Today's Creator Economy Pulse
Hollywood bets on creator‑driven horror to capture Gen‑Z audiences
Studios are scrambling to copy the surprise box‑office hits of low‑budget horror titles like *Obsession*, *Backrooms* and *Iron Lung*. Executives are turning to YouTube creators such as Curry Barker, Kane Parsons and Markiplier to tap the under‑35 audience craving original scares.
Stride Rite Launches New Children’s Shoe Collection With YouTube Personality Ms. Rachel
Stride Rite has partnered with YouTube educator Ms. Rachel to launch a new children’s shoe line that embeds learning cues such as right‑left insoles and color‑shape prompts. The collection, available now on StrideRite.com, Kohl’s, Amazon, Zappos and in 500 DSW stores, will debut an exclusive assortment at Walmart on April 21. The partnership is a multi‑year deal, with the shoes rolling out in two waves across spring and fall 2026, adding fresh styles throughout the year.
Give Value, Skip Intro, Automate Freebies for Reel Success
I've been testing Trial Reels... and I finally had one "pop off" 👀 What I've seen working so far: ✓ give a TON of information away in the video ✓ these aren't posts for people to get to know you ✓ use a ManyChat...
AI Makes Thousands of Manga Series Affordable to Animate
A full K-pop action series just got made in 3 days on Higgs with Seedance 2.0. One person. No studio. No budget. There are over 100,000 manga and webtoon titles that have never been animated because it costs $150K to $300K per...
Whitney Leavitt Says This Utah Company Is the New Stanley Cup
HydroJug, a Utah‑based water‑bottle maker, is being hailed as the new Stanley cup after a design tweak—flexible, lock‑able straws—won over celebrity Whitney Leavitt and Gen Z consumers. The brand surged 9,032% since its 2017 launch, hitting over $10 million in revenue within...
‘Influencer Marketing Is Replacing The Role TV Once Played’
Influencer marketing is rapidly eclipsing traditional television as the primary channel for brand building, a trend highlighted at a recent gathering of digital creators hosted by Sunshine Socials. Two young marketers shared data showing that influencer‑driven campaigns deliver higher engagement...
Why Every Streaming Service Suddenly Wants a Podcast Strategy
Late last year Netflix kicked off a streaming‑podcast rush by striking deals with Spotify and iHeart Media to host popular shows as video series. Since then, Tubi, MS Now, Roku, Amazon and others have announced multi‑million‑dollar partnerships or acquisition talks to...
What Most Brands Get Wrong Measuring Influencer Marketing ROI
Influencer marketing ROI should be measured by engagement, user‑generated content, intent signals, and retail impact rather than mere impressions. Brands that focus on engagement rates above 1% and total interaction volume capture genuine consumer interest. Leveraging UGC not only reduces...
Livid Pulls In $10M Funding
Livid, an ad‑free video hosting service aimed at creators and small businesses, announced a $10 million funding round on April 8, 2026. The capital comes from investor Geige Vandentop and Dan Briggs, co‑founder of StreamYard, which Briggs sold to Hopin for $250 million before...
Making More Than Money on Substack
The author, a longtime creator, has turned Substack into a revenue engine, earning five‑figure income within weeks of activating paid subscriptions. By centralizing writing, email newsletters, and a direct audience list, Substack eliminates the need for brand deals or viral...
“The Rate of Change Is Exponential”: Nick Fletcher on Consumer Journeys, Tracking and Industry Convergence
Nick Fletcher, SVP EMEA at Rakuten Advertising, warned that the pace of change in digital marketing is now exponential, driven by AI‑powered consumer tools and fragmented journeys. Marketers are struggling with unclear signals as traditional deterministic tracking falters, prompting a...
The Quantum Kid Podcast Gains 113,000 Subscribers, Webby Nomination Follows
The Quantum Kid, a podcast and YouTube channel co‑hosted by 9‑year‑old Kai and science communicator Katia Moskvitch, has been nominated for the 2026 Webby Awards People’s Choice category. Launched in June 2025, the series quickly amassed 113,000 subscribers by delivering...
