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Chart credit: Joanna Lin Su
Creator Economy

TI Creator Economy: Charting SoftBank’s Creator Economy Bets

By Kaya Yurieff · Aug 26, 2021 4:00pm PDT
Our latest chart highlights an underlying theme of SoftBank’s strategy when it comes to backing creator economy startups: Artificial intelligence is key. Of the two creator economy deals that SoftBank Vision Fund 2 led this year, both are AI-related. All of its creator economy investments this year were for Series C rounds. The most recent... Our latest chart highlights an underlying theme of SoftBank’s strategy when it comes to backing...
OnlyFans CEO Tim Stokely. Photo: OnlyFans.
Creator Economy

The Numbers Behind The OnlyFans Flip-Flop; Clubhouse Teases a Creator Marketplace

By Kaya Yurieff · Aug 25, 2021 4:24pm PDT
OnlyFans is giving performers and observers serious whiplash. At first, the company banned sexually explicit content, although it said nudity would still be allowed. Less than a week later, it overturned the ban, saying it received “assurances” from banking partners that it can support payments for all types of creators.On one hand, the back and... OnlyFans is giving performers and observers serious whiplash. At first, the company banned...
Photo: Bloomberg
Creator Economy

The Race for Social Shopping is Wide Open; OnlyFans CEO Speaks Out

By Kaya Yurieff · Aug 24, 2021 4:12pm PDT
Nearly every social network now offers some sort of in-app shopping, including Instagram, Snapchat and Pinterest. And why not? These features could lead to new sources of income, say by sales commissions, and help attract creators, who often promote products. But despite the wide interest, it’s not clear how successful any of them have been.On... Nearly every social network now offers some sort of in-app shopping, including Instagram,...
Photos featured on the Accidentally Wes Anderson Instagram account. Photo credit: Wally Koval, @accidentallywesanderson, @sarahisle, @wherehayleygoes, @friiidaberg, @colewhitworth
The OnlyFans Fallout Continues; Q&A With Instagram Account ‘Accidentally Wes Anderson’
By Kaya Yurieff · Aug 23, 2021 4:10pm PDT
Photos featured on the Accidentally Wes Anderson Instagram account. Photo credit: Wally Koval, @accidentallywesanderson, @sarahisle, @wherehayleygoes, @friiidaberg, @colewhitworth
Creator Economy

The OnlyFans Fallout Continues; Q&A With Instagram Account ‘Accidentally Wes Anderson’

By Kaya Yurieff · Aug 23, 2021 4:10pm PDT
OnlyFans’ big announcement last week that it will ban sexually explicit content is still prompting a lot more questions from some performers—and observers—than answers. The latest: Over the weekend, OnlyFans responded to a backlash among sex workers to its policy change by acknowledging their importance to the U.K startup’s sucess. “The... OnlyFans’ big announcement last week that it will ban sexually explicit content is still...
Photo: Bloomberg
Creator Economy

Who Wins as OnlyFans Sheds Its Porn Past

By Kaya Yurieff · Aug 19, 2021 4:21pm PDT · 1 comment
OnlyFans was one of the startups that became synonymous with the rise of the creator economy last year, as it grew to a $383 million-revenue company on subscriptions and tips that went directly to performers, who were largely producing sexually explicit content. So it’s huge news that it’s getting out of the business that made it such a... OnlyFans was one of the startups that became synonymous with the rise of the creator economy last...
TikTok star Olivia Rodrigo at the White House. Photo: Bloomberg
Creator Economy

Influencers Discover New Source of Funding: the Government

By Kaya Yurieff · Aug 18, 2021 4:14pm PDT
The Biden administration has been teaming up with social media influencers to fight Covid-19 vaccine misinformation, inviting pop star Olivia Rodrigo to visit the White House and enlisting popular comedic creator Benito Skinner, a.k.a Benny Drama, to make a viral video urging vaccine shots. Local governments have also been tapping into... The Biden administration has been teaming up with social media influencers to fight Covid-19...
Pelé in 2005. Photo: Bloomberg
Creator Economy

