In this episode, we break down YouTube’s massive $60 billion revenue reveal and what it signals for the future of the creator economy. Plus, we dive into Markiplier’s Iron Lung shocking the box office. Plus, why Google and certain TV measurement agencies are quarreling.

Tune in for:

-- The $60 Billion Stat: Breaking down YouTube’s first-ever total revenue report.

-- Markiplier vs. Hollywood: How Iron Lung pulled $18M+ on a $3M budget.

-- TV Ratings Drama: Why Google sent a cease-and-desist to a major ratings agency.

-- Big Creator Deals: Inside Dhar Mann’s Old Navy series and Salish Matter’s Netflix partnership.

00:00 Intro and Weather Chat

02:26 YouTube’s Massive $60 Billion Year

05:52 Why Shorts Ads Are Booming

10:28 The Google vs. TV Ratings Fight

15:16 Markiplier’s Historic Box Office Win

19:05 Can Any Creator Do This?

23:03 Dhar Mann’s Old Navy Deal

25:25 Salish Matter Heads to Netflix

26:45 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

It might be the biggest week in Dhar Mann’s history.

From signing a massive 40-film deal with Fox to partnering with the NFL as their Chief Kindness Officer, Dhar Mann is rewriting the rules of the creator economy. In this episode, we sit down with Ross Habif, Chief Strategy Officer at Dhar Mann Studios, to break down exactly how these deals happened and what they mean for the future of vertical cinema.

We also cover the other massive headlines from the week including the sale of TikTok’s US operations to Oracle, Khaby Lame's exit, and how creators are taking over off Broadway.

What we cover:

-- The "Crazy Week" Explained: Inside the 40-film deal with Fox & Holywater.

-- NFL x Dhar Mann: What a "Chief Kindness Officer" actually does.

-- Strategy Deep Dive: Why Dhar Mann chose Fox

-- TikTok’s New Owner: What the Oracle sale means for your algorithm.

-- The Creator (on) Stage: Madison Weaver on bringing creators to Broadway.

00:00 Intro: Super Bowl Plans & Football Banter

01:20 MrBeast x Salesforce: The "Build in Public" Super Bowl Ad

03:59 The Evolution of "Making Of" Content (Project Greenlight to YouTube)

07:47 Breaking: TikTok US Operations Sold to Oracle

10:53 What Beijing Still Controls (Algorithms & Ads)

11:52 Is the New "US TikTok" Suppressing Content?

17:00 Google & Meta Go on Trial for Child Safety

18:25 Interview: Ross Habif (Dhar Mann Studios)

18:43 Inside the 40-Film Deal with Fox & Holywater

24:44 Retaining 100% Creative Autonomy

25:04 Dhar Mann: The NFL's "Chief Kindness Officer"

26:47 Interview: Madison Weaver (The Creator Society)

27:25 From TikTok to Off-Broadway: The Story of "11 to Midnight"

34:11 Khaby Lame's $975 Million Business Move

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

Lauren and Josh sit down with Fixated co-founders Zach Katz and Jason Wilhelm to break down their massive $50 million raise from Eldridge. They discuss why the traditional management model is broken, how they are applying music industry tactics to creator content, and their recent acquisition of Ellify.

Plus, we look at the latest earnings from Netflix and why they finally admit YouTube is their biggest competitor.

What you’ll learn:

-- The Netflix vs. YouTube War: Why Ted Sarandos is finally taking YouTube seriously as a "first screen" competitor.

-- The Fixated Strategy: How Zach and Jason convinced Todd Boehly to invest $50 million

-- Content vs. Brand Deals: Why management needs to help creators build hits, not just sell ads.

-- From Creator to Exec: Jason Wilhelm’s advice on pivoting from on-camera talent to business mogul.

-- Creator News: Highlights from the Slow Ventures event and Neil Mohan’s letter to creators, featuring "slop."

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

Interview starts at 10:48.

Check out The Ultimate 2026 YouTube Creator Marketing Playbook here.

In this episode, Lauren and Josh break down the "carcinization" of media (why Disney and others are turning into TikTok) and discuss YouTube’s strict new parental controls. Then, Arthur Leopold, CEO of Agentio, joins us to reveal The Ultimate 2026 YouTube Creator Marketing Playbook. He explains how they are automating creator integrations to finally unlock massive paid media budgets.

