TOGETHER WITH

It's Thursday and YouTube is putting a fresh spin on FYPs with the launch of channel-specific “For You” feeds.

FEELING CHATTY

YouTube is giving Premium subscribers access to two new AI-driven features

If you’ve ever stumbled across a video and wondered what the heck was happening in the comment section, YouTube’s latest test feature is for you. According to a YouTube Help post attributed to team member Hazel, YouTube Premium subscribers can now read AI-generated summaries that categorize entire comment sections into “easily digestible themes.”

(It’s worth noting that “easily digestible” doesn’t necessarily mean “self-explanatory.” The comment section of a participating MrBeast video included an AI-generated topic labeled “no submarine.”)

Those comment section topics currently apply to only a “small number of videos in English,” but they aren’t the only AI-driven product up YouTube’s sleeve. A “conversational AI tool” will also be made available to Premium subscribers “in the coming weeks.” (A smaller number of test subjects will be able to see the feature before then.)

That second test feature sounds a whole lot like a chatbot.

According to YouTube, the conversational tool will be a resource for viewers who want “answers to questions” about the content they’re watching or “recommendations for related content” without interrupting video playback. In combination with experimental comment topics, that upcoming chatbot gives viewers a hefty incentive to pay for YouTube’s ad-free tier—especially if they’ve already been hit by the platform’s anti-ad blocker campaign.

🔆 SPONSORED 🔆

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

When it comes to building your digital brand, having the right support system can revolutionize your career. That’s why ​​Viral Nation’s Creator Studio provides full scale support to celebrities, athletes and actors—so you can reclaim your voice online while reaching fans all over the world.

Viral Nation’s latest launch: Amber Rose’s brand-new YouTube channel.

From cooking videos to family content, Amber Rose’s YouTube channel will explore all sides of her unfiltered personality while exploring modern motherhood and challenging outdated notions of femininity. The hub will also be home to her upcoming Viral Nation-produced podcast, I Hope They're Not Listening with Amber Rose.

Tune in to watch Amber conspire with special guests as they unravel mysteries, delve into taboo topics, and shed light on hidden truths. Some of the crazy stories revealed on I Hope They’re Not Listening probably shouldn’t be told (but that’s exactly why we’ll be listening!).

Find out more about Amber’s mission to further women’s empowerment on her new channel—and then stop by Viral Nation’s website to learn how you can unlock access to 360° creator service like the Creator Studio, brand partnerships, and PR by signing with Viral Nation Talent.

Learn more about the Creator Studio → 

HEADLINES IN BRIEF 📰

• Instagram is shining a spotlight on 24 creators (including Keith Lee) via its 2023 Creators of Tomorrow list. (Tubefilter)
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• A new test feature gives select Instagram users the ability to turn off read receipts in their DMs. (Engadget)
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• Google is expanding access to its AI-powered search engine to users in 120 additional countries. (TechCrunch)
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• Roblox says it pulled in $713.2 million in third-quarter revenue, a figure that represents a 38% increase year-over-year. (VentureBeat)

DATA • STREAMERS ON THE RISE 📈

This gamer has been streaming on Twitch since before it was Twitch

These days, Xaryu is all about work-life balance…but his streaming career didn’t exactly start out that way. The creator first began tuning into Twitch streams way back in 2012, when the platform was still called Justin.tv. It wasn’t long before he caught the creative bug.

And it was cool—in fact, viewers began pouring in almost as soon as Xaryu hit World of Warcraft’s top PVP rank. The only problem: instead of struggling to attract an audience or maintain a consistent streaming schedule (two obstacles faced by many new creators), Xaryu found himself streaming too much.

For a while, Xaryu was okay with that; after all, his viewership was growing. But by 2014, the creator’s intense schedule had begun taking a serious toll. Changing that routine was no quick fix, but Xaryu was determined: he began going outside more and committed himself to health and fitness. And then, he began helping viewers do the same.

These days, Xaryu is still a major WOW streamer—but he’s also a force for balanced living. He frequently reminds viewers to maintain their HP in real life by “doing their dailies” (drinking water, talking to friends, etc.), makes a point to post his workouts on Instagram, and runs a website that includes a healthy cookbook and fitness programs.

Find out more about Xaryu’s eleven-year streaming career here.

ALL ABOUT BLIPPI

Moonbug is teaming up with a big-time toymaker just in time for the holidays

Two of Moonbug’s most lucrative properties have a new global licensee. Toymaker Spin Master has partnered with the Candle Media-owned company for a wide-ranging agreement that includes toylines inspired by both Blippi and Little Angel.

Those family-friendly brands have each accrued billions of views by distributing nursery rhymes and educational videos on YouTube. Now, on the eve of the holiday season, they’ll also lay claim to Spin Master’s significant retail know-how and industry resources. (Moonbug’s biggest property—CoComelon—already has a retail-oriented arrangement with Squishmallow maker Jazwares.)

Spin Master’s agreement with Moonbug will also extend to content initiatives and a paid media campaign. The toymaker has already generated well-known hits like Paw Patrol and Bakugan, and now hopes to apply Moonbug’s time-proven growth strategies to its YouTube channels (which are operated under the company’s Spin Master Entertainment banner).

In addition to running paid Spin Master placements on its own hubs and other related channels, Moonbug will produce animated YouTube Shorts content related to Spin Master properties like Vida the Vet (pictured above).

WATCH THIS 📺

Chris Olsen’s Mean Girls dreams are coming true

There are a few things viewers should know about TikTok star Chris Olsen: he’s hilarious, he has a knack for delivering coffee across state lines (usually into the hands of waiting celebs), and he’s a big fan of Mean Girls. 

Those characteristics have earned Olsen millions of followers—and now, they’ve also secured him a cameo in Paramount’s upcoming Mean Girls film. Check out the movie’s latest trailer to see a sneak peek of the creator’s big moment.

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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.