A Market for Buying Shares of Creators Finds Its Way

By Kaya Yurieff · Aug 17, 2021 4:06pm PDT · 1 comment
Investing directly in creators—a chance to bet on the future success of an internet personality and buy into their future earnings—has been gaining steam. The idea is a natural outgrowth of viewing creators as an asset, not dissimilar to an early-stage startup, that could rise in value with more followers and sponsorships. But this market is... Investing directly in creators—a chance to bet on the future success of an internet personality...
Robert Kyncl. Photo: YouTube
YouTube’s Chief Business Officer on TikTok, Shopping and Future Deals
By Kaya Yurieff · Aug 16, 2021 4:22pm PDT · 1 comment
Robert Kyncl. Photo: YouTube
Creator Economy

YouTube’s Chief Business Officer on TikTok, Shopping and Future Deals

By Kaya Yurieff · Aug 16, 2021 4:22pm PDT · 1 comment
As YouTube’s chief business officer, Robert Kyncl oversees global partnerships with media companies, artists and creators. Those internet personalities are starting to gravitate to a product YouTube rolled out nearly a year ago: a quick and easy way to produce short-form videos, like the ones popularized by TikTok. “That was a missing... As YouTube’s chief business officer, Robert Kyncl oversees global partnerships with media...
Stationhead CEO Ryan Star. Photo: Stationhead
Creator Economy

The Startup Where Superfans Turn Into Streaming DJs; Reddit’s Boffo Quarter

By Sylvie Venuto · Aug 12, 2021 4:54pm PDT
As an independent rock musician, Stationhead CEO Ryan Star recalls getting frustrated every time he tried to convince a radio station program director to play his songs. “We don’t break the hits, we play the hits,” was the common response. Six years later, the startup Star co-founded—a form of fan-organized radio for the streaming age—has become... As an independent rock musician, Stationhead CEO Ryan Star recalls getting frustrated every time...
Quora CEO Adam D’Angelo. Credit: Quora
Creator Economy

Quora CEO D’Angelo On Paying its Writers; High Schoolers Love Shared Calendars

By Kaya Yurieff · Aug 11, 2021 4:00pm PDT
Question-and-answer sites can feel like a forgotten era of an older internet. Yahoo Answers, founded in 2005, shut down this year. But Quora, started four years later, is chugging along—and reinventing itself. Last week the company announced new subscription products aimed at creators, or the popular writers, on its site. On Tuesday, I... Question-and-answer sites can feel like a forgotten era of an older internet. Yahoo Answers,...
Photo credit: Bloomberg
Creator Economy

How YouTube’s Crackdown on Unboxing Videos Could Play Out

By Kaya Yurieff · Aug 10, 2021 4:27pm PDT
New moves by YouTube to better protect minors could have consequences for social media creators who create toy-focused videos for children. On Tuesday, YouTube and its parent company Google announced new safety features for users under 18, following a similar move by Instagram last month. Changes include allowing minors to ask for their... New moves by YouTube to better protect minors could have consequences for social media creators...
All Social Networks Look The Same Now
By Kaya Yurieff · Aug 9, 2021 4:03pm PDT
Creator Economy

All Social Networks Look The Same Now

By Kaya Yurieff · Aug 9, 2021 4:03pm PDT
Our latest chart shows how many features social media networks have in common, ranging from livestreaming to TikTok competitors and shopping. It’s a sign of the social media market maturing, similar to how smartphones and laptops now share similar interfaces and functions. The pandemic has also made competition even more fierce among social... Our latest chart shows how many features social media networks have in common, ranging from...
Erin Miller. Photo: Erin Miller
Creator Economy

Why Disappearing Posts Have Staying Power; The TikToker Who Revels in ‘90s Nostalgia

By Kaya Yurieff · Aug 5, 2021 4:02pm PDT
If you need a clue as to where social media is going, spend some time on Snapchat. An early pioneer of disappearing Stories, it’s now primarily used by young people to message privately with small groups of friends. Those messages quickly disappear, too.  It turns out ephemerality, the fancy name for technology that deletes itself, has... If you need a clue as to where social media is going, spend some time on Snapchat. An early...
Creator Economy

