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Creator Economy

The Debate Over Teen Fitness Content on Instagram

By Kalley Huang · Nov 13, 2023 3:25pm PST · 2 comments
It’s Kalley again. On Friday, my colleague Sylvia and I reported on ongoing challenges at Meta Platforms over how to limit content that’s risky to young people. A centerpiece of the debate over youth safety and well-being is what sort of content Meta should limit on Instagram, Facebook and its other apps, and what the company should... It’s Kalley again. On Friday, my colleague Sylvia and I reported on ongoing challenges at Meta...
How Livestreaming Tipping Payouts Compare
Creator Economy

How Livestreaming Tipping Payouts Compare

By Kalley Huang · Nov 9, 2023 3:58pm PST
In the third quarter, TikTok users sent more than $250 million worth of digital gifts to U.S.-based livestreamers on the video app, my colleague Erin reported last week. Those virtual tips are turning into significant revenue for creators. TikTok turns over half of those proceeds—calculated after paying Apple and Google app store fees and... In the third quarter, TikTok users sent more than $250 million worth of digital gifts to...
Bonsai co-founders Patrick Sullivan and Jake Rosenfeld. Photo: Diego Clare
Creator Economy

A Startup Pivots to Music as Fan Fever Rises

By Kaya Yurieff · Nov 8, 2023 3:12pm PST
Startups offering various services for musicians have proven popular with investors lately amid a broader drop in funding for creator startups. That partly reflects the opportunity created by social media apps that have helped new musicians quickly gain followings, while established ones can more easily communicate with fans and see their tracks... Startups offering various services for musicians have proven popular with investors lately amid a...
Gigmor CEO David Baird. Photo from Gigmor.
Two Startups Test Crowdfunding as Venture Dollars Dry Up
By Kalley Huang · Nov 7, 2023 3:12pm PST
Gigmor CEO David Baird. Photo from Gigmor.
Creator Economy

Two Startups Test Crowdfunding as Venture Dollars Dry Up

By Kalley Huang · Nov 7, 2023 3:12pm PST
As funding for creator economy startups has dried up, some companies are turning to unconventional means to raise money. In March, the newsletter platform Substack raised $7.8 million in what it called a “community round,” inviting its writers to invest in the company. Now, more startups are following in its footsteps.On Tuesday, Gigmor, which... As funding for creator economy startups has dried up, some companies are turning to...
Photo by Shutterstock
Creator Economy

Threads Courts Reality TV Creators

By Kaya Yurieff · Nov 6, 2023 2:25pm PST
We’re starting the week off with a scoop about Instagram’s efforts to court creators. Instagram’s Threads recently invited some creators to join “Pops,” a new community of reality TV and pop culture creators on the text-based app. Among other incentives, it will offer challenges where creators compete to win unnamed “special prizes,” we are... We’re starting the week off with a scoop about Instagram’s efforts to court creators. ...
X CEO Linda Yaccarino. Photo by Getty
Creator Economy

Hashtag Activism Returns to X

By Erin Woo · Nov 2, 2023 5:04pm PDT
Hashtag activism is back.Dozens of trans users of X have been posting their stories on the app formerly known as Twitter as a way of protesting conservative video maker PragerU, which purchased one of X’s most prominent advertising spots to promote a documentary arguing that gender-affirming care is dangerous for transgender youth. The... Hashtag activism is back.Dozens of trans users of X have been posting their stories on the app...
CocoMelon. Photo via YouTube
Creator Economy

Are Creator Startups Ripe For Rollups?

