Business of Creators 💬

Hello. Welcome to the newest edition of the Business of Creator newsletter! Immerse yourself in today's top stories:

• AI transforms YouTube creators

• Gambling streams are ‘part of the contract’ for Kick’s newest streamer

• Meta's ad-free EU subscriptions (launching next month)

• Unregulated Creator Economy impact…

Creator Fest: get together, get inspired

Introducing Creator Fest, a one-day-only celebration of creativity in all its forms happening at City Market Social House in DTLA this Saturday, November 4th.

Creator Fest is an opportunity to immerse yourself in performances, art, and self expression from all corners of the creative world. It’s a space to meet creators just like you, and creators who are nothing like you. It’s an invitation to learn from your peers and directly from the Patreon team about how to give your community even more. It’s a chance to step into the worlds of creators who hav

e gone above and beyond in rallying communities and embodying creative freedom at its finest with The Creator Milestone Awards.

Still a few tix left, grab them now!

^*Sponsored

📲 Platform updates unpacked

Get the lowdown on the latest digital platform tweaks and additions to stay one step ahead…

📲 Twitch: Twitch is going to let permanently suspended users apply to be reinstated. Plus, Twitch is ‘ending support’ for its Nintendo Switch app.

📲 Cameo: Cameo has teamed up with Amaze for creators to sell products through Amaze's services.

📲 YouTube: YouTube has confirmed that it has ‘launched a global effort’ to crack down on ad blockers.

📲 Meta Platforms: Instagram tests collaborative carousels your friends can add to:

📲 X: X will demonetize posts corrected by Community Notes.

Generative AI is flipping the script on the YouTube creator game in three key ways

Speedy content creation: With generative AI in the mix, YouTube creators are unleashing a whirlwind of content, conjuring ideas faster than you can say "clickbait." Short-form videos are already turning up the heat.

Everyone's in the creator squad: Generative AI isn't just for tech wizards. It's slashing costs and breaking down those "you gotta be a pro" barriers, making video creation open to all. Check out YouTube's Dream Screen and easy-peasy video tools for the rookie filmmakers.

Global reach: Generative AI isn't stopping at the border. It's like your content's personal translator, connecting you with viewers worldwide. YouTube's bringing the globe closer, and it's looking like the US is getting a smaller slice of the pie.

Gambling streams are ‘part of the contract’ for Kick’s newest streamer

In a major streaming coup, Call of Duty streamer Nick "Nickmercs" Kolcheff's eight-figure deal with Kick raised eyebrows when he confirmed that gambling streams are part of the package.

The Stake.com connection: Even though Kick denies gambling clauses, Nickmercs has a separate deal with Stake.com, a gambling site linked to Kick. This connection underlines the intertwining of Kick's streaming success and Stake's gambling endeavors.

Going global for gambling: Nickmercs plans to host offshore gambling streams outside the U.S. due to licensing limitations with Stake.com, showcasing the global reach of online gambling.

Meta's EU ad-free subscriptions

Meta will be introduction ad-free subscriptions for Facebook and Instagram in the EU due to new privacy regulations next month.

European users can opt for a €9.99 monthly subscription on the web or €12.99 on iOS and Android devices. Meta's decision aligns with evolving European data protection laws and a shift toward user privacy in the region.

🚨Other headlines

Get up-to-date with what’s happening in the creator economy…

• Ntwrk, a live video-shopping startup backed by music mogul Jimmy Iovine, is in advanced talks to buy BuzzFeed’s Complex Networks.

• Karat, a financial services startup aimed at creators, reportedly cut around 10% of staff this month, Business Insider reported.

• TikTok announced a deal with DistroKid that allows the startup’s independent artists to distribute their music on TikTok’s commercial music library and its video-editing app CapCut.

• Spooky! Elon Musk returns to Joe Rogan’s podcast to talk nonsense.

How the creator economy of influencers grew to a $250 billion industry

The unrecognized impact: The U.S. Census Bureau overlooks the $250 billion creator economy, a global industry dominated by millions of content creators, competing with traditional entertainment and news sectors.

Unregulated powerhouse: Despite its massive influence, the creator economy remains unregulated, allowing creators to redefine fame, accumulate wealth, and reshape culture, but also contributing to misinformation and fragmented public discourse.

Creators' unpredictable journey: The creator economy has redefined career aspirations, making "influencer" a popular choice for American youth. However, it offers an unsupervised, financially unpredictable, competitive path, with most creators earning modest incomes, emphasizing the industry's challenges.

Read full article: Washington Post

Worthy reads…

• Why influencer marketing firms are for sale - The Information

• Spotify decides who gets to be an artist - The Verge

• Content creators surge past legacy media as news hits a tipping point - The Washington Post

• This app is making podcasts more TikTokable - The Verge

• Find me a zebra and you can have the job: What it's like to work for top YouTube stars, according to 17 current and former staffers of creators like MrBeast and Kai Cenat - Business Insider

• Why Cirque du Soleil is creating its own influencer network - Digiday