Today’s Edition

• YouTube announces several new AI-powered tools for creators — a breakdown of how they democratize being a YouTuber

• TikTok and Google become "frenemies" with new integration for Google Search

• Former TikTok employee turned TikTok creator, and creator economy founder Ayomi Samaraweera shares insight into the soon-to-be-launched Canopy (new interview series)

YouTube Incorporates AI Throughout the Entire Creator Workflow

YouTube is taking a significant step into generative AI. At its recent Made on YouTube event, it unveiled several new AI-powered tools for creators.

Here's a breakdown of what's new, availability, and why they matter.

YouTube Create

YouTube Create is a new, free mobile app that enables creators to easily create, edit, and share their videos on YouTube. The app offers a variety of editing tools, including precision editing, trimming, automatic captioning, voiceover capabilities, and access to a library of filters, effects, transitions, and royalty-free music with beat-matching technology.

Availability: A beta version of the app is currently accessible to all creators in the US, UK, India, Singapore, France, Germany, South Korea, and Indonesia on Android devices, with plans for an iOS release next year.

Why it Matters: YouTube Create joins the growing list of new standalone apps from leading social media platforms. For example, ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, has an all-in-one editing app in CapCut, which simplifies content production for TikTok.

Similar to CapCut and TikTok, YouTube Create aims to assist creators in editing and sharing content on YouTube, particularly those who are in the early stages of their journey. By providing free and user-friendly tools, YouTube can reduce the barriers to entry for content creation on the platform, ultimately leading to a larger community of creators, increased content production, and enhanced engagement on the platform.

Dream Screen

Creators can generate video or image backgrounds for their Shorts using a text prompt. YouTube also plans to expand this feature to allow creators to edit and reimagine their videos and remix existing videos through text prompts.

Availability: Dream Screen will be accessible to select creators later this year, with plans for a broader rollout to all creators in early 2024.

Why it Matters: By enabling creators to create backgrounds through a simple text prompt, YouTube empowers them to unleash their creativity, whether they are creating new content or adding a twist to existing work. It can also be beneficial in helping creators produce content they desire at any time. For example, instead of a travel creator having to visit a specific city to record a video, they could enter a prompt for that city and obtain a relevant photo or video to use as the background.

AI Insights

YouTube will assist creators in generating ideas and drafting outlines for their videos through AI Insights, available in the Research tab in YouTube Studio. These AI-generated ideas will be personalized based on the creator's channel and the content their audience is already watching.

Availability: The feature is currently undergoing testing with a small group of creators and is scheduled for a broader rollout to more creators next year.

Why it Matters: Tools like ChatGPT and Notion AI have become go-to resources for some creators to brainstorm ideas for their videos, including concepts and scripts. With this new tool, creators can leverage AI for ideation based on their own content and data. However, since insights are trained on existing data, it may encourage creators to stick to what has worked historically, potentially limiting their exploration of new trends and content experimentation.

Assistant Search in Creator Music

Creators have the ability to describe the content they're producing or specify the type of music they want in Creator Music, which will then provide recommendations that match the description and price point.

Availability: Assistant Search is presently undergoing testing by select creators in the US, with plans to potentially expand its availability to more creators and additional countries in the near future.

Why it Matters: Audio, especially in short-form video, is a crucial component of content. The launch of Creator Music was a significant step in giving creators more access to audio, including popular and licensed music. However, creators have voiced concerns about certain songs being too expensive. With Assistant Search, creators will not only be able to find audio that is a better fit for their work, but they will also be able to discover audio that aligns with their budget.

AI Dubbing

YouTube is integrating Aloud, an AI-powered dubbing tool, into YouTube Studio. This tool allows creators to dub their content in multiple languages, and they can review the dubbing before adding it to their videos.

Availability: A small group of creators are currently testing Aloud, with broader availability expected next year.

Why it Matters: Language often acts as a barrier for creators trying to reach new audiences. Historically, dubbing videos in different languages has been expensive and time-consuming, primarily accessible only to larger creators. However, with this new tool, creators of all sizes will be able to benefit from dubbing their content into additional languages beyond the original language. This alone will help creators tap into new audiences and attract new viewers to their videos.

