Good morning. Not sure how I, with a screen-time in the near double digits, have let four days pass without listening to the new Beyoncé album. Going to fix that as soon as this newsletter is finished.

–Hannah Doyle

The Next Big Music Streamer Is...TikTok?

There are two types of people in the world: Spotify people and Apple Music people. But if TikTok has any say, we might soon add a third.

According to Insider, TikTok’s parent company ByteDance filed a trademark application for a service called “TikTok Music” earlier this summer. 

In the filing with the US Patent and Trademark Office, ByteDance applied to use “TikTok Music” for an array of purposes, most of which point to TikTok launching a standalone music streamer in the US to compete with services like Apple and Spotify.

Here’s what the music play could mean…

• For ByteDance: The company might try to convert parts of TikTok’s user base into paying subscribers. That’s what it did with its music and podcast streaming app, Resso, in India, Brazil, and Indonesia. In those markets where Resso is available, it’s been snatching up music streaming market share from incumbents.

• For TikTok: This could represent a shift toward more lucrative corporate relationships. Already, TikTok wields significant power over record labels and their artists (see: the Halsey fiasco). Debuting a streamer armed with TikTok’s algorithm could serve as a fresh point of leverage for TikTok within the music industry.

• For artists: This might offer a new path toward being discovered. TikTok’s algorithm is the most powerful in the game, and we’d bet it’s easier to take off on TikTok than it is on Discover Weekly.

Our Take

From its SoundOn music marketing tool to a new “pre-release” feature that allows artists to release clips of their music before it launches on streaming services to this very trademark application, TikTok is signaling an aggressive audio-forward strategy. But the impact that strategy will have on artists remains to be seen—at least until TikTok Music makes it past the trademark phase.

What Makes a Good Creator Course?

No two courses are created equally, from UCLA’s influencer courses to Nas Academy’s Creator Accelerator program.

That became clearer yesterday when Drew Gooden, the comedy creator known for testing products like hand tongs and suit onesies, topped YouTube’s trending page with a review of Ninja’s MasterClass on how to become a streamer.

Gooden’s conclusion: Ninja’s $180 MasterClass provided valuable insight on equipment setups and streaming on Open Broadcaster Software. But…

It lacked substance, he said. Gooden followed Ninja’s advice—livestreaming 40 hours in one week from a brand new Twitch account—and gained just one follower.

Zoom out: Gooden joins a growing roster of creators, including Gabi Belle, who review creator courses—and often find that many fall short of expectations. 

It’s worth noting, though, that some creator courses have gotten the stamp of approval, like Airrack’s Creator Now and Ali Abdaal’s Part-Time YouTuber Academy. 

Our Take

Courses are a rapidly growing creator cottage industry. They’re a natural monetization strategy for diversifying revenue away from ads, and they can allow creators to own the financial relationship with their audience directly.

We’re still in the early days, though. Trial and error are to be expected, but if creators can’t deliver on at least some of their promises, they’ll find themselves unable to repeat any revenue courses generate.

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Logan Paul and KSI Partner with Arsenal FC

In the US, players soak their coaches with coolers of neon-colored Gatorade after big wins. In the UK, they might soon douse winning coaches with PRIME. 

Logan Paul and KSI’s sports drink joint venture is now the official hydration partner of London’s Arsenal soccer football club, marking the largest sports partnership for any creator-led brand to date.

KSI, a London native and long-time Arsenal fan, helped make the connection. After expanding to the UK just under two months ago, PRIME is now set to be sold during Arsenal's home matches at Emirates Stadium (capacity: 60,260).

Our Take

This partnership proves that with creator-founded brands, the sky’s the limit. What’s next—Feastables Stadium or a Happy Dad-sponsored NASCAR driver?

🔥 Press Worthy

• Chamberlain Coffee is hiring for a Chief of Staff and a handful of other positions.

• Pinterest strikes a content deal to launch five shows with creators including Emmymade and LaurDIY.

• Technoblade’s YouTube subscribers continue to grow posthumously.

• Learn more about creators, crypto, and tech from Peter Yang, one of our favorite writers in this space. Join 20,000 readers of his creator economy newsletter.

• MrBeast gives a tour of his $14 million studio.

• Snapchat starts a Sounds Creator Fund to encourage unsigned artists to share their music.