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Art: Mike Sullivan
Creator Economy

Real Estate Agents Turn TikTokers; Picsart Layoffs; Twitter’s Exodus

By Mahira Dayal · May 17, 2022 2:59pm PDT
TikTok is changing the housing market. The #nycapartments hashtag on the ByteDance-owned app has more than 100 million views; #apartmenttour has 1.3 billion. With that kind of visibility, real estate firms and agents are increasingly setting up TikTok accounts, often as a way to reach Gen Z and millennial buyers, who together make up 39% of home... TikTok is changing the housing market. The #nycapartments hashtag on the ByteDance-owned app has...
Saturday's mass shooting at a Tops supermarket in Buffalo was livestreamed on Twitch. Photo by AP.
Creator Economy

A Mass Shooting Streamed on Twitch Renews Calls for Social Media Controls

By Kaya Yurieff · May 16, 2022 2:00pm PDT
A racially-motivated mass shooting at a Buffalo grocery store over the weekend, which left at least 10 people dead, has rekindled calls for social media platforms to do more to wipe out hate speech and and act more quickly to handle violent broadcasts. The man identified by police as the shooter livestreamed the attack on Amazon-owned ... A racially-motivated mass shooting at a Buffalo grocery store over the weekend, which left at...
Chart: Mike Sullivan
Creator Economy

Where and How Social Networks Serve Up Ads; Top Execs Depart Twitter

By Mahira Dayal · May 12, 2022 2:09pm PDT
Social networks have yet to figure out how to pay creators for their short-form videos. TikTok, for instance, announced last week that it will start testing revenue-sharing with select creators; Instagram said the same in February. Both already have dedicated funds to pay creators, but those have evoked mixed emotions, with many saying they’re ... Social networks have yet to figure out how to pay creators for their short-form videos. TikTok,...
Art by Mike Sullivan
Instagram Pushes Video Memes; Inside TikTok’s Shopping Strategy
By Mahira Dayal · May 11, 2022 3:37pm PDT
Art by Mike Sullivan
Creator Economy

Instagram Pushes Video Memes; Inside TikTok’s Shopping Strategy

By Mahira Dayal · May 11, 2022 3:37pm PDT
Instagram is trying to change how we think about memes, the viral, captioned photos that comment on popular culture. Those static memes are fine, but video memes are even better. That was the takeaway from MemeCon, a summit hosted by Instagram at its parent Meta Platforms’ New York City office, which was held on Zoom last year. The reason... Instagram is trying to change how we think about memes, the viral, captioned photos that comment...
Smosh CEO Daniel Tibbets. Photo: Smosh Art: Mike Sullivan
Creator Economy

How YouTube Brand Smosh Plans to Grow; Roblox’s Late Pandemic Chill

By Mahira Dayal · May 10, 2022 3:57pm PDT
Remember Smosh? Now a startup with 40 employees, the company began life as a YouTube channel founded by video producers Ian Hecox and Anthony Padilla. They posted their first video, a blurry homemade music clip featuring the “Power Rangers” theme song, in November 2005, the same year YouTube launched. In 2011, media company Defy Media... Remember Smosh? Now a startup with 40 employees, the company began life as a YouTube channel...
Creators judging Karat's startup pitching competition. Photo: Courtesy of Karat
Creator Economy

Creators Judge a Shark Tank-Style Contest; Instagram Tests NFTs

By Kaya Yurieff · May 9, 2022 2:00pm PDT
As Neal Jean, the CEO and co-founder of link-in-bio startup Beacons, was raising his Series A round of funding, he pitched an unusual set of investors earlier this year: creators judging a Shark Tank-style competition for startups. At least three creators invested with individual checks ranging from $2,500 to $10,000, money that Jean plans... As Neal Jean, the CEO and co-founder of link-in-bio startup Beacons, was raising his Series...
Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour at Monday's Met Gala. Photo: AP
Creator Economy

Why Anna Wintour Originally Didn’t Want Influencers at the Met Gala

By Kaya Yurieff · May 5, 2022 2:15pm PDT
Before we get into today’s newsletter, I want to talk about our second Creator Economy Summit, happening on May 25. We’re really excited to speak with executives from major companies including Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest and hear from creators like TikTok star Josh Richards. We’re going to dive into topics ranging from what Web3 and NFTs... Before we get into today’s newsletter, I want to talk about our second Creator Economy Summit,...
A Cameo NFT event in Beverly Hills in February. Photo courtesy of Cameo
Inside Cameo’s Layoffs; Twitch Star Kkatamina Says it Started With Minecraft
By Kaya Yurieff · May 4, 2022 4:53pm PDT
A Cameo NFT event in Beverly Hills in February. Photo courtesy of Cameo
Creator Economy

