YouTube samples the goods šŸŽ§

Why not take a beat?

TOGETHER WITH

It's Wednesday and yet another viral TikTok sound has evolved into a full-length single. Behold: ā€œPlanet of the Bass.ā€

MUSICAL APPETIZERS

YouTubeā€™s latest feed turns full-length songs into short-form Samples

YouTube is making the most of its usersā€™ modern music habits. These days, the platform says, most people find new songs through their family and friends. Thatā€™s no surpriseā€”but the second most popular discovery method is a pretty big deal for YouTube:

Aside from personal recommendations, most people find new songs by scrolling through short-form content.

YouTubeā€™s response to that trend: a personalized, music-only recommendation feed called Samples. According to YouTube Director of Product Management Brandon Bilinski, the Samples tab offers ā€œa focused music discovery experienceā€ centered around 30-second cuts from music videos and live performances in the YouTube Music library. Viewers interested in a specific Sample (which Bilinski describes as an ā€œappetizer to the full mealā€) can watch the full-length video, add the song to their YouTube Music collection, start a new playlist with it, use it to create a Short, see the album page, or share it to friends.

Musicians have options, too.

According to Bilinski, artists who donā€™t want their songs displayed in the Sample feed can opt outā€”but as YouTube explained to ā€œa lot of artists and labels,ā€ the new tab could prove to be a valuable audience-building tool. Artists willing to participate in that process wonā€™t have to wait long to get the ball rolling.

YouTube began launching Samples on a global basis yesterday, and plans to use the resulting data to ā€œexplore how this type of short-form discovery can inform other parts of the YouTube Music app.ā€

šŸ”† SPONSORED šŸ”†

What does 360Ā° talent representation mean to creators? Here are the answers to 3 FAQs from top Viral Nation stars:

As a creator, having the right support system can revolutionize your career. Thatā€™s why ā€‹ā€‹Viral Nation Talentā€‹ā€‹ offers 360Ā° creator representationā€”and why their team and talent are dedicated to helping creators find the right representation for their goals.

Check out these insights on finding representation from three Viral Nation stars:

1. What should creators look for in an agent? šŸ”Ž 
Gabe Dannenbring (aka TikTokā€™s favorite teacher): ā€œSomeone who is honest. An influencer needs to understand that agents canā€™t guarantee how much money you will make.ā€

2. When did you realize it was time to ā€‹find professional representationā€‹? ā° 
Nick Pro, Parkour Content Creator and Film Buff: ā€œWhen I was getting inquiries from brands multiple times a week or dayā€¦I also got to a point where I was losing a lot of money from not knowing how much to value a brand partnership.ā€

3. What was your top priority when choosing an agency? šŸ¤” 
Lindsay Nikole, Edgy Zoologist and Rising YouTube Star: ā€œOne must-have was the ability to execute brand deals and sponsorshipsā€”knowing my channel(s)'s worthā€¦and responding to everything in a timely manner.ā€

Hit the button below to learn how Viral Nation Talent can supercharge your growth:

HEADLINES IN BRIEF šŸ“°

  • A dozen top YouTubersā€”including Sam and Colby, UnspeakablePlays, and PrestonGamezā€”have teamed up with FilmRise to repackage their content as TV shows. (Tubefilter)
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  • YouTube is enacting a new ā€œpolicy frameworkā€ designed to counter medical misinformation related to disease prevention, dubious treatments, and conspiracy theories. (Tubefilter)
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  • According to Nielsenā€™s latest study, linear television (aka cable and broadcast TV) viewership ā€œrepresented less than half of total TV usageā€ for the first time in July 2023. (Gizmodo)
    ā€‹

  • New reports claim that Twitter intentionally delayed usersā€™ access to rival websites by slowing down loading times. (TechCrunch)

DATA ā€¢ U.S. TOP 50 šŸ“ˆ

From fake aliens to plastic spiders, thereā€™s nothing Shorts viewers love more than a solid prank

Fans of Joe Albanese know one thing for certain: the viral Shorts creator never lets a good prank pass him by. When opportunity calls, Albanese answersā€”especially if that opportunity involves annoying his little sister. Over the past five years, the short-form star has crossed off pretty much every prank in the book.

Heā€™s dropped a brick on his sisterā€™s see-saw, vacuum-sealed her into a trash bag, and abducted her while dressed as a giant green alien.

The list goes on and on (and on and on). Luckily, viewers donā€™t seem to mind Albaneseā€™s ongoing penchant for pranks. In fact, the creatorā€™s mischievous attitude has earned him a hefty 6 million subscribers on YouTubeā€”plus another 44 million followers on TikTok.

Albanese has earned 228 million views in the past 16 days alone. Data from Gospel Stats.

Itā€™s not hard to see why so many viewers tune into Albaneseā€™s videos: even when they arenā€™t pranking each other, the creator and his sister make an undeniably hilarious duo. The siblings routinely bond over high-energy dance battles, complicated coordination challenges, and (of course) the joy of tormenting their mother.

That mix of familial affection and comedic drama made an especially strong impact on viewers during the second week of August:

  • In just seven days, Albaneseā€™s YouTube channel snagged 140.1 million weekly views.

  • That number adds up to nearly three times as much traffic as the creatorā€™s previous weekly total.

  • The result: Albaneseā€™s massively popular videos skyrocketed his channel to #37 in the U.S. Top 50.

Want more info about rising stars? Check out Gospel Stats to get the inside scoop on everything from trending creators to top branded videos.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Moist Cr1TiKaL just ended his Twitch contract to broaden his horizons

Charlie White is branching out. After years of building up an audience on Twitchā€”a platform heā€™s been active on since it was still Justin.tvā€”the creator (aka Moist Cr1TiKaL) has announced the termination of his exclusive streaming agreement. Now, White says he plans to diversify his content in order to better support his Moist Esports business and expand into new broadcast formats.

ā€œItā€™s something Iā€™ve wanted to do, different types of content in different places. YouTube streaming would be a very fun place to try some of our newer bigger projects as opposed to being forced to do them on Twitch.ā€

Despite Whiteā€™s alarmingly-named announcement video (entitled ā€œGoodbye Twitchā€), the creator isnā€™t swearing off his home platform just yet. Instead, he plans to continue streaming to his 5 million Twitch followers while simultaneously reaching viewers on YouTube and other platforms. That new approach could bring a wide variety of live content to Whiteā€™s YouTube channel, including Moist Wrestling League matches and an eventual Dungeons & Dragons series inspired by Critical Role.

The creator's updated content slate is a clear win for his millions of YouTube subscribersā€”but itā€™s also a good sign for the platform itself. After signing lucrative contracts with streamers like Ludwig Ahgren, YouTubeā€™s ability to draw out White without an exclusivity agreement is a sign that itā€™s become a real competitor in the streaming world.

WATCH THIS šŸ“ŗ

Billie Eilishā€™s Barbie anthem packed a punch at Lollapalooza

Itā€™s been just under a month since Barbie hit theaters, but the power of ā€œWhat Was I Made For?ā€ is still resonating with viewers. The official music video for Billie Eilishā€™s poignant song (which appeared on the Barbie soundtrack) has already generated more than 33 million views on YouTube.

A peek at the artistā€™s Lollapalooza performance demonstrates the songā€™s emotional impact. Eilishā€™s live rendition of ā€œWhat Was I Made For?ā€ prompted tears from audience members, many of whom seemed to know the lyrics by heart. As one YouTube commenter (@allissatome8687) noted, ā€œI was thereā€¦ and i still cant believe it. the song had been out for only two weeks and 140,000 people knew every word.ā€

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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.