This week, Instagram once again proves that if it ain’t broke, it’ll still try to fix it anyway with its updates to Story highlights. Meanwhile, Threads introduces custom feeds, YouTube and Spotify unveil new ways for creators to earn money, and Blue Sky is taking off. Read on for the latest in social media news.
Bluesky, the platform giving X a run for its money, has been slowly building momentum this past year. But, with more and more users fleeing X post-U.S. election, it has recently seen a huge jump in popularity. In fact, last week over one million people signed up for Bluesky in just one day. There are now over 16 million users on the platform – 13,000 of which seem to be Taylor Swift fans.
Threads is starting to test custom feeds for specific topics and profiles, making it easier for users to find communities and conversations that interest them. Threads users will have a “For You” algorithm-based feed by default but will be able to create custom themes by searching for topics and selecting “create a new feed” via the three-dot icon.
YouTube is launching a new gifting feature for creators live-streaming. Viewers will be able to gift creators Jewels which will be delivered to creators as Rubies. Creators will earn $1 for every 100 Rubies they earn – with each Ruby equaling 1 cent. At the moment, eligible creators can also receive a 50% bonus on their earnings, up to $1,000 per month.
TikTok’s adding a new AI tool for business users to be able to generate video clips within its Symphony Creative Studio element. The tool can make video clips based on a product description or URL, with the system using images from the URL to build into an AI-generated video clip. You can also add a digital avatar to narrate your video and create clips in different languages.
Spotify has announced its new “Spotify Creators” program, allowing creators who upload video podcasts to earn money based on views. Previously creators uploading video podcasts could only earn money through ads. Plus, from January, ads will be removed from podcasts for Spotify Premium subscribers.
Instagram to move Story highlights to profile grid
Image credit: Lindsey Gamble/ Alessandro Paluzzi
Instagram will soon move Story highlight bubbles from above the profile grid to a new profile tab, as well as being displayed on the main grid.App researcher Alessandro Paluzzi shared an example of the new profile grid display back in August, giving us a rough idea of what the tab might look like, but there’s still no indication of how they will appear within the grid itself.