Go Behind the Scenes with Germán Garmendia in YouTube’s New Channeling Series
YouTube’s new Channeling series spotlights Chilean creator Germán Garmendia, highlighting his journey from scripted comedy on HolaSoyGerman to the spontaneous gaming format of JuegaGerman. In 2024 he became one of the first Hispanic channels to surpass 50 million subscribers, earning the...
Video Startup Livid Raises $10M From StreamYard Founders, Targets Vimeo Users With New Hosting Platform
Livid, an ad‑free video‑hosting platform for creators and small businesses, raised $10 million from StreamYard co‑founders Geige Vandentop and Dan Briggs. The funding follows Bending Spoons' acquisition of Vimeo and subsequent layoffs that left many Vimeo users seeking alternatives. Livid introduced...
APM / Streamguys Join to Launch New Marketplace for Podcasting and Livestreaming
American Public Media (APM) has teamed with streaming specialist Streamguys to launch the Inform Media Network, a private marketplace for digital underwriting and sponsorship across podcasts and livestreams. The network already includes at least 30 non‑commercial stations, delivering roughly 55 million...
Why Do So Many AI Video Tools Miss the Mark for Musicians?
AI video generators are booming, yet many miss the core of music by treating songs as an afterthought. Studies show professional videos sync cuts to beats, bars, and sections, a principle most tools ignore. Platforms also chase novelty and style...
Patreon Says Podcasters Earned $629 Million in 2025, Up 33%, as Platform’s Biggest Content Category Keeps Growing
Patreon reported that podcasters earned $629 million in 2025, a 33% year‑over‑year rise, making podcasts its top‑grossing category. More than 47,000 creators now earn on the platform, supported by 7.6 million paid memberships. The company’s 10% fee model and new podcast tools,...
YouTube Tests Auto-Speed to Save Viewers' Time
YouTube is testing a feature called Auto-Speed that automatically adjusts video playback rates to save time without losing comprehension. It's exclusive to Premium subscribers until April 27.
Podtrac Top U.S. Podcasts for March Remain Steady
Podtrac’s March 2026 U.S. podcast ranker shows little movement, with NPR’s “NPR News Now” holding the top spot for a second straight month. DailyWire’s “The Ben Shapiro Show” advanced to #6, while “The Dan Bongino Show” slipped to #11. NPR’s “The...
Black Effect Podcast Network Welcomes Winner of “Pitch Your Podcast”
iHeartMedia and Charlamagne Tha God’s Black Effect Podcast Network have added "The Black Mother Wound Podcast" as its newest show, crowning it the winner of the 2025 "Pitch Your Podcast" contest at the Black Effect Podcast Festival. Hosted by Jennifer Arnise, the series...
Well Spirit Collective Bets That Trust Outlasts Scale in the Wellness Creator Market
Well Spirit Collective, a women‑owned, BIPOC‑led Los Angeles agency, prioritizes selective partnerships over volume, believing trust outweighs scale in the wellness creator market. COO Haley Oberon, who joined in 2021, has grown the firm by refusing misaligned deals, even when...
How Shady Dnaf Turned a Snapchat Bet Into a $23M Creator Economy Exit
Amsterdam entrepreneur Shady Dnaf sold his Snapchat‑focused Sunny State Agency to Bent Pixels for over $23 million. The acquisition merges Bent Pixels' YouTube‑centric brand network with SSA’s short‑form distribution, creating a 850‑creator platform that generates 6 billion monthly views. Post‑deal, Dnaf joins...
Consistency Beats Constant Creation in Reel Strategy
Indie author trial reels testing mode has commenced… (does that sound official enough? 🤣) Instead of constantly creating new reels, I’m testing something different: → Same 5 reels - to the same book → Same proven caption → Same Cover Image → Posted...
Bestselling Authors Reveal Top Writing and Marketing Secrets
My friend Jay Clouse spent 3 days with 10+ NYT bestselling authors: James Clear, Vanessa Van Edwards, Amy Porterfield, Nir Eyal, Sahil Bloom and several other successful authors were there. He recently published a podcast sharing the most valuable writing and marketing...