By Kaya Yurieff · Nov 1, 2023 2:33pm PDT
As more creator economy startups find buyers, I’ve been hearing talk about the possibility of rollups: one firm buying several similar businesses and combining them, saving on back-office costs while expanding their markets. So far, there’s more talk than action. The private equity firms who typically back such deals have made limited... As more creator economy startups find buyers, I’ve been hearing talk about the possibility of...
Chart by Shane Burke
Why Influencer Marketing Firms Are For Sale
By Kaya Yurieff · Oct 31, 2023 2:03pm PDT
Chart by Shane Burke
Creator Economy

Why Influencer Marketing Firms Are For Sale

By Kaya Yurieff · Oct 31, 2023 2:03pm PDT
Earlier today, I published a story about a flurry of acquisitions hitting creator economy startups. Some of these deals are wiping out investors or returning very little cash. For instance, when Patreon bought Moment earlier this month, the livestreaming events startup was running low on funds. The deal won’t return much to Moment investors,... Earlier today, I published a story about a flurry of acquisitions hitting creator economy...
Photo via Flip.
Creator Economy

A Social Shopping App Gets Popular Thanks to Costly Referrals

By Ann Gehan · Oct 30, 2023 3:14pm PDT · 1 comment
I’m Ann, and I cover e-commerce and retail for The Information. Lately, I’ve been hearing more about Flip, a TikTok-like shopping app that’s been dominating my conversations with e-commerce founders, as well as my X feed, for the past few weeks—thanks to a costly way of getting new customers. The app, first launched in 2019, offers a... I’m Ann, and I cover e-commerce and retail for The Information. Lately, I’ve been hearing more...
Erin and Sara Foster. Photo by Erin Beach.
Creator Economy

What Creators Can Learn From Kim Kardashian’s Skims

By Kalley Huang · Oct 26, 2023 3:45pm PDT · 1 comment
It’s Kalley Huang, reporting from The Information’s Women in Tech, Media and Finance Summit in Yountville, Calif. Creators and influencers are increasingly launching their own companies to expand their audiences and to generate revenue beyond sponsorships. But their names aren’t enough to sell offline brands, said Erin and Sara Foster, the... It’s Kalley Huang, reporting from The Information’s Women in Tech, Media and Finance Summit in...
Photo via YouTube/Meta.
Creator Economy

Mark Zuckerberg Talks Up ‘Creator AIs’

By Sylvia Varnham O'Regan · Oct 25, 2023 3:46pm PDT
It’s all about artificial intelligence.That was the message from Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg when he discussed the company’s third-quarter earnings Wednesday on an investor call. Buoyed by strong overall results—the company’s revenue jumped 23% and profit nearly tripled—Zuckerberg said the company’s new AI tools will change the way people... It’s all about artificial intelligence.That was the message from Meta Platforms CEO Mark...
Snap CEO Evan Spiegel. Photo via YouTube/Snapchat.
YouTube and Snap Results Suggest Consumers Cooling to Short-Form Video
By Kaya Yurieff · Oct 24, 2023 3:36pm PDT
Snap CEO Evan Spiegel. Photo via YouTube/Snapchat.
Creator Economy

YouTube and Snap Results Suggest Consumers Cooling to Short-Form Video

By Kaya Yurieff · Oct 24, 2023 3:36pm PDT
Have consumers started to cool towards short-form video? That’s certainly one read from Google and Snap results. At Snap, the company didn’t break out the monthly active users of its short-form video feature Spotlight, unlike in the second quarter, when Snap said the feature had more than 400 million monthly active users. Snap did say time... Have consumers started to cool towards short-form video? That’s certainly one read from Google...
The YouTube Indicator to Watch
Creator Economy

The YouTube Indicator to Watch

By Sahil Patel · Oct 23, 2023 2:47pm PDT
Will short-form video ever generate meaningful revenue for creators on YouTube, TikTok and Instagram? The next three months will go a long way to answering that question. Just pay attention to YouTube. Advertisers in the summer committed more than $7 billion to YouTube during the annual advertising negotiations known as upfronts. These... Will short-form video ever generate meaningful revenue for creators on YouTube, TikTok and...
Magic Johnson. Photo via Shutterstock.
Creator Economy

