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Photo via Getty
Creator Economy
media/telecom

What’s Behind the Redditor API Strike

By Isabelle Sarraf · June 6, 2023 4:22 PM PDT
People strike over wages, working conditions...and now, apparently, the decision by Reddit to charge developers for access to their users’ jokes, memes and gaming tips. On Monday, the managers of hundreds of forums on Reddit, including some of its most popular ones such as r/gaming and r/music, will take these forums private to protest the... People strike over wages, working conditions...and now, apparently, the decision by Reddit to...
Victoria Thompson and Joe Eardley, executive producers of the docuseries ‘The Age of Influence.’ Photo of Thompson: ABC News
Creator Economy
entertainment

The Rise of Influencer Scams and Scandals

By Kaya Yurieff · June 5, 2023 2:30 PM PDT
A new Hulu docuseries out on Monday called “The Age of Influence” examines the underbelly of the influencer world, from people who’ve used social media to perpetuate scams and fraud to child abuse happening behind the scenes of a popular kids YouTube channel.The show, produced by Part2 Pictures for ABC News Studios, looks at lesser known... A new Hulu docuseries out on Monday called “The Age of Influence” examines the underbelly of the...
Table by Mike Sullivan
Creator Economy
ai media/telecom

How Social Media AI Chatbots Compare

By Isabelle Sarraf · June 1, 2023 3:05 PM PDT
After OpenAI’s ChatGPT took the world by storm six months ago, social media companies have been scrambling to join the cluster of tech giants integrating and adapting OpenAI's large language models or rival technology to their platforms to create conversational chatbots.Snapchat was the first to enter the fray, launching its My AI chatbot, which... After OpenAI’s ChatGPT took the world by storm six months ago, social media companies have been...
DiveThru founder Sophie Gray. Photo courtesy of subject
The Founders and Coaches Addressing Burnout
By Kaya Yurieff · May 31, 2023 2:00 PM PDT · 1 comment
DiveThru founder Sophie Gray. Photo courtesy of subject
Creator Economy
startups

The Founders and Coaches Addressing Burnout

By Kaya Yurieff · May 31, 2023 2:00 PM PDT · 1 comment
Over the past two years, I’ve interviewed dozens of creators. It’s very rare that I speak to one that hasn’t experienced burnout or a toll on their mental health, sometimes spurred by hateful comments, declining views, or simply the loneliness of working solo. Two recent creator suicides, of long-time influencer Heather Armstrong and TikTok dad... Over the past two years, I’ve interviewed dozens of creators. It’s very rare that I speak to one...
Art by Mike Sullivan
Creator Economy
venture capital startups

The Gaming Startups Bucking the Funding Drought

By Isabelle Sarraf · May 30, 2023 2:46 PM PDT · 2 comments
Like most startups, gaming companies have seen interest from venture capitalists fall off sharply in the last year. But appetite is not completely dead. Investors have been backing those that prioritize creator-generated content and those that incorporate generative artificial intelligence—and sometimes both.Gaming startups raised $1.1 billion... Like most startups, gaming companies have seen interest from venture capitalists fall off sharply...
Chart by Mike Sullivan
Creator Economy
startups amazon

The Sudden Rise of Twitch Rival Kick

By Kaya Yurieff · May 25, 2023 2:12 PM PDT
A new livestreaming service called Kick has been attracting streamers with a revenue-split that lets creators keep 95% of their subscription revenue, a more generous deal than the 50% split they get from streaming site Twitch.  A new report Thursday shows just how successful that perk has been. Hours watched on Kick climbed to 51.8... A new livestreaming service called Kick has been attracting streamers with a revenue-split that...
Mike Minton, Twitch's chief monetization officer. Photo: Twitch
Creator Economy
startups

Twitch Weighs Live Shopping and Even a Chatbot for Creators

By Kaya Yurieff · May 24, 2023 2:57 PM PDT
Given that Amazon owns Twitch, you’d think that the live streaming service would have made commerce a key part of its product. That hasn’t been the case, though it’s tested features like affiliate links and even live shopping games. But Mike Minton, Twitch’s chief monetization officer, said it still has hopes for commerce—and live shopping may... Given that Amazon owns Twitch, you’d think that the live streaming service would have made...
Photo via Dylan Huey. Art by Mike Sullivan.
The Exclusive College Club Training Student Influencers
By Isabelle Sarraf · May 23, 2023 2:58 PM PDT
Photo via Dylan Huey. Art by Mike Sullivan.
Creator Economy
entertainment media/telecom

