The Upload

Hosted by Rob Balasabas

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218

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Aug 2026

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About the show

🎙 The Upload is your daily download of creator economy news, hosted by Rob Balasabas—creator business strategist and industry insider. Start your day with bite-sized updates, platform changes, and fresh insights to help you grow a sustainable creator business. Plus, weekend bonus episodes with interviews and deep dives. Subscribe and stay ahead in the business of content. The Upload Newsletter: https://balasabas.substack.com Rob on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robbalasabas Rob on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rob.balasabas Business Inquiries: robert.balasabas@gmail.com

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60 recent

September 4, 2026Episode 1851 min

The Creator AI Crash Is Coming (and Why That's Good) | Jim Louderback

Jim Louderback, editor of Inside the Creator Economy and the former GM of VidCon, joins The Upload for a wide-ranging conversation about where this whole industry is actually heading. Few people have watched the creator economy longer or more clearly, and Jim doesn't hold back. We get into YouTube's big Partner Program overhaul and what it really means, why organic virality has stopped being a business model, and his four-quadrant "fast food" framework for the new YouTube (from the McDonald's of Shorts to the gas-station sandwich). Jim explains why creators have officially "arrived," how traditional media is now treating them as producers and IP owners instead of talent, and the talent exodus from Hollywood into creator studios. We also dig into how AI could let a solo creator produce at Hollywood quality, why culture is becoming a two-way global street, the rise of micro-fandoms, and his bold 2027 prediction about an AI "crash" and where the real value will actually get built. Plus, why every creator should be spending a slice of their revenue on paid boosting, the most underrated events worth traveling for, and a proper ranking of the best airport lounges. If you want the clearest, most honest read on where the creator economy is going, this one's a must-listen. Jim's links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jlouderb Newsletter: https://insidethecreator.beehiiv.com 👉 Subscribe to The Upload Newsletter: https://contentcreator.live/links Thank you to our partners: Ecamm: http://ecamm.balasabas.live Opus Clip: https://www.opus.pro/?via=rob Streamyard: https://streamyard.com/?fpr=golive Uscreen: https://www.uscreen.tv Connect with Rob: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robbalasabas Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rob.balasabas Business + Partnership Inquiries: robert.balasabas@gmail.com

August 18, 2026Episode 1746 min

What It Really Takes to Scale a Creator Business | Josh Mattingly

Josh Mattingly, founder of Upright Media and the self-described "Operating Partner to the Creator Economy," joins The Upload to pull back the curtain on the business behind some of the biggest channels on the internet. After 16 years working with the likes of Maker Studios, Smosh, Donut Media and Preston, Josh has a clear point of view: the next generation of creator businesses won't win because of the most talented founder or the best creative, they'll win because they build the strongest team. We get into why creators are entrepreneurs whether they realize it or not, the training and systems gap that quietly stalls fast-growing channels, and how to build a company that can actually outgrow its founder (with the Smosh "rotating cast" playbook as a case study). Josh also breaks down when to make your first hire and who it should be, why he swears by contract-to-hire and 30/60/90 plans, and how to protect the one thing a creator can never outsource: their time and creative brain. Plus, his advice for anyone trying to break into the creator economy on the operations side, and a very important ranking of the best and worst airport lounges. If you're a creator ready to stop doing everything yourself and build something that lasts, this one's a masterclass. Josh's links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-mattingly Website: https://www.uprightmedia.co Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshmattingly 👉 Subscribe to The Upload Newsletter: https://contentcreator.live/links Thank you to our partners: Ecamm: http://ecamm.balasabas.live Opus Clip: https://www.opus.pro/?via=rob Streamyard: https://streamyard.com/?fpr=golive Uscreen: https://www.uscreen.tv Connect with Rob: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robbalasabas Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rob.balasabas Business + Partnership Inquiries: robert.balasabas@gmail.com