Democratizing Becoming a YouTuber

YouTube is incorporating AI into every step of the creator workflow. By integrating it into the YouTube ecosystem, it provides creators with the ability to rely less on third-party tools for their AI needs, creating a more streamlined process and greater convenience.

This not only benefits existing creators but also makes the platform more attractive to new talent, democratizing the path to becoming a YouTuber. Additionally, AI has the potential to bridge the gap between emerging and top-tier creators, thanks to time savings, improved workflows, and the ability for creators to produce more content and reach broader audiences.

Generative AI is gradually being integrated into social media platforms. Snapchat kicked it off with the launch of My AI in the spring. Since then, TikTok, LinkedIn, Meta, and Discord have either announced, tested, or implemented generative AI features.

News, Insights & Trends

TikTok Tests Integration with Google

TikTok is testing a new integration with Google. This integration includes a card between videos in TikTok search that links out to Google Search for more results related to that topic. There is also a disclaimer by TikTok that says it does not endorse or take responsibility for search results from Google.

Why it Matters: TikTok has become a competitor to Google as younger audiences use it for search and discovery. Google has been making its search experiences more visual to better align with this trend, but in the meantime, being integrated directly into TikTok can keep it top of mind and provide a different entry point for those who have taken their search behavior to social media platforms. TikTok also benefits from this by providing more value to users by helping them go deeper into topics they are interested in.

It’s possible that the two could take the partnership further, such as TikTok actually integrating Google Search results directly into the app. Another possibility would be for Google advertisers to be able to place Google Search Ads campaigns on TikTok, too, similar to what Meta allows with Audience Network placements.

TikTok Takes Steps to Label AI-Generated Content

TikTok has introduced a tool that allows creators to label their content when they have used AI technology to alter or modify it. The platform is also testing automatic labeling of AI-generated content that is detected to have been edited or created with AI. Additionally, TikTok is updating all of its AI-powered products to include "AI" in their name and corresponding effects label, along with updating guidelines for Effect House creators to do the same.

Why it Matters: With the increasing amount of AI-generated content, the risk of deepfakes and misinformation also rises. This makes it necessary to label AI-generated content. These labels serve two purposes: they allow creators to disclose their use of AI (similar to the "Paid Partnership" label for branded content) and warn viewers about the presence of AI in the content, thus cautioning them against potential confusion or misinformation.

Testing automatic labeling of AI-generated content is also a good idea, as it will help ensure the accuracy of labeling in cases where creators accidentally or intentionally omit labels.

VSCO's New CEO Eric Wittman to Focus on Monetization for Creators

VSCO has announced a change in leadership. Eric Wittman, the current VSCO president, will assume the role of CEO, while Joel Flory, former CEO and co-founder, will assume the role of executive chairman. With Wittman now at the helm, his focus will be on providing creators with new tools via VSCO Pro and exploring avenues to help them monetize. These may include promotional tools that assist creators in connecting with individuals interested in purchasing their work and enabling brands to directly license content from creators.

Why it Matters: In 2023, a series of leadership changes have taken place across social media platforms, with YouTube and TikTok also experiencing changes in their executive teams. VSCO has undergone an evolution over the years, transitioning from a suite of editing tools to a more recent social platform, incorporating features like direct messaging, VSCO Spaces, and increased customization. With this new chapter, it aims to become a space where creators can monetize their content, whether through direct sales to brands and fans or brand collaborations, potentially attracting more creators to the platform.

Pinterest's Shuffles App Adds Fashion and Beauty Drawer to Help Creators Create Shoppable Collages

Shuffles, Pinterest's standalone collage maker app, added a new feature called the Shuffles fashion and beauty drawer. Creators can browse catalogs from their favorite brands, choose fashion and beauty cutouts, and create personalized collages. Each item in the collage provides product details and links for purchasing on the retailer's website.

