TOGETHER WITH

It's Wednesday and marketers are adding creators to their most-wanted lists. According to a new study, 92% of advertisers describe creator-made content as “premium.”

NEED A BOOST?

TikTok is giving horizontal videos a “boost” (but there’s a catch)

TikTok’s quest to take on YouTube is bringing long-form creators some well-deserved exposure—but they won’t be getting paid for the resulting views.

The incentive: According to screenshots posted by social media consultant Matt Navarra, TikTok is encouraging some creators to “post videos over 1 minute in landscape to get increased views.” The platform’s message—labeled with the heading “Video View Booster”— promises that “qualified videos will receive boosted views within 72 hours of posting.”

The catch: TikTok’s notification includes one crucial clarification: any views brought in by its horizontal video boosts “are not eligible to get rewards” through Creativity Program Beta (aka the monetization program that pays creators for videos longer than 60 seconds).

• In other words: TikTok’s Video View Booster might bring long-form creators additional views, but they won’t actually make any additional revenue from that heightened visibility.
  
  

• Many creators will likely consider that an even trade. But since video makers don’t actually have to apply to have their content boosted (the feature operates on an opt-out system, so creators), there’s bound to be some confusion when creators who missed the memo see a flood of extra views without a corresponding rise in revenue.

The big picture: The introduction of TikTok’s horizontal video View Booster comes just days after the platform (allegedly) began testing 30-minute videos and less than a year since the U.S. rollout of its long-form Creativity Program.

• All three incentives bring TikTok further into YouTube’s territory, a sign that the app remains dedicated to competing with the internet’s top long-form video platform even as it goes up against ecommerce giants like Amazon.

🔆 SPONSORED 🔆

Viral Nation’s Creator Studio and Podcasting Division just linked up with Amber Rose for a major launch:

When it comes to amplifying your social presence, having the right support system can revolutionize your digital brand. That’s why ​​Viral Nation provides full-scale support to celebrities through its Podcasting Division, Creator Studio, and 360° Representation Agency—so you can reclaim your voice online while reaching fans all over the world.

Viral Nation’s latest launch: I Hope They’re Not Listening with Amber Rose.

From exploring taboo topics and supernatural mysteries to unraveling “ancient secrets,” Amber Rose’s brand-new YouTube podcast invites viewers to re-examine everything they think they know about the world—with a little help from guest stars like Neil deGrasse Tyson. 

Some of the crazy stories revealed probably shouldn’t be told (but that’s exactly why we’ll be listening!). 

I Hope They’re Not Listening just dropped on January 23—so grab some popcorn and check out the first episode to see Amber Rose drag her exes with Bob the Drag Queen and Monét X Change.

Already listened to (and loved) Episode One? Hit the link below to discover how Viral Nation’s Creator Studio and Podcasting Division brought I Hope They’re Not Listening to life by securing talent, snagging brand partnerships, and handling production and distribution.

Learn more about Viral Nation → 

HEADLINES IN BRIEF 📰

• TikTok’s Black History Month initiatives include a new Visionary Voices list, a #ShopBlack hashtag, and a campaign that will bring diverse creators to movie theaters across the U.S. (Tubefilter)
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• Pokimane appears to be preparing for a departure from Twitch following an X post in which she announced “the end of an era” and thanked viewers “for all the memories and love.” (Dextero)
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• CEOs from Meta, X, TikTok, Discord, and Snap are set to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee today for a hearing on child internet safety. (TechCrunch)
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• Threads ranked among December’s top 10 most downloaded apps across “both the App Store and Google Play,” signaling a major rise in monthly downloads. (TechCrunch)

DATA • GLOBAL TOP 50 📈

Meet the 3 channels that topped this week’s Global Top 50 chart:

Three YouTube channels reigned supreme this week, with a first-time winner at the head of the pack. ToRung, T-Series, and Diary of 4 scored a cumulative seven-day total of 1.79 billion views. Here’s how they did it:

👍 The thumbnail aficionado: ToRung’s comedic skits play into one of the format’s most popular trends, but it’s the channel’s suggestive thumbnails that set it apart. The Vietnamese hub has amassed billions of views by risking the wrath of YouTube with provocative previews that depict near-death situations, borderline-sexual poses, and bizarre costumes.

• Over the course of our past seven-day count alone, ToRung scored a whopping 698.6 million weekly views.
  
  

• The result: the creator cracked 6 billion lifetime YouTube views this week and is rapidly approaching 10 million subscribers.

🎸 The record label: Indian record label T-Series is a habitual chart topper—and it’s not difficult to see why. With its big-budget trailers and audio tracks, multiple daily posts, and a cast of South Asian celebrities, it’s no wonder the company has accumulated a devoted viewership of both Indian and international fans.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👧 The family channel: Diary of 4 combines one of YouTube’s top genres—family content—with the powerhouse of the platform’s short-form category. Add in prank videos, trending sounds, and plenty of emojis, and you have one of the highest-ranking family channels on YouTube.

SETTING UP SHOP

TikTok is reportedly opening live shopping studios for creators

TikTok’s latest ecommerce endeavor could arm creators with a slew of professional production resources.

The breaking news: According to The Information—which cited “people familiar with the matter”—TikTok reportedly plans to open a series of in-person studios where creators will be able to host shopping livestreams.

• Los Angeles will be at the heart of that operation, although TikTok apparently aims to open several facilities designed to “accommodate multiple studios and dozens of creators a day.”

The logistics: The finer details of TikTok’s plan are still up in the air—including the question of production costs and the process by which creators will gain access to the designated studios.

• TikTok execs have reportedly mulled over several possibilities, including working directly with brands to subsidize production costs, charging creators through a paid membership system, or arranging for manufacturers to send samples to studios for creators’ use.

Why it matters: Shopping streams are a billion-dollar business in China’s bustling ecommerce market, but the lucrative trend has yet to take hold in the West. If TikTok’s streaming studios do come to fruition (and, more importantly, manage to attract a significant consumer base), their success would signify a major shift in the Western market—something ad agencies and platforms like YouTube have attempted to bring about for years.

WATCH THIS 📺

Who knew a pseudoscientific theory could be so catchy?

Creators Billy Carswell, Calum Pearce, and Kit Pope are putting a musical spin on the thoroughly disproven (and oft-ridiculed) Flat Earth Theory.

Under development: The members of the “musical writing trio” have delighted viewers by posting sneak peeks at their upcoming comedy production, which pokes fun at Flat Earthers with catchy lyrics, boppy choreography, and an abundance of misinformation warnings.

Check out the makings of Flat Earth: The Musical here.

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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.