From Printing Press to Podcast to Digital Mind: Delphi CEO on the Next Form of Media
Delphi, founded by Dara Ladjevardian and backed by Sequoia, Founders Fund, and Lux Capital, offers creators a platform to build AI-powered digital versions of their minds. By ingesting existing content—videos, podcasts, documents—the system creates a conversational interface that answers questions...
Unlocking a Fix to One of Music’s Biggest Royalty Problems: Registration
Lumoza, a new music‑rights platform, lets creators upload a track, lock in contributor splits and generate a “Digital Birth Certificate” that records ownership details immutably. Its AI assistant, Lumi, extracts metadata, flags missing credits and prepares submissions for performing rights...
Outdoor Media Summit Seeks 2026 Speakers Across Industries
The Outdoor Media Summit is looking for speakers for 2026 🎤 They’re open to pitches from traditional media, entrepreneurs, content creators, and marketing professionals. These are the types of opportunities I share on my Substack 💻
Creator Television to Launch Pickleball Tour at VidCon Anaheim, Testing Live Event-to-Streaming Format
Creator Television, the creator‑focused streaming network owned by Sabio Holdings, will debut the Creator Pickleball Tour at VidCon Anaheim from June 25‑27. The three‑day activation features a 16‑player creator tournament in front of more than 55,000 attendees and will be...
Ozen Launches PodcastBot.ai : Turning Live Radio Into On-Demand Podcasts
Ozen.fm unveiled PodcastBot.ai, an AI‑driven platform that automatically converts live radio broadcasts into polished, on‑demand podcast episodes. The service captures live streams, applies AI processing—including transcription, ad detection, and music removal—and publishes multilingual podcasts within minutes. By turning fleeting airtime...
Podscribe Announces SiriusXM Radio Airchecks, Podcaster Logins, and Automated Pixel Email Scheduling to Enhance Audio Attribution and Reporting
Podscribe unveiled three major upgrades—SiriusXM Radio Airchecks, automated pixel email scheduling, and podcaster‑specific logins—to tighten audio ad attribution and streamline reporting. The SiriusXM aircheck feature delivers verified, timestamped proof of ads on satellite radio, closing a long‑standing measurement gap. Automated...
Ausha Expands Its Growth Suite with Paid Visibility Ads on Spotify and YouTube – Open to All
Ausha announced the beta launch of Ausha Visibility Ads, a paid promotion tool that lets podcasters run campaigns directly on Spotify and YouTube. The solution builds on Ausha’s existing Podcast Search Optimization technology and incorporates Base for Creators’ ad‑tech platform....
The 10 Fastest-Growing U.S. Instagram Accounts of March 2026
March 2026 saw a surge of Instagram follower gains among U.S. celebrities and brands, led by Megan Fox’s 2.8 million new followers after a high‑profile comeback. Event‑driven accounts such as Jason Derulo, Alysa Liu, and “The Tonight Show” each added over a million followers,...
CBS Is Basically Leasing the Late Show Slot to Byron Allen
CBS has entered a time‑buy agreement with media entrepreneur Byron Allen, handing the network’s former Late Show slots to his productions, *Comics Unleashed* and *Funny You Should Ask*. Under the deal Allen pays CBS tens of millions of dollars and...
Walter Kolm’s Blueprint for Latin’s Global Domination
Walter Kolm, CEO of WK Entertainment, is redefining Latin music management by blending data analytics with global touring and brand partnerships. He recently launched a joint‑management deal with Massivo Entertainment to expand Puerto‑Rican star Farruko’s international presence using a 360°...
QNAP and CyberLink Extend Partnership to Optimize Media Creation with Reliable Storage Solutions
QNAP Systems announced an expanded partnership with CyberLink, designating QNAP NAS as the recommended storage platform for CyberLink’s PhotoDirector, PowerDirector, and PowerDVD applications. The collaboration offers creators a private‑cloud solution that centralizes media storage, management, and protection without recurring public‑cloud...
AI Tools I Am Using Now
The post outlines a curated AI stack that enables solo creators to replace traditional teams, covering design, research, video, social media, project management, copywriting, web development, and payments. Each tool—such as Lovart for branding, Perplexity for research, Claude for long‑form...
