Creator Upload

Today's big focus: the White House has greenlit a $14B deal for a U.S. version of TikTok. We unpack what this means for the app, who is involved (hello, Larry Ellison's media empire), and what President Trump wants to do with the algorithm. But first: the cringey, confusing, and absolutely wild "TikTok Night" on Dancing with the Stars. Was it a brilliant marketing move or a two-hour infomercial we...

Lauren and Josh explore the incredible turnaround of Dancing With the Stars (which is seeing a huge ratings spike thanks to TikTok). Related: TikTok continues its will-they, won't-they journey into US spinoff territory. We have to ask: will the rest of the world follow? Then, a turn to creator commerce as Sephora, Condé Nast, and Best Buy are all launching their own "creator storefronts,&...

We sit down with YouTube superstar Jordan Matter for an incredible conversation about the launch of Sincerely Yours, the skincare brand he created with his daughter, Salish. Jordan walks us through the entire journey, from the initial idea to their "Sephora or Bust" retail strategy. He shares the unbelievable story of their launch event, where an expected crowd of a few thousand turned i...

Is MrBeast starting a mobile phone company? In this episode, we break down a leaked pitch deck that reveals Jimmy Donaldson's next potential business venture and what it tells us about his plan for profitability. Plus, YouTube's first exclusive NFL broadcast set a new livestreaming record, but traditional sports fans are NOT happy about creators like IShowSpeed and Deestroying taking over the comm...

Lauren and Josh dive into a wild week that saw Roblox shatter concurrent user records thanks to a viral developer beef over a game called "Italian Brainrot." The duo unpacks how this grassroots event, which supported MrBeast and Mark Rober's Team Water initiative, amassed 47 million simultaneous players...and what it means for youth culture and platform safety. Next: YouTube's new Hype feature, a...

Is Hollywood's most prestigious night coming to YouTube? This week, we break down the news that YouTube has inquired about the broadcast rights for The Oscars and what it means for the future of entertainment. As the lines continue to blur, Mark Rober and Jimmy Kimmel are teaming up for a new show on Netflix, and Fox's Tubi is bringing on creators like MrBeast. Then, we dive into the serious lawsu...

Today: Lauren and Josh Cohen fangirl over Taylor Swift's first-ever podcast appearance on New Heights and assess the massive impact it had on the show's viewership and subscriber numbers. Then, they are joined by Evan Britton, the founder of Famous Birthdays, to discuss their new partnership with Pixability, a data and media solutions company. Britton explains how Famous Birthdays' platform-agnost...

Today we are joined by creator, entrepreneur, and investor Caspar Lee for an in-depth interview. Caspar shares his unique perspective on transitioning from a top YouTube creator to a business leader, discussing the current phase of the creator economy and how brands can succeed by learning to "think like a creator." He also dives into the significant growth of influencer marketing budgets and the...

YouTube, Meta, and TikTok are suddenly rolling out a slate of new teen safety features. Is this a genuine effort to protect young users, or a reaction to massive regulatory pressure and potential fines? (That's not stopping YouTube from reversing a controversial policy on profanity, trusting its AI to keep advertisers happy.) And: MrBeast expands his empire, launching an animated series to create...

Rachel Stockman, President of Law & Crime   , the top trial channel on YouTube, joins today's pod! She shares insights from their extensive coverage of the Diddy trial, highlighting their innovative use of AI to recreate courtroom scenes from real transcripts due to cameras being disallowed. She also explains their "YouTube-first" strategy, especially how focusing on in-depth, long-form conten...

Is the creator dream a lie? With over 50% of creators earning less than $15,000 a year, the creator economy's monetization gap is wider than ever. In this episode, Josh and Lauren explore the harsh realities of creator earnings revealed in a new NeoReach study. They discuss the threshold that separates struggling creators from those who accelerate their earnings, why only 5% of creators make over...

Dhar Mann, just named a Titan on the TIME100 Creators List for 2025, joins Creator Upload to reveal the strategy behind his global media empire. In a candid conversation, Dhar shares why he stepped down as CEO, his playbook for acquiring other creators, and his vision for why brands need to start thinking like creators. Plus, hosts Lauren Schnipper and Joshua Cohen break down the massive news of T...

