Creators sit behind YouTube’s “Brand Deal Desk” to explain the secrets of their sponsorships

The creator economy is a $37 billion annual business, but that wealth is not split evenly among all creators. As revenue increases, so does competition, and the creators who fail to keep up with evolving industry trends will struggle to maximize their piece of the pie.

Enter YouTube. Alongside Little Dot Studios, the leading video platform has launched The Brand Deal Desk, a web series that demystifies the ins and outs of creator-brand partnerships. Across five episodes, The Brand Deal Desk‘s creator hosts will discuss their own sponsorships, interview industry experts, and guide neophytes who are just starting out on YouTube.

The trio sitting behind The Brand Deal Desk all have ample YouTube experience to draw from. Erin White is a businesswoman who shares stories from her creator journey, while Grace Andrews offers dispatches from the life of a solo entrepreneur. Max Fosh’s videos are not quite like that, but as he told The Brand Deal Desk viewers, he did once shred a yellow card in front of 90,000 people, so he has that going for him.

In the inaugural episode of their new series, White, Andrews, and Fosh define some industry terms, highlight some of YouTube’s on-platform marketing products, and speak with knowledgeable insiders like Sidemen manager Jordan Schwarzenberger

The references to YouTube products help explain The Brand Deal Desk‘s raison d’etre. The platform’s brand deal playbook has changed a lot over the past decade, and creators now have a valuable resource that can help them keep up with the changes. So if you missed BrandConnect’s evolution into the YouTube Creator Partnerships hub, The Brand Deal Desk can get you up to speed.

“Creators today are building sophisticated media businesses, but navigating brand partnerships can still feel opaque, particularly for emerging talent trying to turn audience success into sustainable revenue,” said Little Dot Studios Director of Production Hal Arnold. “We wanted to create something that didn’t just explain the mechanics of brand deals, but reflected the realities of creator culture and the ambition of modern YouTubers.”

Five episodes of The Brand Deal Desk are planned, with weekly releases on the horizon. To stay tuned with White, Andrew, and Fosh’s updates, subscribe to the YouTube Creators channel.