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

Is live shopping the future of e-commerce? We sit down with Whatnot's VP of Categories and Expansion, Armand Wilson, to find out.

You can see Whatnot's 2026 State of Live Selling Report here.

We dive into the $10 billion live shopping phenomenon, exploring how the app generated over $8 billion in gross merchandise value in 2025.

Plus, we break down the watershed social media addiction trial involving Meta and Google, and discuss Apple's huge move into video podcasts.

What you’ll learn:

-- How 1 in 8 Whatnot sellers are now operating on the platform full-time.

-- The surprising details from Mark Zuckerberg's testimony regarding Instagram's age limits.

-- Why Apple is finally bringing a video experience to its native podcast app.

-- The latest on Snap creator subscriptions and Night's massive $70 million funding round.

00:00 Welcome & SoCom

04:08 The Live Shopping Boom

07:55 Why Buyers Love Whatnot

11:55 Full-Time Whatnot Sellers

14:30 $8 Billion in Gross Sales

17:37 The Community of Commerce

20:03 The Future of Live Shopping

22:23 Meta & Google Addiction Trial

28:30 TikTok & Snap Settle Out

32:44 Apple Launches Video Podcasts

38:00 Snap Creator Subscriptions

39:15 OpenAI Hires Charles Porch

40:02 Night Raises $70 Million

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 a historic creator economy move, a digital-first company has acquired a legacy cable network. We sit down with Rachel Stockman, President of Law & Crime, to break down their massive acquisition of Court TV and what it means for the future of media.

What we cover in this episode:

-- Why Law & Crime bought their biggest rival (and how they buried the hatchet).

-- The strategy behind unlocking 3,000+ trials from the archives.

-- Adam Mosseri’s testimony on social media addiction and his “TV show” comparison.

-- New data: Why 120-minute videos are out-earning shorter content.

-- MrBeast’s move into financial services.

00:00 Intro & The “Fake” Sky

01:04 Why 120-Minute Videos Earn More

02:06 Law & Crime Buys Court TV

03:24 Digital Media Flips the Script

04:52 Keeping the Brands Separate

05:52 The YouTube-First Strategy

07:07 From Rivals to Partners

09:21 Unlocking the Trial Archives

11:42 Social Media Addiction Lawsuits

12:48 Mosseri: “It’s Like a TV Show”

15:37 Meta’s New Navy SEAL Motto

16:24 The Global Push for Bans

17:11 Safety Ratings for Social Apps

18:59 MrBeast’s Financial Move

19:32 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, 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