CREATOR ECONOMY NEWSLETTER
Issue #128 | April 25, 2023
When you’re a streamer, having a long-lasting career is a big question mark. The creator “economy” and gaming industry are too new for us to know what it really takes to keep creating for 20, 30, or 40 years. Seismic platform shifts on Twitch and YouTube and the mental tolls of rigorous social media posting are difficult to handle—but a select few have survived.
Passionfruit spoke with top creators, agents, and a manager to find out what a long-term career might look like in the gaming space. We focused on the careers of creators like BoxBox, The Completionist, Ninja, Jacksepticeye, DrDisRespect, and others that have been around for longer than 10 years—a lifetime in internet years. If anyone knows what a long-lasting internet career looks like, it’s them.
– Grace Stanley, Newsletter Editor
FROM THE INSIDE
‘I’ve been running on this treadmill for 12 years’: Gamers share the economics of career streaming
For streamers Jirard “The Completionist” Khalil and Albert “BoxBox” Zheng, building a career has been anything but fun and games.
By Sabina Wex, Passionfruit Contributor
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EARTH DAY
4 sustain-influencers to follow this Earth Day
From foraging in your back garden to hiking in heels, here are four environmental advocates to follow this Earth Day.
By Eve Upton-Clark, Passionfruit Contributor
THE DARK SIDE
Has TikTok’s search engine turned into a rumor mill?
TikTok’s recommended searches are seemingly creating drama and rumors.
By Audra Schroeder, Daily Dot Reporter
IN THE BIZ
- After most legacy verified accounts on Twitter lost their blue check marks last week, creators with over 1 million followers reported their checkmarks remained with a misleading message falsely claiming they were subscribed to Twitter Blue.
- A viral AI-written Drake song sparked a creator debate about ghostwriters. Grimes also went viral for discussing the topic of AI songwriting on Twitter.
- BoredApes NFT creators won their claims of trademark infringement against a digital artist who copied their NFTs in what he called a protest of their racially offensive imagery, CNN reports.
- Creators are driving 75% of Gen Zers’ shopping decisions online and in stores, according to a recent study conducted by LTK, a global creator marketing platform.
- Goldman Sachs also predicted the creator economy could approach half a trillion dollars by 2027.
- However, some bankers are still warning creators not to quit their day jobs, reporting that a few top creators pull in most of the revenue.
TIKTOK MADE ME DO IT
BookTok creators shared all their favorite reads for World Book Day on April 23. See you at the library. 👀 📚