Cameo’s reinvention, Forbes’ game-changers, YouTube’s wild year 📲

It’s Wednesday,

Spotify Wrapped 2024 is here…

This year’s Wrapped dives deeper with “Music Evolution” phases, AI-powered podcasts, and streaks to flex your loyalty. Audiobooks and podcasts get their shine too.

Quick updates…

🛍️ TikTok Shop hit $100M in U.S. Black Friday sales, with 30,000+ live streams and top sellers like Tarte Cosmetics and Miniso.

🍸 Call Her Daddy host Alex Cooper filed a trademark for "Popular Vodka by Unwell," teasing a secret project.

🔥 BuzzFeed faces a $124M debt crisis, with talks of selling assets like Hot Ones to stay afloat.

📈 GigaStar launched DropStars, giving creators equity and advisory roles—first participants include YouTubers Brian Kim and Tony Gaskins.

🎮 Kai Cenat broke Twitch records with 727,694 subs during a month-long subathon, attracting 50M unique viewers.

📣 Instagram now lets creators enable replies in broadcast channels, allowing followers to respond to messages and interact, similar to Instagram posts.

🔄 Threads now lets users swipe between custom feeds, continuing to borrow features from rival Bluesky.

🔵 Bluesky is exploring more account verification options, but details on blue checks remain unclear.

1: Cameo throws the doors open with CameoX

Cameo is reinventing itself. The once-buzzy pandemic darling, known for celeb shoutouts, announced its new open-door policy: anyone can now join via its streamlined onboarding platform, CameoX. In the past 18 months, 31,000 personalities—ranging from athletes to influencers—have hopped on.

Why it matters: The creator economy has cooled off, forcing startups like Cameo to rethink their strategies. After seeing its valuation nosedive from $1 billion in 2021, Cameo’s pivot aims to tap into the evolving definition of fame and draw in a broader talent pool.

The bigger picture: Creator-focused companies are scrambling to survive. Substack is branching into podcasts and social features. Spotter, now backed by Amazon, is using AI to help YouTubers create viral content. With venture funding drying up, startups are either shutting down, selling off, or hustling to diversify.

The takeaway: Cameo’s gamble on accessibility mirrors the industry’s survival instinct—adapt or fade. But will a flood of creators dilute the platform’s exclusivity?

2: Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Media 2025

This year’s 30 Under 30 Media class is redefining how we create and consume content. From podcasters to AI entrepreneurs, they’re blending creativity with cutting-edge tech to build the future of media.

Bobbi Althoff, 27

Once a TikTok mom-content creator, Althoff flipped her niche into gold with The Really Good Podcast. Her deliberately awkward interviews have pulled a pop-culture obsessed fanbase, helping her rake in $2.9 million annually. “People like how unscripted and casual podcasts feel compared to old media,” she says.

Game-changers in media…

• Alice Ma & Devin Lewtan (29, 26): Founders of Mad Realities, a social-first production company that’s behind viral hits like Shop Cats (yes, it’s cats in bodegas) with over 150 million views and $6 million in funding.

• Tyler Bainbridge, 29: Creator of Perfectly Imperfect, a newsletter blending interviews with visual collages and in-person events.

• Justin Kim & Michael Lai, 25: Cofounders of AsianFeed, a digital platform spotlighting Asian and Asian-American stories, from cultural wins to entrepreneurship.

New frontiers…

• Olivia Joslin & Toshit Panigrahi (28, 29): Founders of Tollbit, a platform helping media publishers charge AI companies for scraping their data. “This is an existential moment for publishers,” Joslin notes.

The big picture: These 30 trailblazers are leading the charge into a new era of media, leveraging social platforms, AI, and storytelling to innovate and thrive. Whether they’re building podcasts, rewriting the rules for AI, or amplifying underrepresented communities, this year’s honorees prove that the future of media is bold, digital, and personal.

For the full 2025 list, click here.

3: YouTube's year in trends…

The big picture: 2024’s YouTube trends spotlighted the platform’s evolution into a fan-driven powerhouse. From fan-made content fueling Amazing Digital Circus into a global franchise to creator-led buzz around cultural moments like Kendrick Lamar’s diss track, YouTube showed how online communities now shape—and dominate—pop culture.

Key takeaways:

• Creators drive fandoms: Fans aren’t just watching—they’re building the buzz. Shows like Hazbin Hotel and Amazing Digital Circus thrived because of relentless fan content, turning niche projects into worldwide hits.

• Shorts trends vs. longevity: Viral hits like Sabrina Carpenter’s songs soared on YouTube Shorts, but staying power requires more than a trending soundbite.

• The Kendrick effect: Lamar’s diss track “Not Like Us” ruled YouTube as both a trending topic and song, proving that platform buzz translates into cultural dominance.

Top creators: MrBeast held onto his throne for the fourth year running, despite controversies, while creators like Mark Rober and Nick DiGiovanni gained traction with niche content.

The takeaway: YouTube isn’t just where trends start—it’s where fans, creators, and digital franchises redefine pop culture. The platform’s mix of long-form storytelling and Shorts makes it a playground for cultural moments big and small.

Creator notes 📝

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