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" test

00:00 Introduction & IRL encounters

00:52 Spotter Showcase & Creator TV

03:17 The stats behind Creator TV

06:52 How Spotter connects creators & brands

11:07 2026 Creator Economy Report

13:17 The truth about the creator middle class

17:51 Sam Gutelle explains "kidslop"

20:57 Funk music & the Gen Alpha algorithm

23:31 Opportunities for IP holders

27:48 Instagram's controversial AI shopping test

30:22 NatGeo's new creator cohort

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

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