YouTube, Instagram, SoundCloud, and other online platforms are changing the way people create and consume media. The Verge’s Creators section covers the people using these platforms, what they’re making, and how those platforms are changing (for better and worse) in response to the vloggers, influencers, podcasters, photographers, musicians, educators, designers, and more who are using them.
The Verge’s Creators section also looks at the way creators are able to turn their projects into careers — from Patreons and merch sales, to ads and Kickstarters — and the ways they’re forced to adapt to changing circumstances as platforms crack down on bad actors and respond to pressure from users and advertisers. New platforms are constantly emerging, and existing ones are ever-changing — what creators have to do to succeed is always going to look different from one year to the next.
OBS, or “Open Broadcaster Software,” is an open source tool that’s used by streamers to broadcast their gameplay on platforms like Twitch. Elgato, which makes hardware and software for streaming, will join companies like Nvidia, AMD, and Qualcomm in the “diamond tier” sponsorship tier, according to Elgato GM Julian Fest in an X thread.
Akamai delivers content for TikTok, and the company says in an SEC filing spotted by Matt Schettenhelm that, despite President Trump’s order refusing to enforce the TikTok ban, it could be exposed to liability, including things like “significant fines” and “financial loss and other similar harms by continuing to provide services to the Chinese application.”
[ir.akamai.com]
AI tools are here to stay, Moyer says, but Vimeo wants to build on ‘authenticity.’
As part of an update to its enforcement system, Twitch announced that smaller violations will now expire in 90 days, while higher severity violations, such as hateful conduct, will expire after one to two years.
Twitch is also taking a tougher stance on users who repeatedly violate its policies. It will now increase the length of a user’s suspension each time they break the same rule within a violation’s expiration window.
[safety.twitch.tv]
The company was founded on today’s date, back in 2005, by three former PayPal employees: Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. On April 23rd Karim uploaded “Me at the Zoo” which is considered to be the first YouTube video. It’s just 19 seconds long.
“We’ve reached a short term extension as we work toward a deal with Paramount to keep their content on YouTube TV. YouTube TV subscribers continue to have access to Paramount channels, including CBS, and any recordings that are in their Library. We appreciate your patience as we continued to negotiate on your behalf. We also value Paramount’s partnership and willingness to work towards an agreement.”
[blog.youtube]
Unless YouTube and Paramount come to a last-minute agreement on a new contract, “after February 13, 2025, all Paramount content, including CBS and CBS Sports, will be unavailable on YouTube TV,” according to a YouTube blog post. “If we can’t reach an agreement and their content is unavailable for an extended period of time, we’ll offer subscribers an $8 credit,” YouTube adds.
Paramount has a website about the potential changes, too.
[blog.youtube]
As lawmakers continue to pressure online platforms about child safety, YouTube CEO Neal Mohan said on Tuesday that the company is working on a machine learning-powered tool that will “help provide the best and most age-appropriate experiences and protections” for users later this year. Meta rolled out a similar feature that uses AI to scan for “signals” that someone might be lying about their age.
[blog.youtube]
A developer named Isaac Gemal spent a few hours coding using Anthropic’s Claude last week to make WikiTok, a site with a TikTok-like presentation, but instead of vertical videos, you swipe through random Wikipedia article previews you can tap to read, ArsTechnica reports.
Gemal reportedly has no plans for an algorithm, and “liking” a post saves it to a list locally, according to the developer.
The Vice President, along with National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, has been tasked with “quarterbacking a deal to save TikTok” before President Trump’s enforcement pause deadline arrives in April, according to Punchbowl News.
The Wall Street Journal backs that up, saying Trump gave Vance the job, counting on his (reportedly unimpressive) venture capitalist background to get the deal done.
[punchbowl.news]
It’s no surprise that you can’t find it on Google TV or Apple’s tvOS after the federal TikTok ban, but Axios found that TV makers LG, Amazon, and Vizio also stopped offering the app for download.
It’s understandable. After all, who wants to risk hundreds of billions in fines to offer a social video app designed for smartphone screens?
Beyoncé won big at the Grammy Awards this year, including nabbing the Best Country Album award for Cowboy Carter. There’s been backlash, with some insisting the Texas native’s work isn’t really a country record.
The argument feels a little thin when internet denizens use AI to replace her voice with a fake Chris Stapleton, like in this altered version of “Protector” or the below take on “Just for Fun.”
