It’s Tuesday and next time you lose your keys, spare a thought for James Howells— a U.K. man who accidentally threw out the private keys to $765 million in Bitcoin (and has been looking for them ever since).

Today’s News

THREE MINUTES OF FAME

Ahead of a possible TikTok ban, YouTube is rolling out three-minute Shorts to all users

The context: The U.S. government may be poised to ban TikTok for good, but it can’t erase the app’s impact on social media.

When TikTok’s user base skyrocketed in 2020, rivals like YouTube, Instagram, and Snapchat quickly began rolling out their own copycats in an attempt to capture some of the short-form fervor. But as competitors went shorter, TikTok went longer. By 2024, the app had expanded its max video time limit from 60 seconds to a full 30 minutes. Now—as TikTok users search for alternatives in the leadup to a potential ban—YouTube is following suit.

The update: The platform has officially begun rolling out three-minute Shorts to all users, removing a significant barrier for creators who want to crosspost their content from TikTok to YouTube. (Up until now, Shorts has had a 1-minute time limit.)

That update comes from YouTube’s Creator Liaison, Rene Ritchie, who tweeted about the time expansion as the fourth stage of a rollout first announced in October. As part of this most recent stage, any vertical or square VODs up to three minutes long will now automatically count as Shorts, meaning they’ll appear on the Shorts tabs of creators’ channels and will pop up on the Shorts feed. YouTube’s in-app Shorts creation tools will also be updated to “support up to 3-minute Shorts” so creators will be able to “make them right in the YouTube app” (per Ritchie).

The response: Those changes should ease the transition for TikTok creators seeking a new home base—but not everyone is happy about Shorts’ extended time limit. Replies to Ritchie’s tweet include complaints about midroll ads on longer Shorts, and at least one creator (The Bentist, who has 7.44 million subscribers) said he feels the format is “not ready algo wise” based on revenue analytics.

HEADLINES IN BRIEF 📰

• Nine YouTube channels earned at least 500 million views each last week, with Indian record label T-Series leading the pack. (Tubefilter)
  
  

• According to screenshots posted by self-proclaimed “leaker” Alessandro Paluzzi, Meta has already begun “implementing” its new X-style moderation system—aka Community Notes—on Threads. (The Verge)
  
  

• Mastadon has announced that CEO and Founder Eugen Rochko will be “handing off the overall Mastodon management” as the platform transitions to a “not-for-profit entity.” (Mastadon Blog)
  
  

• Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, actor Mark Ruffalo, and other high-profile figures have thrown their support behind Free Our Feeds, a campaign that aims to raise $30 million to “save social media from billionaire capture.” (The Verge)

GOSPEL STATS 📈

Top 3 Branded Videos: If it’s on wheels, it’s on the YouTube charts

Buckle up, automotive enthusiasts: our latest ranking of most-viewed branded YouTube videos is all about cars, trains, and Cybertrucks. Readers familiar with Gospel Stats’ weekly reports won’t be surprised to see those chart-topping clips delivered by frequent flyers like restoration wiz Mat Armstrong, edutainment channel Vertisaium, and vehicle pro WhistlinDiesel.

🥇 #1. WhistlinDiesel x LF*GO!: Whistlindiesel Cybertruck Durability Test #2 (10.6M views)
Cybertruck durability tests haven’t historically gone super well for Tesla and Elon Musk—but that didn’t stop WhistlinDiesel from putting the vehicle through its paces. After piloting everything from Ferraris to monster trucks, the offroad enthusiast finally put Tesla’s famously fragile “truck” to the test in a high-stakes video sponsored by energy pouch company LF*GO!

🥈 #2. Mat Armstrong x carVertical: I Bought A Flood Damaged Rolls Royce Cullinan & Rebuilt It In 7 Days (7.8M views)
Like many other Mat Armstrong videos, this week’s #2 clip is sponsored by crash history service carVertical and centers on the restoration of a wrecked luxury vehicle. Luckily for car lovers, it didn’t take long for Armstrong to rebuild his latest acquisition: a waterlogged Rolls Royce in need of some major TLC.

🥉 #3. Veritasium x Saily: Why Don’t Railroads Need Expansion Joints? (4.2M views)
Veritasium appears on our Weekly Brand Report at least twice a month, usually alongside education-focused sponsors like online course provider Brilliant. This time, however, the STEM-centric channel got its funding from a different (albeit still tech-related) brand: e-sim company Saily.

Check out the full branded ranking here or head over to Gospel Stats for more YouTube sponsorship insights.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH

YouTubers are raising funds and offering personal perspectives in response to the L.A. wildfires

The disaster: As wildfires continue to displace thousands across Los Angeles, concerned onlookers are turning to YouTube for key updates and first-hand accounts from those affected—including creators themselves.

Among the many entertainment figures who have suffered losses are YouTubers like Colin and Samir. The duo—who offer insights related to creator content production process—lost their homes in the Pacific Palisades and subsequently received $260.7K in support through a GoFundMe campaign organized by fellow YouTube group Dude Perfect.

The response: The trickshotters behind Dude Perfect aren’t the only creators raising funds and awareness for those affected by the wildfires. A recent video from YouTuber Markiplier included a link to a Tiltify campaign supporting aid across Los Angeles, while the Corridor Crew has urged viewers to back organizations like the American Red Cross, Direct Relief, and the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank.

Other creators have drawn attention to individuals and families who could use help getting back on their feet. Citizen documentarian Andrew Callaghan of Channel 5 ventured into the ashes to speak with survivors of the fires and included donation information for the families he interviewed in the resulting video.

The takeaway: As some platforms look to cut back on features that protect citizen journalists, the strong community response to the L.A. wildfires shows that platforms like YouTube can be valuable organizational tools during relief efforts.

WATCH THIS 📺

Sorry, U.S. legislators: TikTok users are joining yet another China-affiliated app

The hot spot: As TikTok users brace themselves for a possible ban, some have rushed to download another China-affiliated social media app: RedNote. The vertical video platform (also known as Xiaohongshu) topped app store charts early this week thanks to a sudden surge of U.S.-based viewers and creators, prompting a personal welcome from the CEO himself.

The users: Some of the platform’s new U.S. users cited poetic justice as their main motivation for signing up, while others simply seemed relieved to have found an alternative to TikTok (albeit one that operates mostly in Mandarin). Check out one TikToker’s reaction to RedNote’s rising prominence here.

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Today's newsletter is from: Emily Burton, Drew Baldwin, Sam Gutelle, and Josh Cohen.