News

• The Onion is bringing back its print edition. No, we’re not joking.
• Spotify is selling brands hard on video ads, says it only serves them when it knows users are engaged

  The last three months were Spotify's most profitable quarter ever, but despite that, it saw a drop in ad sales growth--and ad revenue overall still makes up just 12% of the platform's total earnings, well below its desired benchmark of 20%.

  
• Disney hires Adam Smith to get some YouTube streaming magic

  Disney is hiring Adam Smith as its chief product and technology officer for entertainment and ESPN. Smith previously worked at YouTube.

  
• Creators still have to fight for fair pay and treatment in brand deals. Word on the Block is here to advocate for them.

  Our industry has matured significantly over the last decade, and we've developed some norms for what creators can expect from things like ad revenue shares from platforms. But brand deals are still a murky affair, with no clear-cut, industry-wide guidance telling creators how much they should be charging, what kind of treatment they should expect, and what to do if they don't get paid on time--or ever.

  
• Mikayla Nogueira’s product launch was huge. Her restock stunt was nearly as big.
• Google borrows creators’ credibility for Pixel phone launch
• The FTC just banned viewbotting
• Patreon reveals “great plan” to help creators navigate 30% iOS App Store commissions
• Twitch strikes a balance for streamers and viewers with Stories update
• Hey creators: TikTok will give you $300 to get your friends to join
• TikTok wants users to express themselves with in-app group chats (and stickers)
• Biden addresses creators at first-ever White House summit: “They listen to all of you”
• As creators hit the White House, DNC plans vertical convention stream
• HopeScope turned her YouTube creativity crisis into a flourishing channel. Her VidSummit keynote is about helping other creators do the same.
• Kids say YouTube, not Netflix, is the coolest brand
• You can now buy plane tickets on TikTok
• Noel Miller looks to move past Cody Ko allegations with Tiny Meat Gang revamp
• Trump’s X interview had 1.3 million concurrent listeners and 20+ false claims
• A 264-hour no-sleep stream broke records. Should platforms have shut it down?
• Top 50 Most Viewed U.S. YouTube Channels • Week Of 08/11/2024
• Top 5 Branded Videos of the Week: MrBeast’s problems are not affecting viewership
• Top 50 Most Viewed YouTube Channels Worldwide • Week Of 08/11/2024
• “She was just a good person”: YouTube community reacts to death of former CEO Susan Wojcicki
• MrBeast announces internal investigation in response to ongoing misconduct allegations