Your content is worth more on video

It’s Wednesday!

Spotify is walking back its podcast play count feature after smaller creators pushed back. Episodes will only show play counts after hitting 50,000 plays, and even then, only as milestones like "100K" or "1M" - not exact numbers. Creators can still see their precise stats privately.

Video just made your podcast worth premium ad dollars

Podcasts aren't just audio anymore - they're visual products commanding premium ad rates. CPMs are climbing and attracting brands that wouldn't touch podcasts before.

The numbers:

• True Native Media: Q1 ad revenue up 40% year-over-year

• YouTube podcast CPMs: $4-$10

• Connected TV podcast CPMs: $15-$25 (the premium play)

Platforms are all-in on video features - YouTube added a podcast leaderboard while Samsung TV+ partnered with Spotify.

As podcasts shift to video, advertisers see better engagement and stronger results. Studios are building sets that look more like late-night TV than traditional podcasts.

Advertisers aren't just testing podcast ads anymore - they're building full strategies with branded episodes, product placements, and multi-platform campaigns.

Bottom line: Podcasting joined the premium media club, and video was the ticket in. As consumption moves to screens, the ad dollars follow.

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Creators call out Honey for "stealing" their affiliate cash

Creators are coming for PayPal-owned Honey and similar browser extensions. The accusation? Hijacking affiliate commissions by swapping creator referral links at checkout.

For creators like Brent Hall and Mili Velikova, affiliate revenue is essential income. Multiple lawsuits claim these tools are undermining their livelihoods by exploiting last-click attribution.

How it works:

• Creators earn when fans buy through their links

• Coupon extensions activate at checkout and overwrite those links

• Extensions redirect the commission even when offering no better deal

Legal experts aren't optimistic about the lawsuits. While the tactics feel shady, proving fraud is tough.

This exposes how broken affiliate marketing has become. The "last click wins" model makes no sense when creators drive discovery but browser tools snatch commissions at checkout.

Creators built the modern e-commerce machine but are getting squeezed out of profits. These lawsuits might finally force the question: who really earned that sale?

This startup lets TV shows monetize like creators

TV shows have always lagged behind creators in turning content into commerce. Shopsense AI is changing that.

Working with networks like Bell Media and Paramount, they embed shopping links via QR codes. Viewers scan and buy items similar to what's on screen, powered by AI and a catalog of 1B+ products.

Their newest tech automatically scans full episodes to detect shoppable moments - no manual tagging needed.

The smart move? Instead of relying on fragmented smart TVs, Shopsense pushes commerce to mobile where viewers already have a second screen.

TV networks want creator-style revenue. Shopsense is building the infrastructure to get them there - one shoppable moment at a time.

Platform hits

• EU eyeing Temu & Shein: Planning a €2 tax on packages from outside the bloc.

• Glass Imaging secured $20M in Series A funding for AI image enhancement.

• Roblox will let creators sell physical items via Shopify.

• TikTok's new zen mode: Interrupts teens after 10PM with guided meditation.

• Creator Ventures raised $45M for its second fund. Co-founded by YouTuber Caspar Lee.

• The Sidemen (including KSI) launched venture firm Upside for consumer tech investments.

Extra reads

👉 The Upfronts got a taste of the creator economy (Digiday)

👉 AI and the Creator Economy (eMarketer)