Inside Cameo’s Layoffs; Twitch Star Kkatamina Says it Started With Minecraft

By Kaya Yurieff · May 4, 2022 4:53pm PDT
Cameo emerged as one of the creator economy's stars during the pandemic, nabbing a more than $1 billion valuation last year and more than tripling its pre-pandemic workforce. Its layoffs – which we reported on earlier Wednesday – may be a precursor of what’s to come for creator economy startups. At an all-hands meeting earlier today, Steven... Cameo emerged as one of the creator economy's stars during the pandemic, nabbing a more than $1...
Art: Mike Sullivan
Creator Economy

Snap Partners With Cameo to Link Advertisers With Creators; Influencers at the Met Gala

By Mahira Dayal · May 3, 2022 3:57pm PDT
I was at Snap’s NewFronts presentation at the Rose Theater at Lincoln Center in New York City today. It’s the first time Snap has hosted an in-person presentation at NewFronts, a four day-long showcase where media and technology companies present their upcoming products and features to advertisers, hosted annually by advertising company IAB. For... I was at Snap’s NewFronts presentation at the Rose Theater at Lincoln Center in New York City...
OnlyFans’ new CEO Ami Gan. Photo: OnlyFans
Creator Economy

OnlyFans CEO Stresses Commitment to Adult Content; Enter the Wild World of Virtual Streamers

By Kaya Yurieff · May 2, 2022 2:27pm PDT
OnlyFans over the last year has sometimes seemed ambivalent about the sexually explicit performers that made the subscription site a pandemic-era success story. At one point it even annouced a short-lived ban on sexual content. Its new CEO Ami Gan wants to make something clear: sex is staying on OnlyFans. “We want to – and very much own –... OnlyFans over the last year has sometimes seemed ambivalent about the sexually explicit...
Snap executive Jim Shepherd. Photo: Snap. Art by Mike Sullivan
Creator Economy

Snap Gives Creators More Edit Tools; How Musk’s Twitter Could Follow the LinkedIn Premium Model

By Mahira Dayal · Apr 28, 2022 2:35pm PDT · 1 comment
Snap Thursday announced new editing features that could be a big deal for creators, particularly as new social networks (we see you, BeReal) spring up with their own nifty photo features. At Snap’s developer summit Thursday, the company announced a Director Mode that will make it easier for people to make videos with special effects without... Snap Thursday announced new editing features that could be a big deal for creators, particularly...
Art: Mike Sullivan
Meta Talks Up Metaverse Creators; Earnings News from Spotify and Pinterest
By Mahira Dayal · Apr 27, 2022 5:13pm PDT
Art: Mike Sullivan
Creator Economy

Meta Talks Up Metaverse Creators; Earnings News from Spotify and Pinterest

By Mahira Dayal · Apr 27, 2022 5:13pm PDT
Meta Platforms had plenty of topics to talk about on its first quarter earnings call, but creators weren’t one of them. After shining the spotlight on Reels the previous quarter, Meta executives had little to say about the most pressing issues on the minds of creators today, such as its creator fund.Instead, creators came up in the context of... Meta Platforms had plenty of topics to talk about on its first quarter earnings call, but...
Art: Mike Sullivan
Creator Economy

YouTube’s Big Chill; TikTok is Top App; Our One-Year Anniversary

By Kaya Yurieff · Apr 26, 2022 4:48pm PDT
A year ago today, we published the first Creator Economy newsletter! What a year it’s been: besides exclusive news and analysis, original charts, and interviews with startup founders and influencers, we also launched our one-of-a-kind database of creator economy startups for The Information subscribers, and brought on a second reporter, Mahira,... A year ago today, we published the first Creator Economy newsletter! What a year it’s been:...
Art: Mike Sullivan
Creator Economy

What YouTube, Instagram and Pinterest Results Could Say About Creators; Musk the Influencer