The Exclusive College Club Training Student Influencers

By Isabelle Sarraf · May 23, 2023 2:58 PM PDT
At the University of Southern California, college kids aren’t just making TikTok videos for fun in their dorms: they’re teaching each other how to go viral. Reach, a social media and content creator club that started at USC, has cultivated a community of over 500 college students nationally who want to be influencers, digital marketers or work... At the University of Southern California, college kids aren’t just making TikTok videos for fun...
Loann Kaji, Ryan Kaji and Shion Kaji. Photo by Getty.
Creator Economy
startups entertainment

Pocket.watch’s Streaming Expansion

By Isabelle Sarraf · May 22, 2023 2:09 PM PDT
Pocket.watch, a TI 50 startup and entertainment company that helps young YouTube stars such as 11-year-old Ryan Kaji develop original shows, games and toys, is bringing its ad-free streaming service to Comcast’s Xfinity X1 and Stream platforms this summer. The move will bring kid creator content to Comcast’s 16 million customers.Ryan and... Pocket.watch, a TI 50 startup and entertainment company that helps young YouTube stars such...
YouTube CEO Neal Mohan. Photo: Getty Images for YouTube
Creator Economy
google

YouTube’s Ad Pitch Helped by Hollywood Upheaval

By Kaya Yurieff · May 18, 2023 3:34 PM PDT
YouTube played up its longstanding relationships with creators at its Brandcast event for advertisers on Wednesday night, showing the increasing importance of creator-generated content during a tumultuous time for Hollywood. Such annual presentations, known as upfronts because advertisers book ad spending commitments in advance for the... YouTube played up its longstanding relationships with creators at its Brandcast event for...
Photo via Bloomberg
Creator Economy
facebook

Facebook Doubles Down on Reels; Montana Bans TikTok

By Isabelle Sarraf · May 17, 2023 3:20 PM PDT
Facebook has been doubling down on its creator efforts this week, emphasizing Reels above all else.The flagship Meta Platforms app held the first in a series of livestreams it’s calling Reels School on Wednesday. Facebook invited creators who have found success posting short-form videos to the site to educate other Reel makers on strategy and... Facebook has been doubling down on its creator efforts this week, emphasizing Reels above all...
Matt Kirkland, creator of the Dracula Daily newsletter. Photo via Matt Kirkland. Art by Shane Burke.
The Substacker Whose Dracula Serial Spawned a Newsletter Craze
By Isabelle Sarraf · May 16, 2023 2:47 PM PDT
Matt Kirkland, creator of the Dracula Daily newsletter. Photo via Matt Kirkland. Art by Shane Burke.
Creator Economy
culture media/telecom

The Substacker Whose Dracula Serial Spawned a Newsletter Craze

By Isabelle Sarraf · May 16, 2023 2:47 PM PDT
Everyone has a hefty classic sitting on their bookshelf collecting dust that they swear they’ll eventually get to but never do. Matt Kirkland has made a side project of helping some of those intimidated readers: Over 262,000 have signed up to read Bram Stoker’s “Dracula" serialized in his free Substack newsletter, Dracula Daily.Kirkland, 42,... Everyone has a hefty classic sitting on their bookshelf collecting dust that they swear they’ll...
Graphic by Shane Burke. Photos via Shutterstock.
Creator Economy
ai

Video Dubbing, Generative AI and the Tech Features Creators Need

By Kaya Yurieff · May 15, 2023 2:00 PM PDT
In March, we started asking our readers what was on their mind when it came to the creator economy. We got so many good questions that we decided to publish another set this month. (Read our previous Mailbag). Disagree with my answers? We’ll discuss them in The Information’s Forum on Tuesday. You can submit more questions here! Let’s dive... In March, we started asking our readers what was on their mind when it came to the creator...
Photo by Bloomberg
Creator Economy
ai facebook

