TOGETHER WITH

It’s Wednesday and an upcoming documentary aims to answer one of Gen Z’s biggest questions: “What the hell was Myspace?”

STORY TIME

Twitch is launching its own spin on Stories. Here’s everything streamers need to know:

Let’s face it: Stories aren’t exactly a revolutionary social media tool. The feature can be found on every platform from Instagram to TikTok, with most iterations consisting of short posts that appear above users’ feeds and disappear around the 24-hour mark.

Twitch is doing things a little differently.

According to senior product manager Eduardo Fenili, the streaming platform’s spin on Stories will be less ephemeral than most. Temporary posts on Twitch will last 48 hours instead of 24, and will include the added perk of push notifications. That last feature is a big one when it comes to on-platform discoverability and audience-building—two crucial growth factors that many creators feel are lacking on Twitch.

For now, Twitch Stories can only be posted by partner and affiliate streamers who have streamed at least once in the last 30 days—but other creators shouldn’t count themselves out just yet. The platform says it will consider opening access to additional streamers “as we test the safety measures we have in place.”

🔆 SPONSORED 🔆

Is 360° talent representation the right fit for you? Check out this Q&A with top Viral Nation creators to find out:

For creators, having the right support system can be life-changing. That’s why ​​Viral Nation Talent​​ offers one-on-one representation to over 800 digital talent, with a 24-hour turnaround on all brand opportunities.

We asked 3 creators why Viral Nation's 360° approach is the difference-maker. Here’s what they had to say: ​

1. What talent representation service is a must-have? 🤔
Gabe Dannenbring, Teacher and Education Content Creator: "Representation in negotiations with brands…Most influencers do not know that things such as exclusivity, rights to usages, and whitelisting capabilities can be very lucrative to brands. With an agent, they understand the value of those services."

2. What should creators look for in an agent? 🔎 
Nick Pro, Parkour and Stunts Creator: "I dabble in a lot of nerdy, superhero, and anime content. It is beneficial that my agent knows that market and knows the products/services that I might be making content for.”

3. What creates a good relationship between you and your agent? 🤝
Yuri Lamasbella, Beauty Creator and Kardashian-focused Comedian: “Understanding of who my audience is & which collaborations are the right fit for me.”

Viral Nation’s industry-leading agents source the best opportunities for creators in all verticals. Hit the button below to supercharge your growth:

​​Visit the website to learn more →​

HEADLINES IN BRIEF 📰

• Korean YouTube hub KIMPRO snagged 3.06 billion monthly views during September, making it the most-viewed channel of the month.  (Tubefilter)
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• X is reportedly testing out a new subscription model that requires users to pay $1 per year in order to post on the platform. (Engadget)
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• MrBeast’s was the only U.S.-based YouTube channel to add at least two billion monthly views during September 2023. (Tubefilter)
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• Snapchat has announced the launch of “web embeds for Lenses, Spotlight videos, Public Stories, and Public Profiles.” (Snap Newsroom)

DATA • GOSPEL STATS 📈

We’re back with another round of top-viewed branded videos! Amidst all sponsored YouTube content uploaded between October 1 and October 8, three branded clips reigned supreme. Here are the big winners:

🥇 MrBeast x Stumble Guys: “​World’s Most Dangerous Trap!”
MrBeast’s latest challenge video took his partnership with Stumble Guys to the next level. In a clip sponsored by the mobile game, the YouTuber gave one fan the chance to get rich by facing an array of phobia-inducing traps—but with 123 million views, it’s safe to say Stumble Guys was the real winner.

🥈 Dude Perfect x Quaker: “​The World’s First Square Bike”
From square wheels to portable benches, Dude Perfect is no stranger to out-of-the-box ideas. That taste for innovation made the Texas-based supergroup an ideal partner for Quaker, which showed off its granola bar cereal in a recent episode of the dudes’ Cool Not Cool series.

🥉 Kurzgesagt - In A Nutshell x Brilliant: “​Why Korea is Dying Out”
A shared commitment to data-based education makes Kurzgesagt and Brilliant a perfect pair. After all, who’s more likely to appreciate interactive science courses than fans of a channel designed to “spark curiosity about science and the world we live in”?

Those viral hits are only the tip of the iceberg. For a deeper look at October’s top branded videos, check out two bonus clips right here. Want even more insight into sponsored YouTube content? Check out Gospel Stats.

IN THE MOMENT

Patreon is diving into the world of digital creator events with a brand-new acquisition

Patreon’s ten-year plan is off to an ambitious start. The company has announced the acquisition of Moment, a hosting and ticketing platform that lets creators hold digital events.

As Conte noted, Patreon’s big acquisition comes “on the heels of releasing our new brand identity, mobile app, and a suite of creator tools.” Those milestones are part of a larger mission to build “a sustainable future for creators by giving them a direct line to the people who love their work”—but to accomplish that lofty goal, Patreon will need to go far beyond the digital paywalls of its past.

That’s where Moment comes in.

Since its founding by Arjun Mehta, Nigel Egrari, and Shray Bansal in 2019, Moment has raised $13.5 million from investors—including big names like Cody Ko, Noel Miller, UTA, and Halsey—and generated some major buzz in the creator economy. The results speak for themselves: by 2021, the platform had sold more than 1 million tickets to fans across 168 countries and 44 territories (per Moment).

Creators and fans won’t have to wait long to see what Moment does under Patreon’s tutelage. According to Variety, the platform’s first post-acquisition event will be an October 19 episode of Crooked Media’s Pod Save America.

WATCH THIS 📺

A smorgasbord of new updates is putting the ‘You’ in ‘YouTube’

YouTube Creator Liaison Rene Ritchie just delivered the mother of all update announcements in a single 4-minute video. That jam-packed clip covered everything from a brand-new account hub—aka the You tab—to the launch of voice search, screen lock, a new-and-improved fast-forward function, rotating comments, animated response buttons, and more.

There’s obviously a lot to unpack there, so we’ll let Ritchie take it from 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.