Creator Upload

Does Meta's new age verification work? Is Instagram really banning meme accounts?

Lauren is joined by ICYMI's Lia Haberman to discuss her takeaways from the Scalable Summit, Meta's new AI teen surveillance, and the truth about the meme account crackdown.

Plus, Josh sits down with Sophia Kianni, founder of Climate Cardinals and Phia, to talk about leveraging AI, scaling businesses as a Gen Z founder, and her podcast, The Burnouts.

What you’ll learn:

-- Inside TikTok's 100M view micro-drama collaboration with Issa Rae.

-- What Instagram's "unoriginal content" update actually means for creators.

-- How Sophia Kianni raised $40M and built her AI tech stack.

-- The top creator economy conferences to attend this year.

00:00 Intro & Meet Lia Haberman

01:31 Scalable Summit Takeaways

03:52 TikTok's 100M View Micro-Drama

07:45 The Korean Vegan's Productivity

09:53 Meta's Teen Age Verification

16:22 Instagram's Meme Account Crackdown

19:31 Interview with Sophia Kianni

24:04 The Power of AI for Founders

26:16 Why Sophia Started "The Burnouts"

28:07 A Young Founder's Tech Stack

35:54 The Best Creator Conferences

41:09 Google Photos' Clueless Closet Update

44:15 YouTube's AI Music Generator

47:23 Outro & Where to Find Lia

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

Discover how YouTube giant Jesser is transforming his channel into a multi-million dollar holding company. In this episode, Lauren sits down with Zach Miller, President of JesserCo, to break down their strategic reorganization. They dive into diversifying revenue streams, hiring top executives from Adidas, and mitigating key man risk to build an exit-ready business.Also: Josh went to POSSIBLE and shares more about what he learned from YouTube and other creators' keynotes while there.

What you’ll learn:

-- The steps to transition from Bucketsquad to JesserCo

-- How to scale an apparel brand to $10 million in revenue

-- When a creator needs to hire a President for administrative tasks

-- The strategy behind getting into 150 Dick's Sporting Goods stores

00:00 POSSIBLE Miami & Issa Rae

07:34 Zach Miller Interview Starts

07:52 Rebranding to JesserCo

08:49 New Business Ventures Coming

10:54 When to Hire a President

13:39 Scaling Bucketsquad Apparel

15:01 Solving Creator Key Man Risk

20:52 YouTube Media Business Breakdown

23:34 Hiring an Adidas Executive

27:05 JesserCo's M&A Strategy

30:01 YouTube's Market Dominance

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

Today: Markiplier is bypassing traditional Hollywood by building his own indie movie studio directly on YouTube. Plus YouTube's got a new deepfake detection tool for celebrities, Keke Palmer's moving to Twitch, Jesser's major exec move and Fixated's acquisition of Studio71.

What you’ll learn:

-- Why creators can't just sell individual VOD movies on YouTube without a studio setup.

-- How YouTube's "Content ID for likeness" acts as fire insurance for public figures.

-- The reasons A-list celebrities are taking control of their own live formats.

-- Why major creator brands are reorganizing into holding companies.

00:00 The Mario Movie Sequel Disappointment

01:13 Markiplier Becomes an Indie Movie Studio

04:58 YouTube's Anti-Deepfake Tool for Hollywood

10:50 Keke Palmer Launches a Twitch Talk Show

14:45 The Return of Live Broadcasting

18:41 Jesser Re-orgs and Hires Adidas GM

22:06 Fixated Acquires Studio71

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 B2B creators the future of the creator economy? We sit down with Alex Josephson, VP of Brandworks at LinkedIn, in the wake of its NewFronts presentation earlier this spring. He shares insights into the Top Voices 360 program and reveals that LinkedIn has tripled creator payouts over the last year.

Also today: YouTube's Coachella station initiative, Justin Bieber's cred as a YouTuber, headlines today vs in 2013 (shout out AOL), and YouTube's new Shorts timer.

00:00 Welcome to Creator Upload

00:20 YouTube Coachella Station Initiative

02:33 Justin Bieber's Coachella Performance

07:05 Is Bieber a True YouTuber?

10:37 Interview: LinkedIn's Alex Josephson

11:10 CEOs as Content Creators

14:28 The Rise of B2B Creators

16:02 LinkedIn NewFronts and Top Voices

22:06 Scaling Impact for Brands

28:53 Tripling LinkedIn Creator Payouts

30:12 Follower Count vs Real Influence

33:46 Connected TV Ads on LinkedIn

37:02 Hollywood on YouTube vs AOL

44:22 YouTube Shorts Timer Update

45:47 Wrap Up

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

OpenAI just bought a creator company (TBPN) for reportedly over $100M. What does this mean for the future of the creator economy?

Guest co-host Avi Gandhi, founder of Creator Access Network (CAN), joins Josh to break down the biggest news of the week.

Also: we dive into how NASA is streaming the Artemis II moon mission like a top-tier creator, and YouTube's aggressive push into living room TVs.

Plus, Avi shares the story behind his Creator Access Network, which is designed to save creators money on their essential business tools.

What you’ll learn:

-- Why NASA is pulling 10 million concurrent viewers

-- How YouTube is battling Meta and TikTok for "second screen" attention

-- Why brands acquiring creators could be the next massive industry trend

-- How the Creator Access Network helps creators save thousands on tech

Creator Upload is your creator economy podcast, usually hosted by Lauren Schnipper and Joshua Cohen. Thanks again to Avi for serving as special guest co-host today.

00:00 Introduction and Avi Gandhi returns

01:01 NASA’s massive Artemis II livestream

05:01 YouTube dominates living room TV screens

08:06 The battle for the second screen

14:15 OpenAI acquires tech talk show TBPN

19:10 The future of creator company acquisitions

26:13 Launching Creator Access Network (CAN)

30:47 Creator Access Network pricing and perks

36:02 IShowSpeed stars in new anime series

40:50 Final Thoughts

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, Lauren and Josh break down YouTube's unprecedented move at their NewFronts presentation, where executives directly called out competitors like TikTok and Meta by name.

We also explore TikTok’s brilliant new in-app integration with Cameo. Plus, we dive into Instagram’s new premium subscription and discuss whether brands funding their own web series is the next major wave of the creator economy.

What you’ll learn:

-- Why YouTube is urging advertisers to shift their social media budgets for an 86% higher ROI.

-- How US creators can now sell and fulfill Cameo videos without ever leaving the TikTok app.

-- The hidden perks of Instagram Plus, including anonymous story viewing and extended 48-hour story lifespans.

-- Why major brands like Adobe and Crocs are funding the renaissance of branded web series.

00:00 Intro & Passover Recaps

01:12 YouTube's NewFronts Announcements

01:50 YouTube Calls Out TikTok Onstage

03:14 Claiming an 86% Higher ROI

03:38 Is YouTube "Social Media"?

05:43 Shorts vs. TikTok Audience Overlap

06:39 The "Bring, Build, Boost" Strategy

08:28 The Rise and Fall of Cameo

10:24 Cameo Integrates Directly Into TikTok

11:46 TikTok’s New Integration Playbook

14:21 Instagram Tests Premium Subscriptions

16:01 Anonymous Stalking vs LinkedIn Premium

17:41 The Branded Web Series Renaissance

18:28 History of Brand-Funded Content

21:39 Outro & Where to Listen

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: we sit down with Tubi's Rich Bloom to break down their massive new partnership with TikTok. We dive into how they identify short-form talent like Kelon Campbell to create feature films, and how creators retain ownership of their IP.

Plus, Josh gives us the inside scoop from the NewFronts in NYC. From LinkedIn's swanky party to YouTube's AI search announcements and the rise of shoppable TV.

Finally, we discuss the monumental legal verdicts against Meta regarding algorithmic harm to youth and what it means for the future of social media.

