Kidslop, Creator TV, and the Woes of the Creator Middle Class

Today: a new era of "creator TV" and the rising trend of short-form "kidslop" content. Lauren and Josh Cohen break down Spotter's new pitch to media buyers, and dive into a new report from the Influencer Marketing Factory revealing the harsh realities of the creator middle class. Plus, Tubefilter's Sam Gutelle joins the show to explain the wild world of "kidslop" content -- IP soup, Roblox inspiration, and why Brazilian funk music is dominating the Gen Alpha algorithm. Finally, the hosts discuss Instagram's controversial new AI shopping feature and National Geographic's new creator cohort.What you’ll learn:-- How Spotter is defining the new "Creator TV" -- The staggering stats behind creator earnings in 2026 -- Why "kidslop" channels are getting billions of views on Shorts -- Why creators are angry about Instagram's "Shop the Look" test00:00 Introduction & IRL encounters00:52 Spotter Showcase & Creator TV03:17 The stats behind Creator TV06:52 How Spotter connects creators & brands11:07 2026 Creator Economy Report13:17 The truth about the creator middle class17:51 Sam Gutelle explains "kidslop"20:57 Funk music & the Gen Alpha algorithm23:31 Opportunities for IP holders27:48 Instagram's controversial AI shopping test30:22 NatGeo's new creator cohortCreator Upload is your creator economy podcast, hosted by Lauren Schnipper and Joshua Cohen.Follow Lauren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/schnipper/Follow Josh: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuajcohen/Original music by London Bridge: https://www.instagram.com/londonbridgemusic/Edited and produced by Adam Conner: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamonbrand