📢 | What Trump May Mean for Creators, YouTube Data Stories, + Vtuber Awards

Last week, the United States elected Donald Trump as President, with a Republican-controlled Congress and Senate. His return to power will have sweeping implications globally and direct social implications domestically. This newsletter isn't the forum for either of those deeper discussions. Instead, I wanted to share some thoughts on what the next four years of Trump may mean for creators (in bullet point, as has been tradition, but if you want me to expand on my thoughts, please let me know in the comments below!)

1. Short-Term Economic Boom. I expect the (US) economy to boom for the next 6-12 months. You may see increased community support (subscriptions/tips) and brands increasing spending on marketing and brand deals throughout 2025. Take advantage of this, but don't expect it to be long-lasting.
2. Longer Term Economic Struggles. The impact of Trump's supposed plan for the economy in the longer term (2026+) will likely become a problem globally. Inflation will likely reaccelerate. Sub/Turbo/Premium prices increase. Lower ad revenue.
3. Emboldened Rage. We'll see more trolling, anger, and hate in comments, replies, and chats. Many creators will stop reading their Twitter/TikTok/Instagram comments.
4. TikTok will stay in the US. With a Republican-led House and Senate, it may receive some positive changes or a lengthy extension to the divestment order.
5. Streamer at the White House. Adin Ross got a shoutout from Dana White at Trump's victory party, so the idea of Adin streaming live from the White House seems probable.
6. Protests Live. Streaming will become an essential part of protests. However, creators who've made a home on Twitch may be forced to explore other options (Kick?) to stream from if they attend one of these events. Twitch may not want the heat as they've historically leaned in the direction of political headwinds.
7. Ephemeral Live Streaming. VODs and Clips are currently used by creators to market themselves and let people catch up on past streams. That may become a liability for some types of creators. First, as a tool to scrub your history for anything you may have said. Second, as Trump will likely remove restrictions on AI, bad actors may use your historical content to train models. Streams that only live in the moment may offer some insulation from that.

Let me know your thoughts in the comments below! But with that, let's get into the actual recap!

Platform Updates

🟪 TWITCH

• A new mobile update reintroduces the following tab, with thumbnails and titles, akin to the old app. Sadly, you can not select it as your default experience.
• Twitch's new Sensitive Social Issues content label has been subject to community protest, with over 38,000 votes against it. Twitch closed the UserVoice with a clarification. However, a new UserVoice says it misses the point: it currently has 3900 votes.
• Amazon is running a strange ad for Twitch on Instagram.
• NBC News covered the criticism Twitch currently faces regarding Israel-Gaza war content.
• If Twitch does a Bits Price Adjustment (as they have in mid-November 2022 and 2023), this would be the projected price changes based on current foreign exchange rates.

🟥 YOUTUBE

• YouTube will soon allow YouTube Shorts creators (with 4K+ subscribers) to prompt brands for potential sponsorships of their Shorts.
• YouTube is testing "Data Stories" that offer clear insight into the first 24 hours of your videos in a more visual format. This is just a different way of presenting your Analytics Dashboard info.

⬛ TIKTOK

• Going live on the TikTok App may soon require you to verify you're human first, as a measure to avoid Spam streams.
• Canada is forcing TikTok's business operation to shut down in the country, but the app will still be accessible. For now. But for how long?
• You can now share music to TikTok, directly from Spotify and Apple Music.
• Did you watch any Election coverage on TikTok Live? It was evidently a bit of a fever dream.
• By default, the STEM feed is now available for users.

🔲OTHERS

• Kick has launched a TV app for Apple TV and Google Play.
• The US Election resulted in Rumble's most successful day; sitewide viewership hit 1.79M at peak.

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