What you’ll learn:

-- Why everything is evolving into vertical video

-- How Agentio automates buying creator ads like Facebook ads

-- Why micro creators often convert better than macro stars

-- How the gap between influencer budgets and paid media budgets is closing

-- Kai Cenat's "retirement"

-- Fixated's acquisition of the world's largest Roblox creator rep firm

00:00 Introduction

00:25 The Carcinization of Media

02:13 Disney & Others Copy TikTok

06:38 YouTube’s New Parental Controls

10:48 Arthur Leopold & Agentio

12:01 Automating Creator Ad Buys

15:25 The Impact of Long-Term Deals

18:25 Why YouTube Ads Last Longer

20:02 Micro vs. Macro Creators

23:14 Unlocking Paid Media Budgets

28:30 Fixated Acquires Ellify

32:00 Kai Cenat "Quits" the Grind

33:40 Golden Globes & 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

In this episode, we sit down with Jordan Newman, Spotify’s Head of Content Partnerships, to break down the massive updates to the Spotify Partner Program. From lowered eligibility thresholds to video consumption payments that are beating advertising rates, Jordan explains how creators can stabilize their income in 2026.

Plus, we dive into Adam Mosseri’s controversial take on why the "aesthetic" Instagram feed is dead and how AI is forcing a return to raw authenticity.

It's 2026, so lean in and let's go.

What you’ll learn:

-- How to qualify for Spotify’s expanded monetization program.

-- Why Spotify's "consumption-based" payouts are higher than traditional ads.

-- The truth about the "AI vs. Authenticity" debate on social media.

-- New tools for managing baked-in sponsorships on Spotify.

00:00 Teaser

00:26 It's 2026!

01:44 Stranger Things Theatrical Release

04:40 Is Hollywood Dying?

06:33 The End of the Perfect Feed

09:21 AI vs. Authenticity

13:41 Jordan Newman Interview

14:40 Spotify Partner Program Updates

16:57 New Eligibility Thresholds

18:15 How Consumption Payments Work

21:05 Solving Baked-In Ads

22:02 Breaking the Walled Garden

24:16 Spotify’s New Video Studio

25:38 Are Spotify RPMs Higher?

30:04 Video vs. Audio Advertising

35:06 Golden Globes Predictions

39:06 MrBeast x Starbucks

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

AUDIENCE SURVEY: https://bit.ly/creatoruploadsurvey

The Oscars are leaving ABC for YouTube. Here is what that means for the future of Hollywood and the creator economy.

In our final episode of 2025, Lauren and Josh break down the massive news that the Academy Awards are moving to YouTube in 2029. We analyze why this shift is happening, the history of the broadcast, and whether creators will finally get their moment on the red carpet.

We discuss:

-- Why the Oscars left ABC for YouTube

-- Instagram Reels coming to your living room TV

-- Our biggest predictions for the creator economy in 2026

-- New creator programs from Home Depot and Markiplier’s movie debut

00:00 Intro & 6th Anniversary Survey

01:09 Hanukkah Sweatshirts & Hannah Hart

02:57 Tyler Oakley & VidCon Story

05:35 Breaking News: Oscars Move to YouTube

08:24 The History of Oscars Distribution

12:49 Will Creators Take Over the Oscars?

16:15 YouTube VP’s Statement

17:22 Instagram Reels on Amazon Fire TV

20:40 Prediction: Brand Spend in 2026

22:51 Prediction: Media M&A Madness

24:10 Upload: Home Depot’s "Crew of Doers"

25:07 Upload: Markiplier’s Iron Lung Movie

26:00 2025 Sign Off

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

Take the Creator Upload Survey: https://www.research.net/r/creatoruploadsurvey

Check out Jon’s new venture: https://www.boring-stuff.com/

In this episode, we break down the $82 billion battle for Warner Bros. Discovery and the controversial new law in Australia banning social media for everyone under 16. Plus, creator legend Jon Youshaei joins us to reveal his new company, "Boring Stuff," and why he’s solving the biggest headache for pro creators: taxes.

What you’ll learn:

• Netflix vs. Paramount: Inside the hostile bidding war for Warner Bros.
• The Social Media Ban: Why Australia is fining platforms $33M for underage users.
• Jon Youshaei’s Boring Venture: Why he launched a bookkeeping service for creators.

00:00 Intro & Common Tax Mistakes

01:58 Mariah Carey's $3 Million Season

04:07 6th Anniversary Survey

05:32 Netflix vs. Paramount: The Bidding War

09:10 Foreign Funding & Regulatory Hurdles

12:12 Australia Bans Social Media for Under 16s

16:10 Can They Actually Enforce the Ban?

18:09 Impact on Marginalized Communities

21:33 Interview: Jon Youshaei Joins

22:42 What is "Boring Stuff"?

