AUDIENCE SURVEY: https://bit.ly/creatoruploadsurvey Is TikTok building a new radio empire? The creator economy is buzzing about a "podcast gold rush," and the platforms are racing to stake their claim. In this episode, we break down the massive new partnership between iHeartMedia and TikTok to launch a 25-creator podcast network. We explore why this move, along with new initiatives from Netflix and Threads, signals a major shift from "scale" to "curation." Plus, we discuss how reality shows like Dancing With the Stars are now just a launchpad for talent to get a podcast deal. What you’ll learn: -- How TikTok is building an "aspirational funnel" for podcasters -- Why TikTok Shop's $19B in sales is terrifying eBay -- The new Visa & Karat AI tools that analyze brand deals for creators -- How creators like Alex Earle and Emma Chamberlain are changing media 00:00 Intro & Creator Upload Survey 01:09 The Rise of "Christmas Creep" 04:19 Are Creators Driving Christmas Creep? 05:22 Special Thanks to Viral Nation 06:15 TikTok & iHeartMedia Podcast Deal 08:35 Why This Deal is Smart for TikTok 11:17 Strategy: Scale vs. Curation 14:08 TikTok: Distribution to Production 16:10 Threads & Netflix Join Podcast Push 18:41 Thesis: TV is a Path to Podcasting 19:42 Dancing With the Stars Podcast 21:45 Upload: Visa & Karat AI Tools 24:26 Upload: TikTok Shop vs. eBay 25:32 Outro Thanks for Viral Nation for partnering with us for this video. Creator 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