TikTok adds hotel bookings — and a new way to earn

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🌀 What’s new in the creator world

YouTube steps up for creators affected by wildfires
YouTube is putting $3 million toward a fund to support creators and creative workers in LA impacted by this year’s devastating wildfires. The goal is to help them rebuild — faster and with fewer barriers.

Instagram’s location feature sparks privacy backlash
Instagram’s new map, which shows your friends’ recent locations, is already under political pressure. Senators Marsha Blackburn and Richard Blumenthal are urging Meta to roll it back and improve user safety controls. The tool rolled out last week and is already controversial.

Threads is growing — quickly
Meta’s X competitor jumped from 350 million to 400 million monthly users since April. Time spent in the app is also up, with Meta saying their algorithm tweaks are finally working.

YouTube adds tools to help creators grow
You can now upload 10 images per Community Post (up from 5), and reprocessed videos will keep auto-dubbing intact. Later this year, creators will be able to edit captions manually in multiple languages. YouTube is also adding more call-to-action buttons like “Book Now” and “Get Quote” for desktop promos.

Live creator events are exploding
StubHub says creators, podcasters, and authors sold nearly six times more tickets this year than last. Alex Cooper, Crime Junkie, and Mel Robbins all saw big tour wins, with average ticket prices around 40% less than traditional shows — but still wildly in demand.

The TikTok takeover — who could run it next?

If ByteDance doesn’t divest TikTok’s US operations by the September 17 deadline, a group of US investors is waiting to take over. But approval from China is still the missing piece.

Here’s the situation:

• ByteDance would keep just under 20% and likely a board seat

• Other board seats may go to General Atlantic, Andreessen Horowitz, Oracle, and Susquehanna

• A new CEO would lead the US company (Shou Zi Chew might not stay)

Names being floated include Kevin Mayer, Adam Presser, or an outside hire. Linda Yaccarino is out — she just joined a weight-loss startup. For now, the deal is stuck while China decides whether to approve the plan. Meanwhile, a bill that could offer TikTok a legal workaround isn’t gaining momentum.

The clock is still ticking.

TikTok launches hotel booking — and creators can earn

TikTok has quietly rolled out hotel booking with Booking.com and launched a new affiliate program called TikTok Go.

How it works:

• Users can browse hotel pages inside the app with prices, reviews, and TikTok videos

• Creators with 1,000+ followers can promote properties and earn commission on bookings

• The program is currently testing in the US

This adds a new stream of revenue for travel creators, who have typically relied on brand partnerships or long-term campaigns. With TikTok Go, booking incentives could become more transactional — and immediate.

Sylvanian Drama creator wins her fight

Thea von Engelbrechten, the creator behind the wildly popular Sylvanian Drama series, just scored a quiet but major win. Japanese toymaker Epoch dropped its lawsuit against her after nearly a year of legal back and forth.

What happened:

• Thea racked up 3.5 million followers with her soap opera-style videos using Sylvanian Families figurines

• Epoch claimed copyright infringement and sued for damages

• Thea stopped posting in December 2024 while the case played out

Last week, the case was dropped with both sides covering their own legal fees. Thea says she’s returning under a new brand name on August 19 — and her fans are already sending in name ideas.

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