Hey Creatorverse readers,
Earlier this week, my colleague Corbin Bolies and I dove into the social media story that’s been dominating this week: What’s going on with TikTok? Long story short, a power outage connected to last weekend’s winter storms messed with some servers, causing everything from delayed videos to feeds that refused to update. The whole saga spooked creators — not great considering the incident happened days after the U.S. version of the app was acquired by its new owners.
But while reporting on the story, something journalist and creator Aaron Parnas (4.8 million TikTok followers) said surprised me. After revealing he hasn’t made any money from TikTok’s Creator Fund in roughly six months, he noted that he doesn’t make much on YouTube Shorts and “doesn’t make a penny” on Instagram Reels.
“Just the longform stuff on YouTube is really where the monetization is,” Parnas said.
Journalist and creator Joey Contino (949,000 TikTok followers) said roughly the same thing. So with everyone convinced that shortform is the future of entertainment, how are shortform creators actually making money?
The simple (and bleak) answer is not through any of the big apps. Ancillary revenue like brand deals and ecommerce platforms (i.e. the TikTok Shop) seem to account for most of the money made by these creators.
The metric to keep in mind is RPM or revenue per mille. That’s how much money a creator can earn per 1,000 views. For a qualified YouTube Shorts creator, the average RPM is less than 20 cents, a number that’s drastically lower than the $3 to $6 RPM some creators have reported on YouTube proper. Views from English-speaking countries are also valued more.
Comparatively, TikTok gives creators the potential to make a lot more money. Its standard RPM ranges from around 10 cents to $1, but TikTok also offers additional awards for creators. If the platform deems your content to be engaging and well-crafted, TikTok will pay a bonus. These bonuses can be steep as one creator revealed he made more from his bonus than his RPMs over a month. They can also be unpredictable. A major reason why Contino earned less money from the platform is because TikTok changed its bonus structure to no longer prioritize political creators.
For years, TikTok was the platform for shortform creators. But recently, more creators have been reporting a drop in payouts from its Creator Rewards Program.
Monetization concerns have gotten so pronounced that one of TikTok’s biggest creators Dylan Page, aka News Daddy (18 million TikTok followers), announced he was leaving the platform partially over the issue.
Finally, there’s Instagram Reels, a platform with RPMs that are so low that it’s become a joke. Adding to the real Reels frustration, the platform offers bonuses on an invite-only basis.
So what does this mean for you, presumably a forward-thinking professional in the entertainment industry? Right now, there’s a big pool of talented, creative and underpaid professionals who have proven they can build followings and who are disenchanted by the shorform landscape. Be like Dr. Pepper and make a move.
Now onto the rest.
Kayla Cobb
Senior Reporter
kayla.cobb@thewrap.com
What’s New
Markiplier’s “Iron Lung” is expected to have a $9 million opening weekend
Horror and gaming creator Mark “Markiplier” Fischbach (38 million YouTube subscribers) is heading to the big screen with “Iron Lung,” the creator’s directorial debut. Originally, the sci-fi horror movie based on the 2022 game of the same name was supposed to have a limited self-distribution release. But after pulling in his fans, Markiplier’s movie is now expected to open in approximately 2,000 locations with a projected $9-10 million opening weekend — that’s a massive number of theaters for a film that’s being self-distributed from someone not named Taylor Swift. “Iron Lung” is produced by the creator’s own studio, Markiplier Studios.
Speaking of creator-led movies, Baron Ryan and Creator Camp’s “Two Sleepy People” was released in 500 additional theaters last Friday. The era of grassroots filmmaking is here.
Druski and J. Balvin are the team captains for YouTube’s Super Bowl flag football game
For the second year in a row, YouTube and the NFL will be celebrating the Super Bowl with a flag football game. The Feb. 7 game with see team captains J. Balvin (35.2 million YouTube subscribers) and comedian Druski (4.6 million YouTube subscribers) face off against each other. The rest of the roster is a mix of musicians, like Benson Boone; professional athletes, like Michael Vick and flag football star Diana Flores; and creators, like Deestroying (6.4 million YouTube subscribers) and Jesser (37 million YouTube subscribers). The first pre-Super Bowl game resulted in 6 million live views on the NFL’s YouTube channel.
The first Assistants vs. Agents awards show sold out
If you’re in the entertainment business, chances are you already know about Assistants vs. Agents (154,000 Instagram followers), the snarky insider account from former WME assistant Warner Bailey. Last Friday, the account put on its first awards show designed to honor the best assistants in the industry, and the 450-person event sold out.Alex Cooper’s UnWell was one of the event’s sponsors, and there were video messages from creators like Rhett and Link (20 million YouTube subscribers) as well as Jake Shane (3.9 million TikTok followers) while Connor Wood (912,000 TikTok followers) served as the host. Cheers to all the assistants out there. LA would collapse without you.