One Surprising Source of Influencers’ Monthly Income

By Kaya Yurieff · Aug 4, 2021 3:59pm PDT · 1 comment
In May, we published a chart showing how reliant creators are on sponsored deals with advertisers to make money. But our readers also wanted to know how much influencers earn on different social networks.  Influencer marketing firm NeoReach gave us an early look at a new survey it conducted to answer that question. The research, which... In May, we published a chart showing how reliant creators are on sponsored deals with advertisers...
Patreon CEO Jack Conte. Photo credit: Patreon
Creator Economy

Patreon’s Jack Conte: ‘Phase Two’ of Creator Tools Will Help Them Build Companies

By Kaya Yurieff · Aug 3, 2021 4:28pm PDT
On Monday, we wrote about the rise of fan membership services. Many of them are following the model of Patreon, the platform for artists and other creators. CEO Jack Conte, who co-founded the startup eight years ago because he was frustrated with his band’s slim earnings from YouTube ads, has played a pioneering role in developing new ways for... On Monday, we wrote about the rise of fan membership services. Many of them are following the...
Maroon 5 performs on Feb. 27, 2020. Photo: AP
The Rise of Fan Membership Services; Pearpop’s Maroon 5 Challenge
By Kaya Yurieff · Aug 2, 2021 4:09pm PDT
Maroon 5 performs on Feb. 27, 2020. Photo: AP
Creator Economy

The Rise of Fan Membership Services; Pearpop’s Maroon 5 Challenge

By Kaya Yurieff · Aug 2, 2021 4:09pm PDT
For some creators, brand sponsorships are losing their luster, even though they remain the top way to make money. Subscriptions, a path to earn recurring income directly from fans, have emerged as an attractive second option. That’s fueled the success of OnlyFans and Patreon. Now other startups and big social networks are following suit.... For some creators, brand sponsorships are losing their luster, even though they remain the top...
Photo by Bloomberg
Creator Economy

Can TikTok Be Knocked Off? Comments By Facebook, Snap and YouTube Point to ‘No’

By Kaya Yurieff · Jul 29, 2021 4:00pm PDT
Can anyone catch TikTok? YouTube, Instagram and Snap have each tried to adapt to the paradigm shift caused by the ByteDance-owned short-form video app, which took the world by storm in the past few years. They’ve given little indication that people actually like their TikTok clones.On a conference call with analysts on Wednesday, Facebook CEO ... Can anyone catch TikTok? YouTube, Instagram and Snap have each tried to adapt to the paradigm...
Photo by Bloomberg
Creator Economy

Bringing Order to the Chaos of Influencers’ Hotel Discount-Seeking

By Kaya Yurieff · Jul 28, 2021 4:17pm PDT
For several years, hotels have found themselves in awkward situations with social media influencers who contact them for free rooms in exchange for posts that promote their properties. Some interactions between ornery hotel owners and thirsty Instagram personalities have even gone viral.Instead of rolling his eyes, Michael Keriakos saw an... For several years, hotels have found themselves in awkward situations with social media...
Pinterest CEO Ben Silbermann. Photo by Bloomberg
Creator Economy

Pinterest’s Interest in Creators Comes Back From the Dead

By Kaya Yurieff · Jul 27, 2021 4:45pm PDT
Pinterest doesn’t immediately come to mind as a top attraction for content creators. But like other content platforms, it’s been fighting for the attention of influencers by adding new ways for them to make money. On Tuesday, the app announced features allowing creators to earn commissions from directing Pinterest users to buy specific products... Pinterest doesn’t immediately come to mind as a top attraction for content creators. But like...
Photo by Bloomberg
TikTok’s Toilsome Virality; Olympians’ Personal Videos Break Out
By Kaya Yurieff · Jul 26, 2021 4:00pm PDT
Photo by Bloomberg
Creator Economy

TikTok’s Toilsome Virality; Olympians’ Personal Videos Break Out

By Kaya Yurieff · Jul 26, 2021 4:00pm PDT
From the outside, TikTok’s four-year ascent can seem almost serendipitous or out of the blue. But Chris Stokel-Walker’s new book “TikTok Boom” goes further than any other journalist to capture the astounding amount of work by TikTok’s Chinese parent company ByteDance to make the viral-video app go viral.TikTok today might qualify as a... From the outside, TikTok’s four-year ascent can seem almost serendipitous or out of the blue. But...