instead, Snap co-founder and CEO Evan Spiegel has taken the hard-core mantle from Musk as... For the past week and a half, I’ve been reporting on a social media CEO who’s been slashing...
Photo: Costfoto/Future Publishing via Getty.
TikTok Reorganizes Content Operations After Pappas’ Exit
By Kaya Yurieff · Nov 14, 2023 2:20pm PST
Photo: Costfoto/Future Publishing via Getty.
Creator Economy

TikTok Reorganizes Content Operations After Pappas’ Exit

By Kaya Yurieff · Nov 14, 2023 2:20pm PST
I’m kicking off today’s newsletter with some new details about internal changes happening at TikTok, this time in its operations division, which includes creators and content. The company has organized the hundreds of operations staff around three key areas: creators, publishers, and content strategy and policy. That’s different from... I’m kicking off today’s newsletter with some new details about internal changes happening at ...