Platform Updates
Substack launches a TV app, argues that more direct relationships between creators and fans is the future
After Instagram launched a TV app, Substack announced its own TV app. No, the company doesn’t expect you to squint at thinkpieces from your couch. It’s designed to showcase the videos and livestreams of its creators.
It’s unclear how this will play out. But what’s clearer is that Substack is aiming to be the future of the creator economy. In a piece titled “Direct relationships are the way out of this TikTok mess,” co-founder Hamish McKenzie argues it’s now more important than ever for creators to have control over their relationships with fans.
Fox-backed microdrama platform MyDrama pens 40-title deal with Dhar Mann
MyDrama, the microdrama platform owned by Holywater and backed by Fox Entertainment, has entered a 40-title deal with Dhar Mann (27 million YouTube subscribers). It’s a good fit. Microdramas are all about creating short, engaging content quickly, and that’s exactly what Dhar Mann Studios does.
“Microdramas” are the latest Hollywood buzzword, partially because of big investments from companies like Fox and because they’re actually hiring actors during a production lull. But between the demanding schedules, questionable content and often predatory payment structure, Tess Patton and I have our doubts this is really the future of the industry.
YouTube cracks down on AI slop
Back in November, the AI-tool company Kapwing reported that between 21 and 33% of YouTube was made up of AI slop, the cheeky name for low effort and low creativity AI-created videos. Three months later, it’s now reporting that 16 of the biggest AI slop YouTube channels in the world have been removed, channels that had a combined 4.7 billion views and 35 million subscribers. At the beginning of the year, YouTube CEO Neal Mohan pledged to “reduce the spread of low quality AI content,” and by god, it looks like the company is doing it.
Speaking of YouTube, the company upped its shopping game. YouTube incorporated Google’s Demand Gen into its shoppable connected TV ads, which could be a big game changer for creators making money off the platform.
Movers and Shakers
IShowSpeed’s tour of Africa scores over 135 million views
IShowSpeed (50.7 million YouTube subscribers) ended his 20-country tour of Africa with even more views than his 24/7 U.S. marathon last year. The 2026 livestream scored over 135 million views on YouTube, 15% more views than his 35-day American tour. Speed also crossed the 50 million subscriber mark while on the tour, is set to receive a Ghanaian passport following his visit to the nation and is launching a donation campaign for local organizations in the countries he visited. More like iShowKindness.
Ex-Paramount CEO launches an animation studio for YouTube that will adapt “Eloise at the Plaza”
Former co-CEO of Paramount Brian Robbins launched Big Shot Pictures, a production company that will use the reach and scale of YouTube to develop animated franchises. First on his list is an adaptation of “Eloise at the Plaza.” Robbins isn’t new to the world of creators as he co-founded Awesomeness, the production company behind “Smosh: The Movie” and “PEN15.”
Underscore Talent partners with Loti AI to protect the likeness of its clients
Creator talent management company Underscore Talent has partnered with Loti AI to protect the digital likeness of its clients. As AI becomes more popular, these sorts of collaborations are becoming more popular and vital.
@tastebuds_nyc Trying food from every country in the world, without leaving New York City. Episode 7: Bhutan 🇧🇹 #nyc #nycfood #newyear #bhutan #food ♬ original sound – tastebuds_nyc
Who to Watch
Tastebuds NYC
It doesn’t get more wholesome than tastebuds_nyc (394,000 TikTok followers), a series that follows two buds as they try food from every country in the world without leaving New York City. It’s always interesting to dive into New York’s food scene, but what sets tastebuds apart are the interviews with waitstaff and owners that happen in every video.
There’s been a backlash to the most popular kind of influencer food content in recent years, overly polished videos. Creators like Keith Lee (17.5 million TikTok followers) and Daadi (690,000 TikTok followers) have offered a welcome counterargument to that aesthetic, focusing more on good food and genuine human connection rather than vibes and presentation. Tastebuds_nyc falls into firmly into the Keith Lee and Daadi camp.
Bonus Content
- Redditors Are Mounting a Resistance Against ICE (via Wired)
- TikTok Users Flock to UpScrolled in Response to New U.S. Owners (via Mashable)
- How Right Wing Influencers Used AI Slop to Turn Renee Good Into a Meme (via 404 Media)
Want more? Explore WrapPRO now.
This report provides a weekly deep dive into the creator economy. It highlights key trends, political and technological developments, data points and industry leaders all with the goal of making you smarter about this constantly evolving space.