Meta has begun testing ads on Threads in the U.S. and Japan with a select group of invited brands. The initial image ads will be slotted between pieces of content in the Threads home feed and will be visible to only a small percentage of users. Drawing from Meta’s existing ads systems framework, “the familiar visual feed format will enable advertisers to easily extend existing image ads to Threads with the check of a box,” according to Meta. Emulating Google, the company will provide users with controls to skip or hide ads. Threads advertisers will be afforded control using the Inventory Filter tool Meta has implemented for Facebook and Instagram Feed and Reels. Continue reading Threads Testing Ads with Select Advertisers in U.S. and Japan

Santa Monica-based Snapchat announced a new Monetization Program for content creators this week that will feature expanded revenue opportunities and evolving rewards. Beginning February 1, creators that have at least 50,000 followers and post at least 25 times each month to Saved Stories or Spotlight videos will have the option to place ads in videos that are longer than one minute. Eligible creators would also need to meet one of the following criteria in the most recent month: 10 million Snap views, one million Spotlight views, or 12,000 hours of total view time. According to Snap, Spotlight video viewership is up 25 percent year-over-year. Continue reading Snapchat to Empower Creators with Video Monetization Plan

YouTube has come up with a new way for creators to earn. During vertical live streams, viewers can now gift hosts with “Jewels,” a form of digital currency available for purchase. The gifts appear onscreen as animations during vertical live streams, but are a cash equivalent for creators. The initial denomination, “Rubies,” equal one cent per stone, or about $1 per 100 Rubies. The new feature is rolling out to eligible creators in the U.S. who are currently enrolled in the YouTube Partner Program (YPP) and have accepted the Virtual Items Module in YouTube Studio. Continue reading YouTube Introduces Jewels, a New Way for Creators to Earn

TikTok is updating its Live subscription offering, renaming the monetization offering simply “Subscription,” opening it up to eligible non-Live creators in regions including the U.S., Japan, Brazil, France, the UK and Germany. Like the third-party subscription platform Patreon, TikTok’s Subscription allows fans to pay creators for exclusive content and other perks. In participating regions, creators can offer fans monthly subscriptions at three price tiers, each with its own parameters and perks. TikTok launched Live subscriptions in 2022 and announced in March that it would be revamping the feature to allow more users to monetize. Continue reading New TikTok Live Subscriptions Help More Creators Monetize

Amazon is aiming to speed up production of its Audible audiobooks by inviting a small group of narrators to clone their voices using generative artificial intelligence. The U.S. beta test will roll out later this year according to Amazon, which announced the move on Audible’s creator marketplace. “There is a vast catalog of books that does not yet exist in audio and as we explore ways to bring more books to life on Audible, we’re committed to thoughtfully balancing the interests of authors, narrators, publishers, and listeners,” Amazon explains. Continue reading Amazon Is Inviting Audible Narrators to Create AI Voice Clones

During the 10th annual Roblox Developers Conference (RDC 2024) in San Jose, the gaming platform announced it is opening to global currencies in addition to its own Robux, which generates billions in virtual transactions each year. Starting later this year, a small test bed of developers will be able to charge real money for games that charge fees, with a program expected to open “to all eligible creators by mid-2025.” The massively multiplayer online platform that lets users build online game worlds also discussed a project to develop its own AI foundation model to power generative 3D creation on the platform. Continue reading Roblox Adds Real Currency, Teases Its Coming Generative AI

Tidal — the music streaming service owned by Jack Dorsey’s Block payment processing company — is launching a royalty-tracking toolkit for songwriters. The new feature lets authors organize disparate publisher information in one place. “Songwriters juggle a mix of collection societies, publishing platforms, royalty management services, streaming services, and single-purpose apps to manage their royalties, careers, and catalog,” explains the company, which claims to be the first platform to serve songwriters “throughout the full writing career cycle.” Tidal has partnered with performing rights organization AllTrack to handle the backend. Continue reading Tidal, AllTrack Team to Provide Songwriter Royalty Snapshots

