Creator Upload

Creators are finally being recognized as real businesses by the US government!

Today we're joined by Shira Lazar, CEO of What's Trending and advocate with the Creators Guild of America. We explore the Small Business Administration's new guidance allowing creators to use NAICS code 5121 to apply for SBA loans and federal contracts.

We also discussed leaked documents revealing The Wall Street Journal's strategic push into video and streaming media.

What you’ll learn:

-- How creators can now get access to small business loans and government contracts.

-- The role of the Creators Guild of America in securing this historic SBA win.

-- Why legacy media like the Wall Street Journal is actively hiring to expand its video presence.

-- The alarming stats on how much non-educational YouTube content kids watch in school.

00:00 Intro & Top Stories

00:20 Kids Prefer YouTube Over TV

01:24 Unwell University & Creator Colleges

04:58 The YouTube in Schools Problem

10:09 Wall Street Journal's Video Pivot

19:55 Shira Lazar on SBA Classification

26:44 What SBA Recognition Unlocks

35:21 LinkedIn's New Creator Features

40:44 Netflix Buys Massive Twitch Event

Creator Upload is your creator economy podcast, hosted by Lauren Schnipper and Joshua Cohen.

Follow Lauren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/schnipper/

Follow Josh: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuajcohen/

Original music by London Bridge: https://www.instagram.com/londonbridgemusic/

Edited and produced by Adam Conner: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamonbrand

Traditional Hollywood is officially handing the reins to YouTube creators.

In this episode, guest co-host Sean Atkins (CEO of Dhar Mann Studios) joins Josh to tell all about the Dhar Mann creator plan. Plus, they discuss Sony hiring former YouTube executive Fede Goldberg to run its legacy Screen Gems label, and Disney’s brand new wide-reaching partnership with Dude Perfect.

What you’ll learn:

-- Why Sony is pivoting Screen Gems toward creator-driven films and shorter development cycles

-- How Dude Perfect fits perfectly into Disney’s multi-genre, family-friendly strategy and experiential footprint

-- The details of Dhar Mann Studios' $100 million initiative to connect brands directly with creators

-- The development of 'Creator City', a massive new 9-soundstage compound in Los Angeles

-- Druski's reportedly upcoming hosting gig on Saturday Night Live

Creator Upload is your creator economy podcast, hosted by Lauren Schnipper and Joshua Cohen.

Follow Lauren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/schnipper/

Follow Josh: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuajcohen/

Original music by London Bridge: https://www.instagram.com/londonbridgemusic/

Edited and produced by Adam Conner: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamonbrand

On the show today: we break down the latest news shaking up the industry, including Dhar Mann's massive $100 million pledge to bridge the gap between creators and brands. We also dive into his upcoming "Creator City" campus, discuss why creators are flocking to LinkedIn, and explore YouTube's controversial new "Channel Search" testing.

00:00 Introduction & Welcome to Creator Upload

00:17 Advertising Week in New York City

02:14 The Rise of LinkedIn Creators

05:45 Dhar Mann’s $100M Adweek Challenge

08:52 Announcing Creator City in Los Angeles

10:29 Brand Activations & Studio Spaces

14:10 YouTube’s New Creator Discovery Tab

18:31 Meta’s Action Against Exploitative Ads

24:13 Mark Rober’s $2.5M Google Investment

26:26 Episode Wrap-Up & Outro

Creator Upload is your creator economy podcast, hosted by Lauren Schnipper and Joshua Cohen.

Follow Lauren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/schnipper/

Follow Josh: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuajcohen/

Original music by London Bridge: https://www.instagram.com/londonbridgemusic/

Edited and produced by Adam Conner: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamonbrand

This week on Creator Upload, we recap our trip to Dallas for VidSummit, where we had our first proper live event! We share some of the insights we learned from within the creator industry, including a few we didn't expect.

Then, we break down a pair of traditional media powerhouses stepping into creator-land, as Live Nation backs Creator Nation and WME launches Creator Labs.

Plus, we discuss why the Academy Awards bringing the Oscars to YouTube is a massive shift for the future of global television.

00:00 Introduction & Losing Our Voices

00:57 Why We Love VidSummit

04:23 Our First Live Breakout Event

06:55 Insider Brand Deal Secrets

08:46 Reevaluating the Legacy of MCNs

12:12 Live Nation Backs Creator Nation

14:26 WME Unveils Creator Labs

16:39 Can Agents Build Creator Businesses?

21:49 The Oscars Come to YouTube

Creator Upload is your creator economy podcast, hosted by Lauren Schnipper and Joshua Cohen.

Follow Lauren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/schnipper/

Follow Josh: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuajcohen/

Original music by London Bridge: https://www.instagram.com/londonbridgemusic/

Edited and produced by Adam Conner: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamonbrand

Josh returns from YouTube’s Made On 2026 event at Pier 57 in NYC with a firsthand look at all the major platform announcements. From custom homepage feeds and TV remote comments to new AI editing tools and voice protection DRM, we break down what these updates mean for viewers, creators, and advertisers.

00:00 Introduction & Made On Event History

04:28 Consumer Updates: TV Viewing Metrics, Posts & Comments

09:30 Micro Dramas & Custom Feeds

14:37 AI Shopping Search Capabilities

17:52 Creator AI Updates: Ask Studio & Dynamic Thumbnails

19:36 Video A/B Testing & Natural Language Editing

22:14 Voice Likeness Protection & DRM

23:41 Advertiser Updates & Brand Deal Metrics

25:25 MrBeast Book Sales Analysis

26:55 ScrollEd & The Future of Reading

Creator Upload is your creator economy podcast, hosted by Lauren Schnipper and Joshua Cohen.

Follow Lauren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/schnipper/

Follow Josh: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuajcohen/

Original music by London Bridge: https://www.instagram.com/londonbridgemusic/

Edited and produced by Adam Conner: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamonbrand

VidCon is officially teaming up with Cannes Lions and moving to Nashville, and Logan Paul just admitted to a $100 million mistake with his hydration brand, Prime.

From the IAB Creator Fronts revealing a projected $44 billion industry spend by 2026 to a wild new AI scent marketing trend pitched at Brand Week, we cover the headlines you need to know.

00:00 Coming Up

00:20 Inside the IAB Creator Fronts

04:11 Fox Creator Studios and Mad Realities

06:04 A $44 Billion Creator Economy

08:15 Brand Week and Scent Marketing

13:19 Why Your Brand Needs a Scent

16:13 VidCon and Cannes Join Forces

21:13 VidCon is Moving to Nashville

30:02 Logan Paul's $100 Million Mistake

32:15 The Danger of Viral Creator Brands

37:28 Outro

Creator Upload is your creator economy podcast, hosted by Lauren Schnipper and Joshua Cohen.Follow Lauren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/schnipper/Follow Josh: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuajcohen/Original music by London Bridge: https://www.instagram.com/londonbridgemusic/Edited and produced by Adam Conner: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamonbrand

Did you know YouTube's public view counts might be vastly inflated?

This week on Creator Upload, Lauren and Josh Cohen volley over why influencers are getting their credentials revoked at the US Open this year, and Wimbledon's preemptive bans for next.

Then, we analyze YouTube's new "engaged view" metric that exposes over-counted public views, discuss Amelia Dimoldenberg's decision to end her incredible 12-year run of Chicken Shop Date, and react to 68-year-old former UTA CEO Jeremy Zimmer launching a Twitch talk show.

00:00 Welcome to Creator Upload

01:10 Late Night Tennis and Targeted Ads

02:32 US Open Kicks Out Influencers

06:04 Wimbledon Bans Ring Lights Next Year

08:20 Augusta National Regrets Dude Perfect

12:40 YouTube's View Count Inflation Exposed

20:49 The New Co-Viewing Metric Explained

22:42 Amelia Ends Chicken Shop Date

27:17 Ex-UTA CEO Starts Twitch Show

30:18 Outro & Subscribe

Creator Upload is your creator economy podcast, hosted by Lauren Schnipper and Joshua Cohen.

Follow Lauren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/schnipper/

Follow Josh: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuajcohen/

Original music by London Bridge: https://www.instagram.com/londonbridgemusic/

Edited and produced by Adam Conner: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamonbrand

Is AI ruining our schools, and did a golf ad just ruin a massive creator brand?

