The Upload: The Rise of the Creator Economy

When DDG was 17, he received a $200 check from YouTube for his vlogs. Realizing if he dedicated himself to vlogging, he could make a living from it, DDG quit his retail job. Now, DDG has millions of subscribers on his channel and is a rising recording artist. In the season finale, DDG chats with Brittany about vlogging and how YouTube helped him break into the music business. Then Brittany chats with YouTube’s Director of Black Music & Culture, Tuma Basa, who has dedicated his career to amplifying black voices. Tuma talks about how YouTube can help artists reach audiences and the expanding role the platform plays in the music industry.  Some participants have been compensated for their involvement in this series. KEY TOPICS & TIME STAMPS[4:48] DDG quits his job to vlog [6:55] Growing up with music[8:55] Uploading “Arguments” to YouTube and landing a record deal[9:57] How YouTube helped his music career[12:43] Why visuals matter in music[13:24] Revisiting old vlogs[14:33] Momentum as a creator[15:30] Engaging with fans [16:33] Why consistency is key to a YouTube career[19:54] Interview with Tuma BasaRESOURCESListen on YouTubeEpisode transcription2020 Oxford Economic Impact ReportSOCIAL HANDLESYoutube: DDGTwitter: @PontiacMadeDDGInstagram: pontiacmadeddgFacebook: PontiacmadeddgDDG Website: https://www.pontiacmadeddg.comBrittany's Twitter: @bmluse CREDITSThe Upload is a podcast by YouTube produced in partnership with National Public Media. Our Executive Producers are Brianna LaFleur and Erica Osher. Supervising Producer Shannon Boerner. Our Lead Producer is Theresa Avila; Editing and Engineering by Alie Kilts; Production Assistance by Gurjit Kaur with support from Maddy Weinberg. Our logo was created by Jen Grottle and our music is by TimaLikesMusic. Hosted by Brittany Luse.

Over a decade ago, Emmy was living in Japan, feeling alone, and looking for a way to connect with others, so she turned to YouTube. In this week’s episode, Emmy talks to Brittany about her love of food and experimenting, and how YouTube has given her the flexibility to create her ideal life. Then, to learn more about how YouTube helps support creators, Brittany chats with Jamie Reichstein, YouTube’s head of Creator Partnerships. Some participants have been compensated for their involvement in this series.KEY TOPICS & TIME STAMPS3:26 About the Channel4:27 What makes Emmymade unique5:55 Starting the channel in Japan6:59 Emmy’s love of food9:06 Realizing YouTube could be her career10:46 Forming an LLC11:15 Flexibility15:21 Advice to parents looking to start their own channel17:30 Staying Inspired18:19 Feeling Pressure19:55 Staying motivated22:19 Brittany’s interview with Jamie ReichsteinRESOURCESListen on YouTubeEpisode Transcript2020 Oxford Economic Impact ReportSOCIAL HANDLESYoutube: emmymadeTwitter: @emmymadeinjapanInstagram: @emmymadeFacebook: @itsemmymadeinjapanWebsite: https://www.emmymade.comBrittany's Twitter: @bmluseCREDITSThe Upload is a podcast by YouTube produced in partnership with National Public Media. Our Executive Producers are Brianna LaFleur and Erica Osher. Supervising Producer Shannon Boerner. Our Lead Producer is Theresa Avila; Editing and Engineering by Alie Kilts; Production Assistance by Gurjit Kaur with support from Maddy Weinberg. Our logo was created by Jen Grottle and our music is by TimaLikesMusic. Hosted by Brittany Luse.

During his last year of college, Caleb Marshall decided that he wanted to pursue a nontraditional career path… so he started a YouTube channel. In this week’s episode, Brittany talks to Caleb, aka The Fitness Marshall, about his passion for fitness dancing, how he built a brand and business despite obstacles, and the many ways he makes a profit other than monetizing his videos. Later, Brittany talks to Jamie Byrne, Senior Director of Creative Partnerships at YouTube, about the platform's monetization features and how they’ve evolved over time. Some participants have been compensated for their involvement in this series.KEY TOPICS & TIMESTAMPS[3:53] About the Channel[4:22] How Caleb got started with dance fitness[6:14] The planning that went into The Fitness Marshall channel[8:18] How Caleb’s knowledge of video production helped him[9:24] Reaching 100,000 subscribers[11:19] Decision to use popular music in his videos[14:05] Staying afloat financially[16:07] How Caleb’s currently monetizing his content[17:36] Caleb’s activewear line[19:03] Advice for others looking to create a YouTube channel[21:15] Transition to interview with Jamie Byrne[23:21] Different ways creators make money[25:54] Misconceptions about creatorsRESOURCESListen on YouTubeEpisode Transcript2020 Oxford Economic Impact ReportThe Fitness Marshall WebsiteSOCIAL HANDLESYoutube: The Fitness MarshallTwitter: @TheFitMarshallInstagram: @thefitnessmarshallFacebook: The Fitness MarshallBrittany's Twitter: @bmluseCREDITSThe Upload is a podcast by YouTube produced in partnership with National Public Media. Our Executive Producers are Brianna LaFleur and Erica Osher. Supervising Producer Shannon Boerner. Our Lead Producer is Theresa Avila; Editing and Engineering by Alie Kilts; Production Assistance by Gurjit Kaur with support from Maddy Weinberg. Our logo was created by Jen Grottle and our music is by TimaLikesMusic. Hosted by Brittany Luse.