25:36 Why Traditional Accountants Fail Creators

30:20 Education vs. Execution

33:01 Scaling a Service Business Slowly

36:44 MrBeast Pivots to Storytelling

38:50 WNBA Cards Explode on Whatnot

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

AUDIENCE SURVEY: https://bit.ly/creatoruploadsurvey

Today we begin with the massive success of Dancing With the Stars, specifically highlighting ABC's strategic partnership with Call Her Daddy’s Alex Cooper for the finale and the inclusion of creator talent like Whitney Leavitt. In a finding fit for "No Duh" Magazine, traditional media embracing digital creators is expanding viewership, evidenced by the finale drawing over 9 million viewers.

The episode also covers the "Recap Wars," comparing Spotify Wrapped’s new Creator Wrapped features to YouTube’s.

Plus, Tubefilter’s Sam Gutelle joins for an interview to discuss Twitch’s 2025 performance and the rising trend of professional athletes, such as Cam Skattebo, using streaming to build personal brands independent of their teams.

Finally, our uploads and downloads cover the shutdown of MKBHD’s "Panels" app and the Rockefeller Foundation’s new partnership with Beast Philanthropy.

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

00:00 6 Years & The Audience Survey

01:09 Intro: Party Hopping in NYC

03:07 Dancing With The Stars Embraces Creators

05:19 The Alex Cooper x ABC Partnership

07:34 Why Broadcast Needs Creators (The Numbers)

12:44 Sponsor: Viral Nation

13:12 Spotify Wrapped for Creator

14:40 YouTube Recap & Personality Types

16:56 Sam Gutelle on Twitch's 2025 Stats

18:17 Why Athletes Are Taking Over Twitch

23:44 The Shift in Sports Fandom

28:11 Download: MKBHD Shuts Down Panels

30:14 Lessons for Creator-Founders

31:48 Upload: MrBeast Partners with Rockefeller

Thanks for Viral Nation for partnering with us for this video.

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

AUDIENCE SURVEY: https://bit.ly/creatoruploadsurvey

Is Tubi the new home for top-tier creators? In this episode, we sit down with Rich Bloom (GM of Creator Programs & EVP of Business Development at Tubi) to reveal how the streaming giant is funding creator originals and merging Hollywood with the creator economy. Plus, we break down the massive $37B ad spend projection for 2025.

What you’ll learn:

-- Tubi’s "Rabbit Hole" Strategy: How they keep viewers watching longer.

-- The Ad Spend Boom: Why creator marketing is now a "must buy" for brands.

-- Screens in Schools: The debate over EdTech and declining test scores.

00:00 We need your help! (Survey)

01:09 Thanksgiving Turkeys & Spatchcocking

04:08 Are screens ruining education?

10:06 Intro to Rich Bloom & Viral Nation

11:14 $37 Billion Creator Ad Spend

16:50 Interview: Rich Bloom from Tubi

17:35 Creating "Rabbit Holes of Fandom"

22:31 Tubi’s Deal Structures for Creators

25:24 Exclusive Shows & Creative Freedom

28:07 The Fox & Super Bowl Connection

31:58 Is Tubi competing with YouTube?

37:33 Acquiring Creator Libraries

42:58 Upload: Investing in Taylor Cannon

46:39 Upload: Agentio Raises $40M

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

AUDIENCE SURVEY: https://bit.ly/creatoruploadsurvey

Is TikTok building a new radio empire? The creator economy is buzzing about a "podcast gold rush," and the platforms are racing to stake their claim.

In this episode, we break down the massive new partnership between iHeartMedia and TikTok to launch a 25-creator podcast network. We explore why this move, along with new initiatives from Netflix and Threads, signals a major shift from "scale" to "curation." Plus, we discuss how reality shows like Dancing With the Stars are now just a launchpad for talent to get a podcast deal.

What you’ll learn:

-- How TikTok is building an "aspirational funnel" for podcasters

-- Why TikTok Shop's $19B in sales is terrifying eBay

-- The new Visa & Karat AI tools that analyze brand deals for creators

-- How creators like Alex Earle and Emma Chamberlain are changing media

00:00 Intro & Creator Upload Survey

01:09 The Rise of "Christmas Creep"

04:19 Are Creators Driving Christmas Creep?

05:22 Special Thanks to Viral Nation

06:15 TikTok & iHeartMedia Podcast Deal

08:35 Why This Deal is Smart for TikTok

11:17 Strategy: Scale vs. Curation

14:08 TikTok: Distribution to Production

16:10 Threads & Netflix Join Podcast Push

18:41 Thesis: TV is a Path to Podcasting

19:42 Dancing With the Stars Podcast

21:45 Upload: Visa & Karat AI Tools

24:26 Upload: TikTok Shop vs. eBay

25:32 Outro

Thanks for Viral Nation for partnering with us for this video.

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