Why it Matters: Collage maker apps have become favorites among Gen Z, and Shuffles is no exception. By using interactive cutouts of fashion and beauty products, creators and their fans can transition from discovery to inspiration to purchase. In addition to helping to grow its user base amongst younger audiences, Pinterest also sees Shuffles as a way to make Pinterest more shoppable, evident by the recent launch of the Shuffles-inspired Collages feature. As the holiday season approaches, expect creators to utilize both Shuffles and Collages to create gift guides within their respective apps and repurpose them on Instagram and TikTok too.

Building A Safe Space for Creators: An Interview with Canopy’s Ayomi Samaraweera

With the explosion of the creator economy over the past few years, several new startups have emerged to assist creators with all aspects of their businesses. These include content creation, monetization, as well as managing their finances.

One company that wants to support creators through community is Canopy, by providing a safe space for creators to share their knowledge and insights, ask questions that everyone is thinking about, and advance their careers.

Led by CEO and solo founder Ayomi Samaraweera — a former TikTok employee turned TikTok creator — Canopy is set to launch in October. In advance, Ayomi shared insights on her inspiration for Canopy, what she's building, how her experience at TikTok is helping her, what creators can expect from Canopy, and more.

On her inspiration behind Canopy

“I joined TikTok when it was less than two years old, in the middle of the pandemic, and saw in real-time how it was changing people's lives. The pandemic was a really unique time, a period of reflection for many people, and I noticed more people turning to content creation as a form of creativity and a path to financial freedom. That's what made me start thinking about what I could do or build to help more people build a career as a content creator.”

Addressing the challenges creators face

“As a creator, I’ve experienced firsthand how difficult it is to grow, monetize, and build a career. It can also be lonely. Having worked in the creator economy for over three years, my biggest realization was that the industry is plagued with information asymmetry. This puts creators, especially creators of color at a significant disadvantage when it comes to making effective business decisions. That is why I am building Canopy, to democratize access to information and put an end to gatekeeping for all creators, regardless of size. This will help empower them to make smarter business decisions and build a sustainable livelihood.”

Key features of Canopy

“We're in the process of building our MVP, but you can think of Canopy's mobile app as a less chaotic version of a Reddit thread. Creators will have the ability to join or create their own "branches," which are topics of interest, such as monetization, creator mental health, events, etc. They will then be able to contribute to discussions on these topics.”

How Canopy is different from other creator-focused products

“I think it's important to have a suite of tools that work for you - from editing software to pricing calculators to link-in-bios. One thing that I believe is missing is a dedicated community for creators, a place to learn, share, and spill the tea. After all, knowledge is power. Currently, the creator ecosystem is highly fragmented. Some creator-focused products have their own invite-only communities, but you have to pay for their tools to get into the community. Community is not their product or focus area; it is an afterthought. Whereas, community is the product for Canopy. It is our sole focus, and our commitment is to build a community where you can not only gain industry insights to help grow your career but also have a safe space and support network to hype you up on the days when you really need it. And you'll be rewarded the more you contribute to the community and help other creators grow.”

Learnings from her tenure at TikTok

"During my entire time at TikTok, we operated as a lean and scrappy startup. It was a fast-paced and dynamic environment, and I learned how to move quickly, adapt, stay agile, and listen to customers. From both companies, I saw what worked and what didn't work when building long-term relationships and trust with creators. So, I will definitely apply those learnings to our go-to-market strategy.”

Interested in joining Canopy? Sign up here to join the waitlist. Ayomi is also happy to personally onboard any creators who are readers! You can reach out to her directly at [email protected].

What I’m Reading

• Creators still turning down work as the Hollywood SAG-AFTRA strike continues (Digiday) _{(includes a quote from me)}

• Paramount Wants a Piece of the Sports Creator Economy (Hollywood Reporter)

• Generative AI provides significant boost to knowledge works, study finds (Legal Dive)

• Agencies move on from creating content for specific platforms to focus on short-form video (Digiday)

• What can LinkedIn do for journalists? (Journalism.co.uk)

Thank you for reading! If you've enjoyed this, please consider sharing it with a colleague or friend. If you have any feedback, ideas, tips, or questions, or would like to collaborate, please don't hesitate to reach out here or send me a DM.