We're back from a whirlwind week of travel to cover the biggest events in the creator economy. Fresh off the plane from France, we share our key takeaways from Cannes Lions. We discuss why the world's biggest advertising festival, while having a much louder conversation around creators than last year, still feels like an "old school advertising convention" that has yet to fully embrace creator-led...

In this special episode of Creator Upload, recorded live from the 72nd annual Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, hosts Lauren Schnipper and Joshua Cohen feature a fantastic lineup of guests across the creator economy, including:Ed Davidson, Chief Growth Officer for Cannes Lions International Festival: Davidson discusses the growth of the creator track at Cannes Lions, now in its se...

Josh and special guest Monica Khan, Partner & Head of Digital at Strand, tackle everything that's fit to discuss in the creator economy this week. They discuss the increasing presence and influence of creators at major industry events like VivaTech and Cannes Lions. The conversation also covers a significant forecast from WPP, predicting that creator platforms will surpass traditional media in...

Lauren and Josh recap the key takeaways from The Information's "Future of Influence" conference. They explore the evolving landscape of creator monetization, discussing Snap's strategy for helping creators earn money and the innovative trend of brands hiring their own customers as authentic influencers. Then: a surprising survey that reveals two-thirds of US consumers now see YouTube as a go-to de...

Lauren and Josh are packing their linen pants and heading to the south of France! The duo breaks down a preview of the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity, and why the heck they're going to it (and not VidCon).Also: the "Beige Lawsuit" is over, YouTube and Disney battle for key talent, plus quick takes on Dubai's creator push, Kai Cenat's Streamer University, and Hasan's...

This week on Creator Upload, hosts Lauren Schnipper and Joshua Cohen break down Google's game-changing AI announcements like Veo 3 for video with sound and the "Flow" filmmaking tool. They also cover a surge of industry moves, including Google's investment in AI studio Promise, Whalar's $400M valuation, Caspar Lee's Creator Ventures raising $45M, and Publicis acquiring Ca...

Get the full inside scoop from YouTube's biggest event of the year! This week, Joshua Cohen reports directly from the Brandcast frontline, revealing Lady Gaga's show-stopping performance, game-changing ad updates for creators, and YouTube's bold vision for the future. Plus, major news on Mr. Beast, the NFL on YouTube, and industry-shaking acquisitions! On this episode of Creator Upload, we unpack...

This week, Lauren and Josh unpack the NewFronts, including major updates from Meta, LinkedIn, and YouTube as they roll out new tools and monetization opportunities designed to connect brands with creators. From Meta's AI-powered ad formats and enhanced Creator Marketplace to LinkedIn's new BrandLink Program and YouTube's Creator Partnerships Hub, find out what these changes mean for how brands and...

Justin Flom earns billions of short-form views per month. Today, we interview him to learn more about YouTube's new view calculations and how (or if) they impact creators, monetization strategies (including brand deals!), and why consistency is key. Elsewhere: YouTube's massive Q1 earnings, the latest IAB reports on the creator economy's growth, Snap's earnings, TikTok vs. Twitch, NCAA NIL updates...

Today, a world's first: Reid AI, the digital version of LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, performs its first ever podcast guest appearance right here on Creator Upload. Joining Reid AI is Ben Relles, who manages content strategy for Reid in all forms of existence. Here's more info on what we covered today: Follow Ben Relles on LinkedIn. 20 Years of YouTube: A trip to the zoo started it all - Tubef...

We're joined by Jasmine Enberg, the VP and Principal Analyst at EMARKETER covering Social Media and the Creator Economy. We go in depth about the changing trends -- and rising tides -- in creator marketing budgets in 2025 and beyond...and how creators should take advantage. Elsewhere: Zuck on trial, Patreon's video innovation, and MrBeast's Vegas meltdown. Here's more detail on what we covered tod...

Today, we interview Marian Brannelly, Global Director of Awards for the Cannes LIONS Festival, to learn more about their Creators programming lineup and why creators should attend. Also: Vimeo helping creators launch their own streaming services, Netflix fires shots at YouTube, and the impact of tariffs on the creator economy. Here's more detail on what we covered today: Learn more about Cannes LI...

Technically, TikTok is supposed to be banned again tomorrow. Will it? It remains to be seen...but in the meantime, a long line of potential buyers have risen their hands. What will Trump decide? Lauren and Josh break it down today, along with all the other creator economy headlines fit to discuss. Here's more detail on what we covered today: Spotter just took YouTube's biggest creators to its own...