August 8, 2026Episode 1657 min

The Experimental Mindset That Separates Creators Who Last | Ant McCormack

Ant McCormack, co-founder of Changer and one of the people building in the creator economy before the term even existed, joins The Upload to talk about what it actually takes to build a creator business that lasts. We get into his big theory that most creators, once they have an audience to protect, start operating from fear instead of the experimental mindset that got them there in the first place, and how the best creators build a framework to keep testing without betting the whole business. Ant explains why being a creator is an entrepreneurial pursuit even though most creators aren't entrepreneurs, where that gap comes from, and whose job it is to close it. He shares the mindset shift that tripled one creator's business, why you should hire to solve a problem instead of filling a title, and a reality check on all the capital flooding the space (including why some of it is just "an AdSense advance with better branding"). Plus, why creators risk becoming TV 2.0 if they're only packaged to attract ad dollars, and his "guinea pig protocol" for building a business no brand can replace. If you're a creator who wants to build something that outlasts your last upload, this one's packed. Ant's links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/antmccormack Newsletter: https://changerupdates.com Website: https://www.changerstudios.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/changerstudios 👉 Subscribe to The Upload Newsletter: https://contentcreator.live/links Thank you to our partners: Ecamm: http://ecamm.balasabas.live Opus Clip: https://www.opus.pro/?via=rob Streamyard: https://streamyard.com/?fpr=golive Uscreen: https://www.uscreen.tv Connect with Rob: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robbalasabas Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rob.balasabas Business + Partnership Inquiries: robert.balasabas@gmail.com

July 31, 2026Episode 1540 min

Follower Count Is Dying and Superfans Are the Future | Lia Haberman

Lia Haberman, writer of the ICYMI newsletter and one of the most trusted voices tracking the creator economy, joins The Upload to unpack where things are actually heading. We get into why follower count matters less than everyone thinks, the rise of superfans and smaller, more loyal communities, and why audiences are craving offline experiences (and how creators and brands can meet them there). Lia explains the shift from making videos to making shows, the micro-drama boom, and why brands like Crocs are building their own series instead of just running ads. She also shares a reality check on Instagram's "everything app" ambitions, why YouTube is becoming the new TV, and where creators should actually invest their time. Plus, practical advice on owning your audience, starting a newsletter that people open (hint: keep it short), and the one mindset shift every creator needs: stop taking platform changes personally and start looking at the whole ecosystem. If you're a creator or marketer trying to build something that lasts, this one's packed. Lia's links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liahaberman Newsletter: https://liahaberman.substack.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/liahaberman 👉 Subscribe to The Upload Newsletter: https://contentcreator.live/links Thank you to our partners: Ecamm: ⁠⁠http://ecamm.balasabas.live⁠ Opus Clip: ⁠https://www.opus.pro/?via=rob⁠ Streamyard: ⁠https://streamyard.com/?fpr=golive⁠ Uscreen: ⁠https://www.uscreen.tv⁠ Connect with Rob: LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/robbalasabas⁠ Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/rob.balasabas⁠ Business + Partnership Inquiries: ⁠robert.balasabas@gmail.com

July 21, 2026Episode 149 min

The Creator Economy Math Nobody Posts About

Gross is the number you screenshot. Net is the number that pays your rent. Why smaller creators out-earn bigger ones, and the one question that reveals your real business. No names, all the lessons.

July 14, 2026Episode 1316 min

The LinkedIn Strategy that actually works

I've spent years in the creator economy helping others build in public. At some point I realized the best thing I could do was actually do it myself. In this episode I share the LinkedIn strategy that's worked for me, the AI system I use to find ideas from conversations I'm already having, and why I challenged the entire Uscreen team to climb the cringe mountain — one post at a time.

July 10, 2026Episode 1221 min

Cannes Lions, VidCon, and the Uscreen MCP

Rob breaks down what he’s seeing at Cannes Lions and VidCon: creators are no longer asking for permission. They’re building their own platforms, owning their audience, and doing it smart. Plus, a first look at Uscreen’s new MCP feature that’s changing how creators run their membership businesses, the Hammer Media playbook for YouTube AND owned platforms, and why he’s heading to Coach360 in Vegas next week.

