Episode Transcript
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Welcome to another episode of Creator Daily. I'm your host Michael, covering the
top news stories, latest strategies,and emerging trends in the overall creator landscape.
In today's episode, we'll be discussinghow Discord's CEO, Jason Citron,
envisions a more intimate Internet experience.We'll also dive into how Taylor Swift is
shaking up TikTok with her the TorturedPoets Department in spite of an ongoing dispute
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with UMG Plus. We'll talk aboutInstagram's new subscription options for creators, TikTok's
launch of a new stem content competitionaimed at fueling education, and we'll wrap
up with the latest YouTube updates,including shopping features, creator tools, and
how they're handling AI disclosure. Staytuned. Today we're diving into a powerhouse
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conversation with Jason Citron, the CEOof Discord, about his perspective on the
evolving landscape of the Internet and wherehe sees Discord fitting into it. Discord
has transcended its original identity as justa platform for gamers to chat for a
diverse and mostly young demographic, It'sbecome a central hub for socializing around shared
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interests like gaming, art, andeven AI technology. Citron talks about the
structure of Discord as a network ofprivate group chats or servers that create cozy
spaces for friends to gather online overcommon passions. Unlike public giants like Facebook
and Instagram, Discord's focus is onintimacy and privacy, steering clear of the
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spotlight. Gaming remains a significant sliceof Discord's identity, and Citron sees the
future of the platform deeply integrated withit. Discord banks on its consumer subscription
service called Nitro, and is dabblingin monetization strategies like platform specific ads,
but always with a user first approach. The recent introduction of the feature teen
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Safety Assist shows Discord's commitment to thisphilosophy, prioritizing the safety of its younger
users over other potential platform capabilities likeend to end encryption that could impede on
that security. Citron reflects on hisdecision to keep Discord independent despite lucrative offers
like a reported ten billion dollars fromMicrosoft, stressing his vision for Discord as
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a cross platform pillar that connects peoplewhile they enjoy their favorite games. He
believes strongly in the platform's ongoing growththrough its emphasis on small, intimate user
experiences, insisting that these are whatpeople truly want. Lastly, the CEO
addresses the challenges of content moderation,a critical issue given the platform's massive and
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diverse use. Citron states that thepriority is straightforward, keep teens safe and
give users control to self moderate theirspaces. The dance between user freedom and
safety is complex, but Discord's approachis to lean into providing tools that support
a positive user experience, all whilecomplying with legal requirements like DMCA when necessary.
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Citron's vision of the Internet is onethat moves away from the sprawling and
often overwhelming nature of some social mediagiants and towards smaller, freend focused networks
built on shared experiences. Discord,with its multifaceted growth and commitment to user
centric design, seems to be pavingthe way for this more intimate future.
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Online. Fans of Taylor Swift havea new reason to spend even more time
scrolling through TikTok. The pop superstarhas teamed up with the platform to celebrate
her latest album release, The TorturedPoet's Department. On the very same day
the album dropped, TikTok introduced severalSwift themed features, including a custom icon
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in the for you feed and aunique animation that pops up when users search
for Taylor Swift. Also, there'sa hashtag challenge going strong by using hash
the Tortured Poet's Department, Swift's fanscan shine on the TikTok carousel, which
is dedicated to showcasing creators who grooveto her new tunes, and for those
looking to add a more personal Swiftytouch to their profiles, there's a challenge
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that rewards them with custom artwork.Now, this musical celebration comes amidst some
legal tension. Taylor's music had recentlyvanished off TikTok due to a dispute with
her label Universal Music Group, wadingthrough a bigger issue where many UMG artist
tracks were pulled from the app,But Swift, ever the Trailblazer, ensured
that her fans on TikTok weren't leftin the dark, granting access to songs
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she has rights to distribute, includingher tailor's version albums. And it's not
just TikTok where Swift is making waves. Coinciding with her album's release, She's
also diving into Threads by Meta,yet another space where her fans can connect
with her music. With Swift nowactive on both these platforms, it's clear
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that the biggest social media players areall eager for a piece of the Swift
pie. Whether it's TikTok or Threads, the message is loud and clear.
The tailor Swift experience is now justa click away for her legions of fans.
Big news for all the creators onInstagram. The platform just announced its
facilitating over two million creator subscriptions.That's quite the milestone, and to mark
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the occasion, there are some freshfeatures rolling out for those offering exclusive content
to their paying fans. First up, Instagram is giving creators a new insight
called Sticker Tap Insight that shows howmuch engagement their stickers are getting. It's
all about knowing what's resonating with theaudience. Additionally, the app is tweaking
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subscription stories. Now, if you'renot subscribed to a creator, you'll see
a teaser when they post subscriber onlycontent. This could be the nudge needed
for users to hit that subscribe button. Another interesting update aims to protect creator's
exclusive goodies by adding new ways toprevent screenshots and screen recordings. Along with
that, Instagram is dishing out newcase studies and best practice tips in its
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professional dashboard to give creators that extraedge. But let's keep it real for
a second. Despite these advancements andover two million subscriptions, the reality is
a bit sobering. The creator's successrate is still pretty slim. Did you
know that out of Instagram's reported onepoint four billion users, only about zero
point one four percent are forking outcash for creator subscriptions and a mere four
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point three percent of creators rake inmore than dollar one hundred k a year.