In this episode, we tackle the recent generative AI bans in NYC and LA schools, debating whether students should rely on artificial intelligence for their coursework. We also break down Google’s new warning to advertisers about keeping a "human touch" for better conversions, and we explore the massive new YouTube and Amazon shopping partnership. Finally, we unpack the explosive Good Good Golf and Callaway controversy, detailing how a disastrous parody ad led to severed deals, pulled merch, and massive industry backlash.

00:00 Welcome to Creator Upload

00:17 Schools Ban Generative AI

02:26 The Flaws of AI in Education

06:28 The Mystery Behind Josh's Whiteboard

07:07 Google's Warning to AI Advertisers

09:59 The True Power of YouTube Ads

12:12 The Massive YouTube & Amazon Partnership

14:37 A Bizarre Shipping Fulfillment Nightmare

17:20 The Good Good Golf Controversy Explained

19:22 Should Brands Give Creators Total Control?

21:47 Creators Clashing With Traditional Golf

24:20 Episode Wrap-Up and Credits

Creator Upload is your creator economy podcast, hosted by Lauren Schnipper and Joshua Cohen.

Follow Lauren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/schnipper/

Follow Josh: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuajcohen/

Original music by London Bridge: https://www.instagram.com/londonbridgemusic/

Edited and produced by Adam Conner: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamonbrand

Meta just agreed to a massive $17 to $18 billion settlement over child safety and addictive platform design, but is it enough to spark real change?

In this episode, Lauren Schnipper and Joshua Cohen dive deep into the dangers of deepfakes, AI slop, and the disturbing rise of targeted online extortion against minors. They break down Meta's settlement terms, including controversial contingencies that pressure TikTok and YouTube to follow suit.

Later, Portal A co-founder Zach Blume joins the show to discuss how brands like Toyota and Lexus are acting like premium entertainment studios on YouTube. Finally, they wrap up with YouTube’s new expansion into 24/7 creator "stations".

00:00 Welcome to Creator Upload

01:03 The Dangers of AI Deepfakes

06:01 Online Extortion & Take It Down Act

12:53 Meta’s $18 Billion Lawsuit Settlement

16:33 Meta’s Strategy to Pressure Competitors

22:41 Is Australia’s Social Media Ban Working?

27:10 Interview: Zach Blume of Portal A

28:24 Brands Becoming YouTube Studios

35:50 YouTube Expands 24/7 Creator Stations

36:55 Wrap-Up & Outro

Creator Upload is your creator economy podcast, hosted by Lauren Schnipper and Joshua Cohen.

Follow Lauren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/schnipper/

Follow Josh: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuajcohen/

Original music by London Bridge: https://www.instagram.com/londonbridgemusic/

Edited and produced by Adam Conner: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamonbrand

Are YouTube's latest monetization and view metric changes a huge win or a total trap for creators?

In this episode, Lauren and Josh break down YouTube's new million-dollar exclusivity deals to compete with Netflix, the shift to counting public views from the first frame, and the doubled Partner Program thresholds. Plus, we cover Meta’s massive 29-state lawsuit and ByteDance's new AI copyright deal with the MPA.

What you’ll learn:

-- Why YouTube is paying top creators upfront millions for platform exclusivity

-- How YouTube's new 1st-frame view metric changes public view counts

-- What the new doubled YouTube Partner Program monetization thresholds mean for you

-- The legal battles hitting Meta and ByteDance’s new AI copyright framework

00:00 New Hair Who Dis

01:13 YouTube Pays Millions for Exclusivity

07:00 Neil Mohan vs Traditional Media Strategy

14:11 Three Types of YouTube Deals

18:23 Why YouTube Needs Hollywood Stars

20:38 YouTube Changes Public View Metric

23:42 Engaged Views vs Vanity Metrics

28:50 Doubling YouTube Partner Program Thresholds

34:10 29 States Sue Meta Over Kids

36:40 ByteDance and MPA AI Agreement

38:15 Outro and Final Thoughts

Creator Upload is your creator economy podcast, hosted by Lauren Schnipper and Joshua Cohen.

Follow Lauren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/schnipper/

Follow Josh: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuajcohen/

Original music by London Bridge:

https://www.instagram.com/londonbridgemusic/

Edited and produced by Adam Conner:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamonbrand