Good morning. What a week, huh? ICYMI, we released an original feature on the YouTube New Wave, dropped a physical newspaper at VidCon, and debuted a new look and feel to the newsletter.

This week, we’re focused on delivering all of the biggest learnings from our time at VidCon—from the CEOs engineering the future to the creators ensuring it’s worth watching. Let’s jump in.

— Hannah Doyle & Nate Graber-Lipperman

Patreon CEO Jack Conte on the Platform’s Product Updates

Membership subscription platform Patreon announced an expanded suite of tools last week that will enable creators to sell one-off digital goods (like individual videos and podcast episodes) and offer free subscriptions.

The theme: Investing in “lasting connections” instead of optimizing for discovery like most other platforms.

Will swimming against the current work? We spoke to Patreon CEO Jack Conte and Chief Brand Officer Rory Brown at VidCon to better understand Patreon’s strategy.

The biggest learnings:

• Conte believes membership communities offer a consistent product, whereas content on platforms like TikTok offer inconsistent marketing. “You can put out a video and reach a million people, but the next one gets 400 views…even though you have 200,000 ‘followers,’ there’s no business, and no connection,” he said.

• The new commerce tools help solo creators support themselves earlier in their careers without having to hire teams to manage subscription tiers and customer relationships. Streamlining individual sales and ensuring content is “wrapped and delivered to fans” were major drivers in Patreon’s latest strategic push, Brown told us.

• Patreon’s lack of an algorithmic feed means creators communicate directly with their fans (now including free subscribers) through email messages, app notifications, and website updates. The tagline: “When you share it, they see it.”

Zoom out: Patreon's update is a throwback to pre-algorithm social media combined with modern tools like commerce. The jury's out on whether this big bet will resonate with creators (or if fans will truly want it) but Conte thinks his company’s top-down priorities give it an edge.

“Our customers are creators, not advertisers…if our creators are not successful, then we are not successful, and we don’t have to choose between people or business,” he told us.

What’s New at YouTube

YouTube (with the help of our very own Colin and Samir) hosted a keynote at VidCon that previewed trends we’ll see more of this year. Here are our top takeaways:

A/B thumbnail testing is happening. After many requests and predictions, YouTube is letting select users “Test and Compare” up to three thumbnails at a time to see what images are most enticing to viewers. They plan to roll out the feature in Beta “very soon,” Amjad Hanif, VP of Project Management at YouTube, said. All users will get access starting next year.

Generative AI is the “collaborator of the year.” Over the last six months, there have been 1.6 billion views on videos made with AI, YouTube reported. And they estimate that number will continue to grow thanks to time-saving tools like Runway, AutoPod, and Midjourney. “Shorts let you film on your phone, and with generative AI, now you don’t even need a camera,” Colin said during the Keynote. “The technology is lowering the barrier to entry for creation even further.”

The next big thing could be international. YouTube’s new Multi-Language Audio dubbing allows creators to get their videos translated in up to 40 different languages. Creators can dub new or existing videos, which can “widen audiences quickly,” Samir said at the Keynote. “Could the next viral creator be a Korean Casey Neistat?” he asked.

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Black Creators Speak on the Importance of Transparency

At this year’s VidCon, several panels led by Black creators highlighted the importance of transparency as the industry continues its efforts toward equity.

Actor, producer, and digital media entrepreneur Keke Palmer, whose KeyTV works with creators to grow their video skills both behind and in front of the camera, says it’s her mission to empower creators of all kinds as peers.

"At KeyTV, we talk about democratization of the entertainment industry,” Palmer said in a talk with Rolling Stone reporter CT Jones. “Speak to the creators as collaborators—this is what I can’t do, this is what I can do…it’s knowing the business behind it."

And on the topic of promoting inclusion and inspiring the next generation, creators including Lauren-Ashley Beck and Charlie Curtis-Beard discussed how they and their peers should be more open about their brand deals in an effort to close the racial pay gap in influencer marketing (FYI, there’s a 35% gap between what Black and white creators make, according to one study).

“Why is it so sensitive for us to talk about rates? Sponsors do it all the time,” Curtis-Beard said.

👀 Creator Moves

• Jubilee Media is looking for a creative director to lead their creative team in ideation and video production.

• Sophia Amoruso is hiring a podcast producer to record, shoot, and edit audio and video episodes.

• SypherPK is looking for a full-time video editor who specializes in game play and short-form TikTok edits.

🔥 Press Worthy

• Emma Rogue models for Nike.

• Jacksepticeye appears on GQ.

• FOAF is the creator brand factory that helped us bring Press Publish apparel to life—read about the experience here.*

• Sculpture creator North of the Border makes LEGOs out of clay.

• Wong Fu Productions releases its first upload since its 20th anniversary.

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