May 14, 2026Episode 1112 min

YouTube Sponsorships Are Becoming Swappable.

YouTube has started rolling out dynamic ad slots, a feature that lets creators swap sponsor reads in and out of older videos without re-uploading anything. The implication is bigger than most creators realize: every video already in your back catalog just became live ad inventory. Most creators are still treating their old work like a diary instead of a portfolio, and the gap between those two mindsets is where five and six figures a year are quietly walking out the door. In this episode of The Upload, Rob Balasabas breaks down the new "Active Archive" framework, why your old videos are still working harder than you think, the three layers (discoverability, swappable monetization, and brand control) that turn a passive catalog into an active one, and the one thing every creator should do this week to start treating their archive like the portfolio it is. Plus this week in the creator economy: OpenAI quietly opened its ChatGPT Ads Manager to every US business with no minimum spend (May 5), and MrBeast's Beast Industries confirmed a new two-sided, AI-powered creator marketplace (May 12). Three stories, one shift underneath them: the back end of the creator economy is becoming programmatic. 👉 Subscribe to The Upload Newsletter: https://balasabas.substack.com Thank you to our partners: Ecamm: ⁠http://ecamm.balasabas.live Opus Clip: https://www.opus.pro/?via=rob Streamyard: https://streamyard.com/?fpr=golive Uscreen: https://www.uscreen.tv Connect with Rob: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robbalasabas Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rob.balasabas Business + Partnership Inquiries: robert.balasabas@gmail.com

April 29, 2026Episode 1011 min

What is Uscreen ? (Everything You Need to Know in 12 Minutes)

Hey, I'm Rob Balasabas — and if you've ever typed "what is Uscreen" into Google or YouTube, you're in the right place. In this video, I'm breaking down exactly what Uscreen is, what it does, and whether it might be the right platform for your video business. So what is Uscreen? Simply put, it's an all-in-one platform that lets video creators build their own streaming membership site — think your own Netflix — where your audience pays YOU directly every single month. No algorithm. No ad revenue. Just recurring income from your content. If you've been creating videos on YouTube or social media and you're tired of not owning your audience or your income, this is worth paying attention to.Here's what I cover in this video: ✅ What is Uscreen and who is it actually built for ✅ The core features: video hosting, your own mobile & TV apps, live streaming, community, and monetization tools ✅ Real creator examples and what they're actually earning ✅ How to get started with a free trial today A big question I hear from creators is — "okay but what is Uscreen going to do that YouTube can't?" The short answer: YouTube rents you an audience. Uscreen lets you OWN one. You control the pricing, the branding, the experience, and every dollar your members pay goes directly to you. Creators across fitness, education, coaching, entertainment, and more are using Uscreen to build real membership businesses — some doing $40K, $100K, and more per month. And it all starts with understanding what Uscreen is and whether it's the right fit for where you want to take your content. 🚀 Start your free Uscreen trial (no credit card needed): https://app.uscreen.tv/admin/registrations/new--- 🔔 Subscribe for more Uscreen tutorials 👍 Like this video if it helped you 💬 Drop a comment below — what kind of content are you planning to monetize on Uscreen?

April 8, 2026Episode 910 min

58,000 Subscribers. $30 Million in Revenue. Now Owned by OpenAI. The TBPN Story.

OpenAI just made its first ever acquisition of a media company — a daily creator-style tech show called TBPN that launched in 2025, has 58,000 YouTube subscribers, and is on track to generate $30 million in revenue this year. In Episode 9 of his 20-episode daily challenge Rob Balasabas shares his honest, unfiltered reaction to this story — which is that he’s still processing it. No hot take, no neat lesson. Just genuine curiosity about what it means when one of the most powerful AI companies in the world starts buying creator media businesses, and what questions every creator should be asking right now.