TOGETHER WITH

It's Wednesday and fans of The Queen’s Gambit are in for a treat. Chess lovers will soon able to step into “Beth Harmon’s world” with the release of a new mobile game based on the hit Netflix series.

STREAMING BIG

Forget Super Bowl commercials—these are the top YouTube ads of 2022-2023:

Streaming services are killing it in the ad world. Over the last 12 months, platforms like Peacock, Netflix, and Max (previously known as HBO Max) have released some of the top-viewed advertisements on YouTube.

Now, those streamers are getting their moment in the sun. Each year ahead of the Cannes International Festival of Creativity, YouTube releases a list of the most-viewed advertisements across its platform—and this time around, three streaming services made the cut.

So, without further ado, here are the top 5 YouTube-based ads of June ‘22 to May ‘23:

Peacock’s most-viewed ad—which came in at #9—deserves an honorable mention, too. After all, it’s not every day that Kevin Hart can’t stop attacking ‘old’ celebrities. To see YouTube’s full list of advertising honorees, check out our article here.

🔆 SPONSORED 🔆

What does talent representation look like for creators? Here are the answers to 3 FAQs—from the industry’s top agents:

Creators need more from talent representation: more industry connections, more social media savvy, and more multiplatform resources. That’s why ​Viral Nation Talent​ offers 360° creator representation—including personalized support from the industry’s leading agents.

Here’s an inside look at talent representation from 3 top Viral Nation Talent agents:

1. Do agents only work with established influencers? 🤔 
Fabio Gonçalves, Director of Talent: “Agents can support influencers at various stages of their careers, including those just starting out…in fact, agents also provide guidance, support, and long-term career planning.”

2. What should creators look for in an agent? 🔎 
Toni-Rose Goulden, Talent Agent: “I believe that it is important for a creator to ​look for an agent that truly understands​ and aligns with their goals for their career.”

3. What creates a good agent-client relationship? 🤝 
Alexandra French, Director of Fashion, Beauty & Lifestyle: “Communication! We're both on the same side and want to get as many deals and opportunities as possible so agents and clients should have a quick and easy form of communication.”

Headed to VidCon? Meet Viral Nation Talent!

Ready to partner up with the world’s #1 influencer agency? Hit the button below to learn more.

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HEADLINES IN BRIEF 📰

• The Law&Crime Network has struck a deal to distribute videos from true crime creator Annie Elise and her 10 to Life brand. (Tubefilter)
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• According to new reports, Instagram may be in the process of developing an AI chatbot designed to “answer questions” and “give advice.” (Engadget)
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• The European Union has issued guidelines requiring major platforms to properly label AI-driven content and chatbots or face significant fines. (Gizmodo)
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• House of Blueberry—a “digital fashion house” known for creating virtual clothing—is teaming up with Rebel Girls to launch a Roblox experience themed around the empowerment of women and girls. (Venture Beat)

DATA • U.S. TOP 50 📈

From food challenges to couples content, this creator is mastering Shorts’ top genres

When we last spoke to Adi Fishman in 2019, the YouTube creator said he often uses the internet’s “word of the day” to find inspiration for his videos. That knack for trend-hunting has taken the 22-year-old far over the last four years—especially as he’s transitioned to short-form video. Between couples content and food challenges, Fishman’s Shorts now span YouTube’s most popular genres and have collected a whopping lifetime total of 2.8 billion views.

It’s easy to see why the creator’s 4.2 million subscribers are so entertained.

Fishman’s most popular Shorts present exciting competitions with self-explanatory rules and little-to-no dialogue—a combination that makes his content accessible to viewers across multiple age and language groups.

That broad appeal has skyrocketed Fishman to #7 in the U.S. Top 50.

• In fact, over the course of our last seven-day count, the creator scored 306.4 million weekly views.

• That massive total added up to a 79% week-over-week viewership increase.

• That sky-high growth makes sense given the success of Fishman’s Shorts library. As of now, six of the creator’s short-form videos have collected more than 150 million views each.

THE SPOTIFY MACHINE

Spotify just laid off another 200 employees as it aims for efficiency

Spotify is tightening its belt. The audio-focused platform recently announced a new round of layoffs (the second of 2023) in a public memo attributed to Spotify VP and Head of Content Business Sahar Elhabashi. In that letter, the exec offered a somewhat dystopian rationale for Spotify’s latest job cuts:

According to Elhabashi, Spotify’s new round of layoffs will affect 200 roles within the company’s podcasting division, or about 2% of its overall workforce. That change, she says, will help the company “accelerate into the next chapter for podcasts on Spotify with strong discovery and podcast habits for users, thriving monetization and audience growth for creators, and a valuable, high-margin business for Spotify.”

Part of that acceleration will revolve around a “renewed” version of Spotify Studios. While Spotify initially shuttered its original podcasting hub after acquiring Gimlet and Parcast, the company now plans to establish Spotify Studios as the central focus of its podcast production wing. That move will shift the development of Gimlet and Parcast originals into Spotify Studios.

Spotify claims to be on track when it comes to growth: in her memo, Elhabashi noted that the platform now has more than 100 million podcast listeners. But despite that impressive audience, Spotify may need to look beyond job cuts if it hopes to up its efficiency. After a year of spending freely on its audio and video pursuits, the company announced a quarterly loss of €225 million at the end of Q1 2023.

WATCH THIS 📺

Is Apple’s $3,500 AR/VR headset worth the price?

AR/VR enthusiasts should take a close look at Marques Brownlee’s latest YouTube video. In a review posted earlier this week, the tech creator—who currently claims around 17 million YouTube subscribers—answers a few key FAQs about the Apple Vision Pro, in addition to weighing in on the look, feel, and value of the new AR/VR headset.

Fans of both Apple and Brownlee are already taking that review to heart: after less than two days on YouTube, the creator’s “Apple Vision Pro Impressions” video has already scored a whopping 8.4 million views.

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Today's newsletter is from: Emily Burton, Sam Gutelle, and Josh Cohen. Drew Baldwin helped edit, too. It's a team effort.