The Era of Audio Creators Has Arrived - The New York Times

In a luxury media landscape, the traditional roles of creator, curator, and consumer are being redefined. Artists are not just creators but are now stewards of cultural communities, leveraging their individual legitimacy to direct communal conversations and brands. In the Age of Average, where mediocre content is abundant, creators become artisans ... See more

For many media brands, the creator economy presents a conundrum — what is the role of brand when audiences increasingly value the intimacy of a direct connection to a human creator?

The creator economy is in the midst of a decisive shift—from a “bigger is better,” ad-driven revenue model to one of niche communities and direct user-to-creator payment.

Voice synthesis technology may be the solution. A new startup would help existing podcasters create “voiceprints” based on existing content. Then, within the system, advertisers could bid to target anonymized individuals based on their demographics but divorced from the podcast they were listening to. Staking creators: creators to serve as curators... See more

The map defines three ‘layers’ that have led to this transition. First: the rise of foundational media platforms since the 2000s which have significantly lowered the barriers for content creation and distribution. Second: how they enabled these content creators to build a fanbase and subsequently monetize this influencer reach. And third: the event... See more