TOGETHER WITH

It's Wednesday and TikTok is keeping earworms alive by letting users add their favorite viral songs to apps like Spotify and Apple Music.

FEELING ALIVE

TikTok’s latest campaign will give creators a chance to win exclusive rewards

TikTok is going live for a brand-new global campaign. The platform has announced the upcoming launch of TikTok Live Fest, an event that aims to promote the platform’s products and streaming community by giving creators “the opportunity to collect rewards for going LIVE, connect with other creators, and share their creativity with a global audience.”

Ready to rise to the top of the leaderboard?

As part of Live Fest, TikTok will publish rankings based on which community members go live most often during the campaign. Creators who climb the charts will earn some major rewards, including Diamonds (TikTok’s virtual currency) and the chance to attend a “VIP global creator award event early next year.” But staying on top won’t be easy: Live Fest will span more than 50 countries and regions, with challenges “open to all eligible creators” across the platform. (In this case, “eligible” basically means ‘over 18 and in good standing with TikTok.’)

The festivities are set to kick off later this month. For more updates and eligibility info, keep an eye on @TikTokLIVE_US or check out our full article here.

🔆 SPONSORED 🔆

At Viral Nation, food creators share more than great recipes—they share authentic stories and time-honored traditions

As the holidays approach, online viewers look for more than just festive food recs and recipes—they seek inspiration.

That’s where Viral Nation’s roster of top food creators comes in.

Viral Nation stars tell authentic stories through cuisine, giving viewers a reason to tune in time and time again. That human connection has helped creators like Everything Just Baked, Cabbages, and Food My Muse build tight-knit, loyal audiences across multiple platforms.

Get to know the creators behind the channels:

• Since competing on Netflix’s Is It Cake?, Justin Ellen (aka Everything Just Baked) has partnered with major brands like Oreo and Adobe. 🎂
  

• Pro chef Gabrielle Chappel has attracted a dedicated Instagram following with her charismatic personality and plant-based recipes. 🌿
  

• The stylish couple behind Cabagges (aka Anna and Kevin) travel together, cook together, and share food recommendations through their comprehensive Tokyo Guide. 🍱
  

• Nadia Aidi of Food My Muse is a chef-turned-creator who cooks up recipes inspired by her Mexican and Syrian roots. 🍳 

With the support of Viral Nation’s 360° creator services, Justin, Gabrielle, Anna, Kevin, and Nadia have earned the trust of millions of long-term viewers—a consumer loyalty they’ll carry into every podcasting opportunity, syndication offering, original content venture, and brand partnership.

Learn more at viralnation.com → 

HEADLINES IN BRIEF 📰

• 2024’s Grammy Award nominees include TikTok trendsetters like Miley Cyrus, Ice Spice, Billie Eilish, and Troye Sivan. (Tubefilter)
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• Family-friendly YouTube channel Toys and Colors has now secured more seven-day views than any other U.S.-based hub for the second week running. (Tubefilter)
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• The Game Awards has set up its very own Fortnite island, where fans can collect virtual trophies and vote for “the best user-created Fortnite island of the year.” (VentureBeat)
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• Users will soon have the ability to link their Snapchat and Amazon accounts in order to buy advertised products directly through Snapchat. (TechCrunch)

DATA • GOSPEL STATS 📈

This week’s top-viewed branded videos ran the gamut from philanthropy to pranks

In the fight between good and evil, there are plenty of ways to uphold morality. You could build 100 wells for charity (à la MrBeast) or bust candy thieves like Mark Rober. Either way, you’ll have a solid shot at going viral in the process—and cementing your reputation as a valuable partner for brands.

Read on to learn how MrBeast and Rober’s morality-based videos scored them top spots in the latest Gospel Stats Weekly Brand Report:

🥇 MrBeast x Beast Philanthropy: I Built 100 Wells in Africa
Jimmy Donaldson’s latest good deed didn’t just lead to the construction of 100 wells—it also powered a raging debate on YouTube about the overlap of charity and self-promotion. That controversy drove more than 100 million viewers to MrBeast’s sponsored clip over the course of just 10 days.

🥈 Mark Rober x Crunchlabs: Candy Thieves vs Rigged Candy Bowl
Rober took a different approach to the pursuit of morality by pranking Halloween hooligans. The engineer’s booby-trapped candy bowls undoubtedly sparked the curiosity of a few young scientists—an audience Rober is targeting with his kid-focused subscription box, Crunchlabs.

🥉 NileRed x Brilliant:  Making bulletproof wood
Rober wasn’t the only YouTube science guy at the top of Gospel’s latest report. NileRed joined forces with online course company Brilliant to capture “the natural beauty of chemistry” by creating bullet-proof wood. The result: 4.9 million views.

Check out our full article to learn more about this week’s top-viewed branded videos—and then head over to Gospel Stats to discover which brands are sponsoring top creators and rising stars.

FAKE IT TO MAKE IT

YouTube says creators will have to start labeling their AI content (or else)

YouTube might be working on a few AI features of its own, but that doesn’t mean the platform is throwing caution to the wind. In a recent blog post, YouTube announced the upcoming rollout of “synthetic” labels, which creators will be required to use when uploading “realistic” AI content.

Those labels will address three types of AI content.

When creators post content that uses AI to discuss non-sensitive topics, they’ll simply need to add a general-use label to the video description panel. On the flip side, content that uses AI to address “sensitive topics, such as elections, ongoing conflicts and public health crises, or public officials” will need to include a label in the actual video player.

Creators will also be expected to follow the rules when using YouTube’s own tech. The platform says that content created by its upcoming generative AI products will need to be “clearly labeled as altered or synthetic.” Users who “consistently” flaunt those guidelines “may be subject to content removal, suspension from the YouTube Partner Program, or other penalties.”

There are other ways to get in trouble using AI, too.

“In the coming months,” YouTube users will gain the ability to report AI content that “simulates an identifiable individual, including their face or voice” and “mimics an artist’s unique singing or rapping voice.” Of course, that doesn’t mean YouTube will actually remove all reported videos. The platform says it will “consider a variety of factors” when evaluating requests—so if you’re into AI parodies or synthetic music critiques, you might just be off the hook.

WATCH THIS 📺

Netflix is bringing Pokémon into the world of stop motion (and vice versa)

The official trailer for Pokémon Concierge has arrived at last.

So far, Netflix’s stop-motion adaptation of the beloved franchise looks to be everything we hoped for (and more): the Pokémon are adorably chaotic, the vibe is bright, and the dialogue promises plenty of heartfelt moments.

In other words: if you grew up playing Pokémon for the warm fuzzies instead of the battle action, then don’t forget to hit up Netflix when Pokémon Concierge drops on December 28.

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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.