Meta’s Generative AI ‘Sandbox’ Is Also a Creator Play

By Isabelle Sarraf · May 11, 2023 2:53 PM PDT
Meta Platforms is pouring more money into generative artificial intelligence and incorporating the technology into its products for advertisers and creators. The parent of Facebook and Instagram on Thursday unveiled an “AI Sandbox” of three new features that use generative AI it’s been testing with a small group of advertisers. One allows... Meta Platforms is pouring more money into generative artificial intelligence and incorporating...
Table: Shane Burke
Creator Economy
startups entertainment

What’s Left After the Great Social Audio Experiment

By Isabelle Sarraf · May 10, 2023 3:08 PM PDT · 1 comment
Social audio’s heyday has definitively come and gone. After Clubhouse became an overnight sensation, other tech companies were quick to launch their own products that invited people to chat in live virtual rooms. But as the chart above shows, some such as Reddit and Spotify have recently shut down their Clubhouse rivals. And even Clubhouse,... Social audio’s heyday has definitively come and gone. After Clubhouse became an overnight...
Uber and Lyft drivers rally to unionize in front of an Uber office in Saugus, Mass. on March 1. Photo by Bloomberg.
The Gig Economy’s Lessons for Creator Unions
By Kaya Yurieff · May 9, 2023 3:06 PM PDT
Uber and Lyft drivers rally to unionize in front of an Uber office in Saugus, Mass. on March 1. Photo by Bloomberg.
Creator Economy
uber/lyft economy

The Gig Economy’s Lessons for Creator Unions

By Kaya Yurieff · May 9, 2023 3:06 PM PDT
Creator economy workers are making another attempt at organizing, as the story I published earlier today details. The effort, dubbed Creator Project 1.0, is in the early stages, but aims to advocate for the rights, welfare and creative freedom of creators, according to organizing documents viewed by The Information. That got me thinking... Creator economy workers are making another attempt at organizing, as the story I published...
Personal finance expert Ramit Sethi. Photo: Chris Newhard
Creator Economy
culture entertainment

The Personal Finance Blogger With His Own Netflix Show

By Kaya Yurieff · May 8, 2023 2:00 PM PDT
Ramit Sethi started a website called “I Will Teach You To Be Rich” from his dorm room at Stanford University in 2004 to help teach his college friends about money. Now 40, he has a best-selling book of the same name, a podcast, 500,000 Instagram followers, and most recently, a new show on Netflix, which began streaming last month. In the... Ramit Sethi started a website called “I Will Teach You To Be Rich” from his dorm room at Stanford...
Table: Shane Burke
Creator Economy
media/telecom

How Social Media Boosting Features Compare

By Isabelle Sarraf · May 4, 2023 4:57 PM PDT
Most social media platforms have a similar method for users to increase the visibility of their posts: pay to turn existing posts into revenue-generating advertisements. At least, that’s the case for Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest and TikTok, where users can pay for their post to show up in user’s feeds as an ad. Facebook has... Most social media platforms have a similar method for users to increase the visibility of their...
Augie in action. Photos via Aug X Labs.
Creator Economy
startups ai

Startup Aug X Labs Jumps Into Video Editing Fray

By Isabelle Sarraf · May 3, 2023 3:07 PM PDT
More videos created with the help of AI tools are circulating online. In one of the latest examples, a commercial for an imaginary pizza chain created by a video producer with the handle Pizza Later garnered more than half a million views across YouTube, Reddit and Twitter. The anonymous producer used a bevy of AI tools, including ... More videos created with the help of AI tools are circulating online. In one of the latest...
An advertisement in the Washington D.C. metro on March 30. Photo by Bloomberg.
TikTok’s Head of U.S. Trust & Safety to Leave
By Kaya Yurieff · May 2, 2023 2:48 PM PDT
An advertisement in the Washington D.C. metro on March 30. Photo by Bloomberg.
Creator Economy
policy ai

TikTok’s Head of U.S. Trust & Safety to Leave

By Kaya Yurieff · May 2, 2023 2:48 PM PDT
It hasn’t been an easy few years to be the head of TikTok’s U.S trust and safety team, as the popular app deals with everything from reports its algorithm promoted eating disorders and suicide content to misinformation. Now it’s in search of a new leader. Eric Han, who was responsible for overseeing efforts to police harmful content on... It hasn’t been an easy few years to be the head of TikTok’s U.S trust and safety team, as the...