What you’ll learn:

-- How Tubi and TikTok transition short-form stars to long-form content

-- The inside details on IP ownership and revenue sharing for creators on Tubi

-- The biggest trends from NewFronts, including shoppable TV and AI creator search

-- What recent court rulings against Meta mean for the future of social algorithms

00:00 Welcome to Creator Upload

01:05 Rich Bloom on Tubi & TikTok

02:40 Terri Joe's Tubi Success

04:25 Picking Creators for Long-Form

07:40 IP Ownership & TikTok's Strategy

13:50 Tubi's Funding & Rev Share

16:16 Hollywood Meets Creator Content

22:07 NewFronts 2026 NYC Recap

28:36 Shoppable TV & AI Integration

34:18 Major Meta Lawsuit Verdicts

40:20 Will Algorithms Change?

43:28 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

In this episode of Creator Upload, Lauren and Josh break down the biggest trends straight out of SXSW 2026. We explore Phil Rosenthal moving his hit show from Netflix to YouTube, iHeartMedia's launch of TikTok Radio, and Google's new push into the micro-drama space.

What you’ll learn:

-- Inside Jon Youshaei’s creator "masterclass" approach

-- Why creator communities are becoming the new "third space"

-- How big Hollywood names are capitalizing on YouTube's growth

00:00 Recap of Josh at SXSW 2026

03:02 Jon Youshaei’s SXSW Keynote

06:01 The YouTube Influencer Opportunity

07:06 Creators as the New Third Space

10:00 SXSW Creator Events & Networking

13:23 Somebody Feed Phil Moves to YouTube

17:48 Will Netflix Add a Free Tier?

18:43 TikTok Radio Launches with iHeart

21:07 Google Enters the Micro-Drama Game

23:01 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

Today: a new era of "creator TV" and the rising trend of short-form "kidslop" content. Lauren and Josh Cohen break down Spotter's new pitch to media buyers, and dive into a new report from the Influencer Marketing Factory revealing the harsh realities of the creator middle class. Plus, Tubefilter's Sam Gutelle joins the show to explain the wild world of "kidslop" content -- IP soup, Roblox inspiration, and why Brazilian funk music is dominating the Gen Alpha algorithm. Finally, the hosts discuss Instagram's controversial new AI shopping feature and National Geographic's new creator cohort.

What you’ll learn:

-- How Spotter is defining the new "Creator TV"

-- The staggering stats behind creator earnings in 2026

-- Why "kidslop" channels are getting billions of views on Shorts

-- Why creators are angry about Instagram's "Shop the Look" test

00:00 Introduction & IRL encounters

00:52 Spotter Showcase & Creator TV

03:17 The stats behind Creator TV

06:52 How Spotter connects creators & brands

11:07 2026 Creator Economy Report

13:17 The truth about the creator middle class

17:51 Sam Gutelle explains "kidslop"

20:57 Funk music & the Gen Alpha algorithm

23:31 Opportunities for IP holders

27:48 Instagram's controversial AI shopping test

30:22 NatGeo's new creator cohort

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

Discover the future of social commerce directly from the experts at LTK, YouTube Shopping, and Gap Inc. Live from SoCom in sunny Venice, Lauren and Josh break down the shift from relevance to revenue in the creator economy. In this episode, we explore why follower counts are losing their weight, how affiliate marketing is evolving, and the ways legacy brands integrate social platforms into retail experiences.

What you'll learn:

-- Why social followers and subscribers don't matter anymore.

-- How LTK's new brand platform is democratizing creator marketing.

-- The massive impact of YouTube Shopping timestamps and auto-tagging.

-- Gap Inc.'s omnichannel approach to capturing consumer demand.

00:00 Intro: Live from SoCom

05:13 Interview: Amber Venz Box (LTK)

09:08 Why Followers Don't Matter Anymore

16:41 Democratizing the Creator Ecosystem

20:26 AI Chatbots and Trust in Creators

25:46 Interview: Lauren Celinski (YouTube Shopping)

28:25 Maximizing YouTube Shopping Features

36:05 Interview: Damon Berger (Gap Inc.)

38:59 Gap’s Social Commerce Strategy

44:50 Final Thoughts and 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