Google-owned video giant YouTube is experimenting with a new mid-roll advertising format that aims to be less disruptive for live-streaming viewers. YouTube is testing the new format, which positions ads alongside a live stream using a picture-in-picture feature. Currently, the ad breaks occupy the full screen, cutting abruptly from the content in progress, which can be disruptive. With the new format viewers can keep their eyes on live content during the ad break. YouTube’s mid-roll PiP ad tests are part of its fight against ad blockers, use of which has seen some viewers cut off from the platform. Continue reading YouTube Testing a New Ad Model for Live-Streaming Viewers

Reddit will soon add AI-generated summaries atop its search results, co-founder and CEO Steve Huffman told investors on a Q2 earnings call last week. The company will later this year begin testing AI-powered search result pages that “summarize and recommend content,” said Huffman, who expects the technology will help Reddit users “dive deeper” into content and aid in discovery. Huffman mused monetization strategies, including boosting ad inventory and possibly installing a paywall to differentiate premium content. The discussions accompanied news that Reddit lost $10.1 million in Q2, which saw revenues of $281 million, a 54 percent increase year-over-year. Continue reading Q2 Report: Reddit Adds Users, Narrows Losses, Preps for AI

Suno, the AI text-to-music startup that along with AI music generator Udio is currently being sued by the Recording Industry Association of America, has launched its long-awaited mobile app. Likened to a pocket-sized virtual music studio, it is available for free (with ads) to iOS users in the U.S. Suno says a global rollout is coming soon, as is a mobile app for Android. “Whether you’re a shower singer or a charting artist, we break barriers between you and the song you dream of making. No instrument needed, just imagination,” touts Suno’s landing page on Apple’s App Store. Continue reading Suno’s AI Music Generator Is Now Available for iOS Devices

Twitch is rolling out its licensed DJ Program to allow music live streamers to pursue their craft without having to deal with takedown notices. The popular gaming platform, owned by Amazon, has been dealing with copyright infringement complaints, and now offers what it calls a “first-of-its-kind” compliance solution that provides creators who opt-in with “millions of tracks” that will be legally safe to use. Participating DJs will be required to pay copyright holders a percentage of their earnings from the stream in which the music is used. Twitch did not disclose the percentage but said it would split the cost 50/50 with creators. Continue reading Twitch DJ Program Forges New Path for Live Streaming Music

Airchat is the latest app to take tech leaders in Silicon Valley by storm. Described as a “combination of voice notes and Twitter,” Airchat lets you follow other users and scroll through posts — adding replies, likes and shares — but the twist is the content is generated through audio recordings the app then transcribes. Airchat ranked 27th on the App Store’s social networking chart, even though users must be invited to join. Launched last year by Naval Ravikant, founder of AngelList, and erstwhile Tinder product exec Brian Norgard, Airchat was just relaunched on iOS and Android. Continue reading Audio-First Social Platform Airchat Has Successful Relaunch

In 2023, viewers watched more than 30 billion hours of shopping-related videos on YouTube, according to the platform, which reports “a 25 percent increase in watch time” for videos that help people shop. The uptick coincided with the introduction of tagging features for creators, and now YouTube is expanding its retail involvement even further by allowing creators to set up storefronts and sell products in-app, as yet another way to monetize the service. The move comes as TikTok seeks to grow TikTok Shop as high as $17.5 billion in the U.S., a tenfold increase. Continue reading YouTube Adds Shopping Features for Products, Virtual Stores

Google’s YouTube has created a new model for its Shorts feed that lets creators share short-form videos as exclusive content for their paying viewers. The feature gives creators an opportunity to share exclusive content with their most ardent fans, in addition to other perks for paying subscribers, like badges, custom emojis, live streams and more. TikTok recently loosened its subscription requirements for creators, allowing more of them to participate. In March, the ByteDance owned service said it is renaming TikTok Live as “Subscription” and is opening it to “regular creators,” letting them post exclusive content that paying users can see. Continue reading YouTube Creators Can Now Share Exclusive Shorts with Fans

Social question and answer platform Quora has inserted itself on the leading edge of companies helping creators monetize AI chatbots. Quora’s AI chatbot platform Poe will pay those who create prompt bots on Poe as well as developers of server bots that integrate with the Poe API. “Since this is the beginning of a new market, there are lots of opportunities to provide a valuable service for the world and make money at the same time,” said Quora CEO Adam D’Angelo, envisioning a thriving bot economy across categories from tutoring and therapy to storytelling and roleplay. Continue reading Quora Plans to Foster Chatbot Creator Economy with Poe AI