Retention After Learning Hinges on Community, Not Content
I've been thinking about the point at which a community member has essentially got what they paid for. They've completed the course, they know the fundamentals, and there's no obvious reason left to stay. How do you retain them? It's a...
The Personal Branding Paradox
Manish Pandey argues that creators are chasing a fake authenticity, over‑optimizing their image while neglecting genuine connection. In 2026 the most effective personal branding strategy hinges on consistency, niche specificity, depth of content, and building a tight community rather than...
Sony Music Publishing UK and Second Songs Sign Olivia Dean Co-Writer Bastian Langebaek to Global Deal
Sony Music Publishing UK, together with joint‑venture Second Songs, has signed Copenhagen‑based songwriter and producer Bastian Langebaek to a global publishing agreement. The deal reunites Langebaek with A&R veteran Mark Gale, who first signed him at Universal Music Publishing Group eleven...
The Secret Lives of Mormon Momfluencers
Despite representing only 2% of the U.S. population, members of the Church of Latter‑day Saints dominate the influencer landscape, especially among “momfluencers.” Journalist Fortesa Latifi explains that early internet adoption, doctrinal encouragement of family values, and direct financial payments from...
Why Most Newsletters Never Make Money
The post argues that most newsletters fail to generate profit because creators focus on building an audience rather than a revenue engine. While consistent publishing and value delivery boost subscriber numbers, they rarely translate into earnings without a monetization framework....
Publishers Get a New Revenue Line as Brambles.ai and Shopnomix Bring AI Commerce Into Editorial Content
Brambles.ai and Shopnomix have partnered to embed conversational AI shopping directly into editorial content, allowing readers to discover and purchase products from over 50,000 brands without leaving the page. The integration combines Brambles.ai’s on‑page chat interface with Shopnomix’s product data,...
New Matchmaking Platform Sail.game Launches to Combat "Discovery Fatigue" Between Developers and Publishers
Industry veterans Vladimír Geršl and Guillaume Jamet have launched Sail.game, a curated matchmaking platform that connects game developers with publishers. In early access the service logged over 13,000 interactions and onboarded more than 200 verified publishers. Developers pay a €99...
Replies Boost Followers: End Posts with a Question
We analyzed 21,864 Threads posts last month. Creators who got 500+ replies grew 10% in followers. Likes are nice. Replies move the needle. If your posts aren't getting replies, add a question at the end. Simple.
Execs Courting Substack Researchers Signals Shifting Media Outreach
Industry execs talking to Substack researchers? What's next, investors talking to podcasters? It's not 2013 anymore bro... https://t.co/in3xaJJerS
500 Creators Converge to Shape Media’s Future
Press Publish LA: The Hollywood Creator Summit May 28th on the Fox Studios Lot 500 Creators. One Room. Learn where the future of media is heading. Seats by application only. https://t.co/LGXCg0akX1 https://t.co/9KVwGnpQFe
Distribution Compounds over Time, Patience Unlocks Growth
Nobody talks about this but distribution compounds just like money does. First few months feel like you're shouting into a wall. Same effort. Same systems. Nothing seems to be working. Then something shifts.
Google Gemini’s Lyria Generates Full Songs
Creating song lyrics with AI is so 2025. Now you can compose entire songs using the Lyria model in Google Gemini. It's pretty darn astonishing. Here's how it works, with sample tracks in a variety of styles: https://t.co/7pNLIXLKWJ #gemini #lyria...
YouTube Star to Star in Anime by One Piece Showrunner
Anime Series Featuring YouTube Streamer @ishowspeedsui, Written by ‘One Piece’ Showrunner Matt Owens, in the Works at Brian Robbins’ Big Shot Pictures (EXCLUSIVE) https://t.co/WVWgpUUrzL via @variety
Patreon Podcasters Earn $629M, up 33% in 2025
Patreon Says Podcasters Earned $629 Million in 2025, Up 33%, as Platform’s Biggest Content Category Keeps Growing https://t.co/kqWJ4iFyPm
Tired of Meta‑only Advice; Want Alternatives for Growth
It is SUCH a bummer that every person I talk to tells me the only real path to meaningful audience growth is via Meta ads. I would rather give my money to *any* other platform.