So getting people to pay for contentmight not be as straightforward as one
might hope. It requires a solidgame plan, strategy, and of course
a lot of effort. Sure,Instagram is painting a rosy picture with this
update, but the truth about makingmoney online is far from a walk in
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the park. Nonetheless, for thosecreators who are cashing in on subscriptions,
it's evidence that with the right approach, monetizing your passion on Instagram is very
much possible. TikTok has just launcheda brand new stem content competition timed perfectly
with Earth Day to give parents andstudents a platform to flaunt their science,
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technology, engineering, and math skills. Users are invited to submit a video
that communicates a STEM concept using thehashtag hash stem talk. There aren't any
strict guidelines, so creativity is key, and a panel will select winners based
on their rules and the video's entertainmentvalue. Winners get to take home a
fancy Google Pixel device. This moveis part of TikTok's larger strategy to amplify
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the educational content on the app,and possibly to strengthen its argument against a
proposed sell off ruling in the UnitedStates. By demonstrating its value beyond just
being a hub for entertainment, TikTokhopes to sway opinions in its favor.
It already introduced a STEM feed forUS users last March, and has recently
expanded to European audiences, drawing inspirationfrom dou yin its counterpart in China,
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where educational content is favored as partof a government backed initiative to influence young
people's exposure to positive materials. TikTokmight be aiming to reflect a similar priority
in Western countries. With this competitionrunning until May thirty one. It's a
step that shows TikTok's commitment to providingmore than just fun and games. It's
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a nod towards the importance of educationtoo. YouTube has been busy rolling out
a bunch of new features and updatesthat creators and marketers should definitely be paying
attention to. Let me walk youthrough what's fresh off the press. First
up, we have some interesting developmentsin YouTube shorts. Creators can now remix
already remixed shorts using various tools likesound cut, collage, or green screen.
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This means content can constantly evolve asit gets passed around the community,
potentially extending its life and reach.Plus, YouTube's algorithm gives a nod towards
these remixes, steering more views backto the original video. Good news for
members of the YouTube Partner program.With channel memberships, you can now make
shorts exclusively for your channel members.This could be a great way to share
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more raw personal content with your mostloyal fans, possibly improving engagement and watch
time. Now, hold onto yourchairs, because YouTube's getting serious about AI
transparency. They've introduced a tool requiringcreators to disclose when they're using AI in
their videos, think deep fakes orsynthetic media that looks super realistic. YouTube
wants to make sure viewers know what'sup, especially for sensitive topics. For
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the shoppers. Among us, YouTubeis enhancing its e commerce capabilities with new
shopping features like shopping collections. Thislets creators show off their favorite products and
it could be a game changer formarketers looking to work with influencers on the
platform. Creators, you'll also wantto hear about this One YouTube Studio mobile
app now lets you upload videos andshorts on the go, and members of
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the Partner program can sort out monetizationsettings from their phones too. Plus,
the platform is testing a feature whereviewers can suggest corrections to auto generated captions,
which could really help improve accuracy overtime. As for YouTube analytics,
streamers can get their hands on realtime interaction data to see how viewers are
reacting with emoji reactions. This couldhelp creators gamify their streams to boost engagement.
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There's also a new filter giving insightsinto whether your video impressions are coming
from new or returning viewers. Thisis key for creators to figure out which
content is drawing in fresh eyes versuskeeping regulars coming back, and here's something
for the number crunchers. YouTube isrolling out audience segments in the retention reports.
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That means creators can now see howdifferent groups like new versus returning,
or subscribed versus non subscribed viewers aresticking with their videos. Lastly, YouTube
premium users in the US might noticea jump ahead feature popping up. It
uses AI to skip to what itpredicts will be the next interesting part of
the video. While this might savesome time for viewers, it's raising eyebrows
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among creators who are worried about howthis might affect the watch time of important
segments like sponsored content. You mightbe thinking that's a lot to take in,
and you're right. YouTube's clearly pushingthe boundaries on what its platform can
do for creators, viewers, andmarketers alike. So stay tuned and start
thinking about how you can make themost of these updates. That's a wrap
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on today's episode of Creator Daily.I'm your host, Michael, and it's
been a pleasure diving into the latesttrends and strategies with all of you.
If you're looking for more details onthe stories we covered, don't forget to
peek at the show notes. Forthose helpful links and additional information. Got
thoughts, questions, or bright ideasabout what we discussed today, We're all
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ears. Send us an email atCreator Daily at podcrafter dot com. We'd
love to hear from you, andwho knows, your insights might just feature
in our next episode. Remember tohit subscribe if you haven't already, so
you never miss out on the freshestCreator content. Keep crafting, keep creating,
and we'll catch you on the nextwave of Creator Daily. Until then,
stay inspired.