Magic Johnson Leaves Cameo's Board

By Kaya Yurieff · Oct 19, 2023 1:30pm PDT
Kicking off today’s newsletter with a scoop: Cameo in recent weeks has sought to raise at least $10 million in funding, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter. Such a deal, if completed, would be a sign investors are still hopeful of the celebrity video site’s future. But the site has also lost a high-profile ambassador. ... Kicking off today’s newsletter with a scoop: Cameo in recent weeks has sought to raise at least...
Photo via Getty.
Creator Economy

TikTok Offers to Train Sports Advertisers

By Kaya Yurieff · Oct 18, 2023 2:07pm PDT
Despite TikTok’s immense popularity, it still has work to do to help advertisers and the agencies that make ads understand how to best use the short-form video app.The latest effort to address this: Earlier this month, the ByteDance-owned company invited creative agencies to participate in a program focused on upcoming major sporting events,... Despite TikTok’s immense popularity, it still has work to do to help advertisers and the agencies...
Prime energy drinks. Photo via Shutterstock
The Most Promising Creator Startups
By Kaya Yurieff · Oct 17, 2023 2:14pm PDT
Prime energy drinks. Photo via Shutterstock
Creator Economy

The Most Promising Creator Startups

By Kaya Yurieff · Oct 17, 2023 2:14pm PDT
On Tuesday, we released The Information’s 50 Most Promising Startups, an annual list where we select companies that have the potential to be the most valuable businesses in their sectors based on our reporting, including their revenue and growth prospects. The 50 companies we selected have raised less than $100 million in funding or started... On Tuesday, we released The Information’s 50 Most Promising Startups, an annual list where we...
European Commissioner for Internal Market Thierry Breton. Photo by Thierry Monasse via Getty.
Creator Economy

The Questions Breton Should Ask Elon Musk

By Erin Woo · Oct 16, 2023 4:17pm PDT
The Israel-Hamas war that erupted over the past week has been a test of social media companies’ ability to handle content moderation in a crisis. In Europe, it’s also been a chance for the European Commission to flex its muscle under the Digital Services Act for the first time. Over the past week, Thierry Breton, the EU commissioner for the... The Israel-Hamas war that erupted over the past week has been a test of social media companies’...
Photo by Lee Campbell via Unsplash
Creator Economy

Startups for Music Fans Are a Hit With Investors

By Kalley Huang · Oct 12, 2023 3:51pm PDT
Music startups are still in tune for creator economy investors. Fave, an app for music fans to connect with artists and each other, said it had secured $2 million in funding. It’s trying to raise an additional $4 million for the round, which would bring its total funding to $8 million. The company said existing investors including Female... Music startups are still in tune for creator economy investors. Fave, an app for music fans...
More Social Networks Are Charging for Ad-Free Apps
Creator Economy

More Social Networks Are Charging for Ad-Free Apps

By Kalley Huang · Oct 11, 2023 2:27pm PDT · 1 comment
Just a few years ago, an ad-free social media network would have seemed like an oxymoron. But more have started testing subscriptions to ad-free versions of their apps, which could generate revenue beyond digital advertising—and in some cases, placate regulators. Our latest chart shows how their offerings compare.Last week, TikTok confirmed it... Just a few years ago, an ad-free social media network would have seemed like an oxymoron. But...
Chart by Shane Burke
Funding for U.S. Creator Economy Startups Is (Slowly) Recovering
By Kaya Yurieff · Oct 10, 2023 3:12pm PDT
Chart by Shane Burke
Creator Economy

Funding for U.S. Creator Economy Startups Is (Slowly) Recovering

By Kaya Yurieff · Oct 10, 2023 3:12pm PDT
Funding for U.S. creator economy startups is showing slow signs of recovery after hitting a record low during the first quarter of the year, although it’s nowhere near the funding bonanza of 2021. Deals for services startups such as payments company Karat and link-in-bio and commerce startup Komi helped drive investments.U.S. funding... Funding for U.S. creator economy startups is showing slow signs of recovery after hitting a...