Hi, hey, hello. I’m writing this before Midnights comes out, but I already know—by the time you read this, I’ll have listened to Taylor Swift’s 10th studio album at least three times. For some artists, it doesn’t really matter what they make—you just know you’ll love it. Taylor’s that for me. What artist do you never miss a release from?

–Hannah Doyle

Welcome to Hell Week

’Tis the damn season—for spooks and frights. Few know that better than horror video creators Sam and Colby.

The YouTubers, who usually post on a monthly basis, have begun Hell Week, during which they’re releasing seven movie-length videos over 14 days in the lead-up to Halloween.

By the numbers:

6+ million → how many views the first three videos in the Hell Week series have received so far.

20,000 → how many followers Sam and Colby have added since starting Hell Week.

150,000 → the increase in daily video views on their channel since Hell Week kicked off.

To up the star power of the event, Sam and Colby are bringing in creators like KallmeKris, Michelle Khare, and CelinaSpookyBoo to join them in their quest for haunted adventures in abandoned hospitals, corn fields, and plantations around the country.

But wait, there’s more: Sam and Colby are also running a special for their subscription program, XPLR Club. For new subs, the first month is $1 (as compared to the usual rate of $20/month). Members get access to special videos, private livestreams, and giveaways.

Our Take

This takes the appointment-style viewing of Ryan Trahan’s penny series and applies it to a different niche—haunted adventures. Sam and Colby are the Spirit Halloween of creators, cramming a year’s worth of business (read: content) into one month and proving seasonality sells.

With special programming during Halloween, the duo is luring in new audiences they can hook now and entertain throughout the rest of the year—so long as they can make quality content without the jumpscares and ouija boards.

Fashion Creator Turns a Meme Into a Business

In 2019, fashion blogger Caitlin Covington unwittingly became the face of so-called “Christian Girl Autumn,” a semi-derogatory meme critiquing what can only be described as the pumpkin spice culture that dominates a specific brand of perfectly polished Instagram.

So how is Covington doing now? Quite well, actually.

According to a recent profile in The New York Times, Covington has leaned into the label as the Queen of Pumpkin Spice—making fall the central theme to her brand as a full-time fashion influencer.

And it’s paid off: Covington’s sponsored posts have increased in price since 2019, with some running $10,000–$15,000 apiece. She’s added some 200,000 new followers since becoming synonymous with “Christian Girl Autumn”—and if Covington’s still the butt of the joke, those followers don’t seem to care. Her Like To Know It (LTK) affiliate conversion reaches in the thousands per post.

Our Take

Covington proves that how you come to prominence matters less than how you capitalize on it. In 2019, Covington was drawn into a meme trend she didn’t start. Now, she's being covered in The New York Times and making five figures per Instagram post—laughing all the way to the pumpkin-spiced bank.

Sponsored by Track Club

Introducing a Library of 100% Customizable Songs

Track Club is a new music licensing subscription app for creators. Your content is unique—and your music should be, too.

MixLab by Track Club is making it happen. Here’s how it works:

• Sign up for Track Club’s monthly subscription (you get 4 months free with this link).

• Quickly find the perfect song for your project with their meticulously curated catalog. All songs on Track Club have stems available to download at no extra cost.

• With their unprecedented customization tools, you mix the song to make it yours—create instrument solos, adjust volume levels, mix and match.

• Download your custom mix—approved for use in your content.

Trusted by brands like Patagonia, Airbnb, and Snapchat, Track Club is powered by Marmoset, the only Certified B Corp in the game. They invest 10% of their profits into community orgs—working for social justice, education, homelessness, music and arts advocacy, equity and inclusion, civil rights, and more.

Start your free trial using this link.

The Race for Podcast Platform Dominance Heats Up

YouTube recently announced at Advertising Week that it’s launching audio ads, a development that’ll allow brands to target podcast listeners on the platform.

YouTube has invested heavily in podcasting this year, launching a podcast hub and becoming the most used podcast platform in the U.S., according to a recent study.

Zoom out: YouTube’s not the only social platform angling for a larger share of the podcasting industry. TikTok is also investing in podcasts and Spotify recently began letting creators self-monetize and self-publish podcasts on their platform.

Our Take

The multi-billion dollar podcast industry is still diffuse, but as each platform works to woo creators, we’d bet the winners will be those willing to prioritize multimedia and monetization.

🔥 Press Worthy

• TikTok launches an ad monetization program, TikTok Pulse.

• Descript Storyboard makes editing video as simple as editing a Word doc or making slides. Sign up today for early access.*

• Adobe study finds that over 50% of nonprofessional U.S. creators monetize their content.

• Ali Abdaal opens the waitlist to the next Cohort of his Part-Time YouTuber Academy, which launches on October 31st.

• Pokimane releases a playlist with Spotify.

• Twitch targets gambling in its updated community guidelines.

*This is sponsored advertising content.