Randy Lau had always wanted to preserve his heritage and honor his parents and their legacy, so during the pandemic, he decided to start a YouTube channel, with his parents as its stars. In this episode, our host, Brittany Luse,  talks with Randy and his parents — Chung Sun Lau and Jenny Lau — about how their channel came to be, how YouTube has allowed them to connect with a larger community, and how they built a successful business from their YouTube channel in only a few short months. Some participants have been compensated for their involvement in this series.KEY TOPICS & TIME STAMPS[4:20] About the channel[5:20] Documenting family history and recipes[6:49] Deciding to share recipes[9:25] What led Randy to start a YouTube Channel[11:32] How Chung felt about being on YouTube[17:45] The role food played in Chung and Randy’s lives growing up[22:58] How YouTube changed the Lau family’s lives financiallyRESOURCESListen on YouTubeEpisode TranscriptMade With Lau WebsiteSOCIAL MEDIA HANDLESYoutube: Made With LauTwitter: @madewithlauInstagram: @madewithlauFacebook: @madewithlauBrittany's Twitter: @bmluse CREDITS The Upload is a podcast by YouTube produced in partnership with National Public Media. Our Executive Producers are Brianna LaFleur and Erica Osher. Supervising Producer Shannon Boerner. Our Lead Producer is Theresa Avila; Editing and Engineering by Alie Kilts; Production Assistance by Gurjit Kaur with support from Maddy Weinberg. Our logo was created by Jen Grottle and our music is by TimaLikesMusic. Voice over by Lawrence Lew. Hosted by Brittany Luse.

When Lilly Singh started her YouTube channel in 2010, she dreamed of becoming a successful entertainer. Now, she’s an internationally known comedian, actress, and best selling author. In this week’s episode, Brittany talks with Lilly about how she turned her dream into a reality. Then, Brittany turns to YouTube’s Head of Culture & Trends, Kevin Allocca, to learn more about the business side of the creator economy. Some participants have been compensated for their involvement in this series.KEY TOPICS & TIMESTAMPS[5:05] Representation for women of color in media[7:24] Why creators have to be business-minded[8:29] How transparency can help close wage gaps in the digital space[12:44] Being a YouTube creator isn’t a real job — “it’s actually 10 real jobs”[14:16] How Lilly adapted her strategy and built her team[16:25] How Lilly broke into Hollywood[18:23] Lilly’s advice for aspiring entertainers[23:13] Kevin’s definition of the creator economy[23:44] How YouTube creators earn money[26:18] Authenticity is keyRESOURCESListen on YouTubeEpisode TranscriptSOCIAL MEDIA HANDLESLilly’s YouTube: youtube.com/LillySinghLilly’s Twitter: @LillyLilly’s Instagram: @lillyLilly’s Facebook: Lilly SinghBrittany's Twitter: @bmluseCREDITSThe Upload is a podcast by YouTube Podcast produced in partnership with National Public Media. Our Executive Producers are Brianna LaFleur and Erica Osher. Supervising Producer Shannon Boerner. Our Lead Producer is Theresa Avila; Editing and Engineering by Alie Kilts with assistance from Chris Hoff; Production Assistance by Gurjit Kaur with support from Maddy Weinberg. Our logo was created by Jen Grottle and our music is by TimaLikesMusic. Hosted by Brittany Luse.

How much do you really know about how YouTube works? Like, how do creators go from uploading a video to running a lucrative business? And what does it take to go from recording in your living room to turning your passion into a full-time career? We’re diving into all of that and more in the new podcast The Upload: The Rise of the Creator Economy.Listen on YoutubeView the TranscriptAnd don’t forget to share and subscribe!The Upload is a podcast by YouTube, produced in partnership with National Public Media. Our Executive Producers are Brianna LaFleur and Erica Osher. Supervising Producer Shannon Boerner. Our Lead Producer is Theresa Avila; Editing and Engineering by Alie Kilts; Production Assistance by Gurjit Kaur with support from Maddy Weinberg. Our logo was created by Jen Grottle and our music is by TimaLikesMusic. Hosted by Brittany Luse.