By Mahira Dayal · Apr 25, 2022 3:37pm PDT
Tuesday kicks off a three-day gusher of tech company quarterly results. If Snap, which reported first quarter results last week, is any indication of what’s to come, other companies will discuss pressures from the global economy. The photo-sharing app also indicated that the war in Ukraine prompted advertisers to halt spending, which hurt... Tuesday kicks off a three-day gusher of tech company quarterly results. If Snap, which reported...
Screenshot of Evan Spiegel via YouTube
Creator Economy

Snap Tests Ads on Spotlight; Q&A With TikToker Kallmekris

By Mahira Dayal · Apr 21, 2022 5:14pm PDT
Snap’s warning that global economic problems are tripping up its business largely overshadowed the rest of its first-quarter results, including a healthy jump in users. But the accompanying call with investors did include an update on its creator products that’s worth noting, especially since they could make its Snapchat app a more fierce rival... Snap’s warning that global economic problems are tripping up its business largely overshadowed...
A monitor with Snap Inc. signage on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Photo by Bloomberg
Snap Results to Reveal Apple, TikTok Impact; 200 Million Creators, Many Just Scraping By
By Kaya Yurieff · Apr 20, 2022 2:14pm PDT
A monitor with Snap Inc. signage on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Photo by Bloomberg
Creator Economy

Snap Results to Reveal Apple, TikTok Impact; 200 Million Creators, Many Just Scraping By

By Kaya Yurieff · Apr 20, 2022 2:14pm PDT
Snap on Thursday kicks off quarterly results for big social media companies. These results will give an early window into how digital advertising-driven companies are navigating the continued fallout from Apple privacy changes. Snap’s results should also reveal how its TikTok competitor Spotlight is faring. First, look for a read on the... Snap on Thursday kicks off quarterly results for big social media companies. These results will...
Credit: Bloomberg
Creator Economy

What the Demise of Spotify’s Live Audio Fund Means

By Mahira Dayal · Apr 19, 2022 3:43pm PDT
It’s been a downhill slope for social audio. After Clubhouse had early success during the outset of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, Twitter, Facebook and Spotify launched their own copycat versions. But excitement has fizzled as more in-person activities resumed. Spotify’s decision to shelve plans for a fund to back creators producing live... It’s been a downhill slope for social audio. After Clubhouse had early success during the outset...
Lindsey Lee Lugrin, the CEO of FYPM, a Glassdoor for influencers. Photo: Sissy Martin
Creator Economy

The Startups Seeking to Improve Pay Transparency for Creators

By Kaya Yurieff · Apr 18, 2022 3:04pm PDT
Next month, New York City is set to begin requiring employers to list salary ranges on job postings, a new law aimed at increasing pay transparency. For social media creators, the equivalent—figuring out how much they should get paid by advertisers for sponsored posts—has long been a source of confusion.“It’s an uncomfortable thing to even ask,”... Next month, New York City is set to begin requiring employers to list salary ranges on job...
Elon Musk. Photo: Bloomberg. Illustration: Mike Sullivan.
Creator Economy

What Elon Twitter™ Would Mean for Creators

By Mark Di Stefano · Apr 14, 2022 3:10pm PDT
It’s official: Elon Musk, already Twitter’s largest shareholder, is launching a bid to buy the rest of Twitter for $39 billion, a move that would allow the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX to put his personal stamp on the platform. “I think it’s very important for there to be an inclusive arena for free speech,” Musk said in a TED conference interview on... It’s official: Elon Musk, already Twitter’s largest shareholder, is launching a bid to buy the...
Akash Nigam, CEO of Genies. Photo: Genies
An Updated Chart of Creator Economy Unicorns; Q&A With Kids Podcast Creator Mr. Jim
By Kaya Yurieff · Apr 13, 2022 3:37pm PDT
Akash Nigam, CEO of Genies. Photo: Genies
Creator Economy

An Updated Chart of Creator Economy Unicorns; Q&A With Kids Podcast Creator Mr. Jim

By Kaya Yurieff · Apr 13, 2022 3:37pm PDT
Los Angeles startup Genies this week became the latest creator economy company valued by investors at $1 billion or more. That makes it the sixteenth addition to our list of creator economy unicorns, a figure that’s jumped since we first published the chart in September. We’ve made four additions this year alone. The new entries suggest... Los Angeles startup Genies this week became the latest creator economy company valued by...