TOGETHER WITH

It's Friday and Netflix is marking the demise of its DVD rental business by mailing out surprise DVDs based on subscribers’ film queues.

BLOCK PARTY

Sorry, trolls: Twitch creators can finally block users from watching their streams

Twitch’s latest update is a big one. In response to years of user feedback, the platform is at last giving streamers the ability to block banned users from watching their broadcasts.

Shouldn’t that feature have existed, like, way before now?

Probably—but in the past, banning a user primarily meant that they’d no longer be able to DM you, follow you, buy gift subs for your channel, participate in your chat, or get in touch with you via another creator’s chat. Those consequences will still be in effect going forward, but with an added oomph: according to Kotaku, streamers will soon be able to boot users from their streams instantaneously—meaning that if a user is banned mid-stream, the broadcast will immediately cut out for them.

The mechanism behind that superpower (aka Twitch’s new “Stop banned users from viewing stream” toggle) isn’t widely available just yet, but the larger creator community won’t have to wait too long to begin safeguarding their streams. According to GameSpot, the feature should be available to everyone in September.

The catch: Twitch’s new toggle only works when banned users are actually logged in.

For now, users can simply log out if they want to tune in after being blocked from a broadcast. There’s also no way to prevent banned users from watching a streamer’s clips or VODs—at least, not yet. According to Twitch, its new broadcast-blocking function is “by no means an end-state product.” The platform says it will continue to “make improvements where needed,” and is keeping a close eye on creator feedback.

🔆 SPONSORED 🔆

Only one event unites the top 1% of content creators. Do you have your VidSummit ticket?

It’s time to become an industry insider—and who better to lead the way than top influencers like MrBeast, Preston Playz, Michelle Khare, Airrack, HopeScope, and Kwebbelkop?

This year’s VidSummit conference will feature the very best in online video, with dozens of high-profile influencers, brands, and marketers discussing everything from audience growth and influence gain to monetization strategies.

Most importantly: VidSummit is a space for creators only, without the fan presence found at other events. No meet and greets, no overrun panels—just influencers and brands sharing the real details of what they do.

That means you’ll gain exclusive insights into all corners of the creator economy.

From October 3-5, the world’s leading experts will come together in Dallas, Texas to unravel the truth behind success in the content creation industry—all in one room, for creators’ ears only. Will you be there to kickstart your career?

Tickets for VidSummit 2023 are on sale now. So why wait?

Reserve your seat today →

HEADLINES IN BRIEF 📰

• Senators Ed Markey (D-MA) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) have requested an FTC investigation into YouTube’s ad placements on videos targeted at children. (Tubefilter)
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• VidCon Baltimore will host an industry leadership summit described as “an exclusive gathering of key stakeholders shaping the future of the Creator Economy.” (Tubefilter)
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• Tumblr has introduced a new navigation interface in order to make it easier for “newbies and seasoned travelers alike” to explore its platform. (TechCrunch)
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• Threads has updated its Following feed to include a new retweet-style “Reposts” feature. (The Verge)

DATA • CREATORS ON THE RISE 📈

From graphic design to AI, this online educator is taking Skillshare by storm

When Smitesh Mistry first began posting his art on Instagram, he was hoping to attract a few future employers. Instead, the graphic artist and illustrator ended up reeling in nearly 95,000 followers—and a rapidly-growing roster of Skillshare students.

Of course, Mistry’s online portfolio did entice a fair amount of employers. The artist worked “in three or four different companies” before switching gears to freelancing earlier this year. But industry recruiters weren’t the only users drawn to Mistry’s art-focused Instagram account. As he expanded his content to include graphic design, illustration, and painting, more and more followers began reaching out for tutorials. Those commenters wanted to know exactly how Mistry’s creative process worked.

He didn’t blame them.

In fact, Mistry wished those kinds of tutorials had been around when he was first starting out—so, he decided to share his own hard-earned knowledge on Skillshare. Three years later, Mistry has risen to become the platform’s fifth most-watched teacher across all niches. His most popular course (a foundational class for aspiring graphic designers) has now been taken by more than 8,300 students.

Mistry’s social media following has grown at an even quicker pace.

Still, the creator isn’t too concerned about his exact follower count. Instead, he says, sharing his knowledge online is “a way of me giving back to the community and other creatives who are passionate and want to learn but don’t necessarily know where to start.” That mission sometimes means confronting complicated subjects. With AI on the rise, for instance, Mistry is making sure to educate his Skillshare students on both the practical uses and the moral implications of artificial intelligence.

Prospective pupils can check out his new AI-focused course here.

PICKLE PERFECT

YouTube’s latest show is the perfect mix of popular creators and pickle juice

Would you drink pickle juice to protect your deepest, darkest secrets? If the answer is yes, then you might want to avoid appearing on YouTube’s new interview show. In A Pickle offers creator guest stars two choices: spill the beans or prepare for things to go sour.

The seven-part series will likely appeal to fans of Hot Ones. Both shows pair hard-hitting interviews with extreme food challenges—but instead of having a nice chat over increasingly spicy wings, In A Pickle stars must down a shot of pickle juice for every question they refuse to answer.

Viewers get the sweeter end of that deal.

According to YouTube, In A Pickle’s upcoming guest stars are a pretty big dill. Bi-weekly episodes will feature “Peet Montzingo, Ashley Yi, Carter Kench, Jordan Matter, The Beverly Halls, Haley Kalil, and Ms. Beanie,” with new videos rolling out on Wednesdays. The first of those episodes—which stars funnywoman-slash-model Haley Kalil—is already live on the official YouTube Blog and the YouTube Creator Liaison channel.

WATCH THIS 📺

Tired of brainstorming video titles? Colin, Samir, and Spotter have an AI tool for that.

Let’s face it: brainstorming video titles can be beyond frustrating—and the process doesn’t always produce a high-performing result, either. Colin and Samir are here to change that. The long-time YouTubers have joined forces with creator company Spotter to roll out Title Exploder, an AI-driven tool that generates “title variations based on your channel’s top performing videos and the best titles on YouTube.”

Interested in taking the tool for a spin? In addition to Spotter-funded creators, Colin, Samir, and Spotter are giving 20 lucky applicants a chance to test out the tool. Interested creators can apply 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.