It's Sunday and here’s a handpicked selection of stories to give you a snapshot of trends, updates, business moves, and more from around the creator industry.
But first, Gen Z loves birds. Sources say that the #BirdTok hashtag is booming. So what happens when the aviary fanatics of TikTok find out that birds aren’t real?
CREATOR COMMOTION
Super Simple Songs is turning 20.
Creators are making movies, hitting milestones, and catching Doja Cat’s eye
The milestone: Happy 20th birthday to the Super Simple Songs YouTube channel. Since 2006, more than 46 million subscribers have tuned into Super Simple Songs, which has rolled up over 63.6 billion lifetime views. The channel’s teacher-centric approach is more relevant now than it was 20 years ago, and with more new content on the way, Super Simple Songs is set up for a bright future.
The horror film: You don’t need to be Kane Parsons or Curry Barker to bring your creator-led tale of terror to the big screen. The team behind the Cinema Therapy YouTube channel has turned to its fanbase to support a planned project called The Vessel. At the time of this post, The Vessel was a little over halfway to its $100,000 goal.
The celebrity assist: Doja Cat supported a streamer with almost no views. Nitro Camden was averaging very few Twitch viewers until streaming star Stable Ronaldo came through with thousands of fans as part of a raid. An incident between Nitro Camden and his mother showed that the streamer could use more support, and celebs like Doja Cat provided it.
The golf controversy: It’s been a tough week for the YouTube golfers. First, Good Good lost a plethora of deals and programming opportunities after receiving backlash for an insensitive Callaway ad. Now, Grant Horvat—arguably the most popular of the YouTube golfers—has been criticized for the price of his product line. His golf clubs are aimed at kids, but is $199 a fair price for a junior sports product?
The tech campaign: Best Buy enlisted Marques Brownlee to run through 60 years of tech. The retailer has been around for six decades, and who better than YouTube’s premier tech reviewer to recap the products that have been sold at Best Buy over the years.
MEDIA CROSSOVERS
Plot twist! M. Night Shyamalan has his own YouTube channel.
Traditional media personalities are making their way to YouTube
The director: If YouTube stars are going to make Hollywood horror movies, then Hollywood horror directors should become YouTube stars, right? That rationale would explain why M. Night Shyamalan is now uploading vlogs to YouTube (and seemingly drawing inspiration from the thumbnail design of Ryan Trahan videos).
The documentarian: Just in time for back-to-school season, Ken Burns is on YouTube. Through PBS LearningMedia, content from a time-honored documentarian will be available in classrooms via YouTube. Burns’ YouTube initiative will star with his doc on the American Revolution. “I’ve always thought that our shared history should be accessible to everyone,” he said.
The Barefoot Contessa: Whether she’s cooking for husband Jeffrey or imparting “foolproof” recipes for an upcoming house party, Ina Garten is a lifeline for amateur chefs. The Barefoot Contessa’s move to YouTube will come in the form of a show called Happy Hour with Ina Garten, a Vox Media podcast that will feature intimate dinner party conversations between the host and her guests.
BIG TECH
TikTok is keeping creators’ legacies alive. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images.)
This week in platform headlines…
The account policy: TikTok’s “legacy contacts” can preserve the accounts of dead users. The question of what happens to your accounts after you pass is complicated, but TikTok is hoping that a new policy—which designates legacy contacts who manage the accounts of departed creators—will add an important layer of continuity.
The deal: YouTube’s million-dollar offers haven’t stopped Netflix’s creator spending spree. As one platform reportedly pays beaucoup bucks to keep its biggest stars from signing deals, the platform that wants to sign those stars is keeping the creator pipeline flowing. Netflix has struck a deal with Kevin Langue, whose comedy channels will become available on the SVOD service.
The feature: Need a Substack collaborator? Try the “creator match” feature. Alongside a host of new tools, the matchmaking feature connects creators with others who share their interests and audience sizes. Platforms are all about community these days, and this feature is another example of what that paradigm looks like.
WATCH THIS 👀
Club is collaborating with the stars of AMP.
Club just premiered a trailer featuring AMP
The trailer: Club’s new trailer stars the members of AMP. Kick has used splashy creator signings as a form of promotion, and its newly launched sister platform is adopting a similar strategy.
The trailer in question is one part Kai Cenat subathon and one part Janet Jackson “Rhythm Nation” music video.
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Today's newsletter is from: Emily Burton, Drew Baldwin, Sam Gutelle, and Josh Cohen.