Welcome to Created, the newsletter that's more clutch than an iPhone charger when you have 1% battery. Here's what we got today:

Inside YouTube and Spotify's latest updates for creators

Why a YouTuber with 15 million subscriber suddenly retired

Outlier of the week

PS want me to re-design your YouTube thumbnail? Reply with your submission. And thanks if you already sent! We'll pick winners next week.

Podcast Wars: YouTube vs Spotify

It's been a big month in the world of podcasting with Spotify, YouTube, and even the Golden Globes making moves.

Let's break it down.

Spotify Play Counts

Two weeks ago, Spotify said it would publicly display play counts on all podcasts.

Their reasoning? To show "fans which of your episodes are taking off" and help keep those episodes growing. But podcasters weren’t thrilled.

Smaller creators argued that it would hurt discovery, turning Spotify into a popularity contest where only big shows win.

Surprisingly, Spotify walked back the decision. Kinda.

Now, play counts will only show on episodes with 50,000+ plays, and appear as milestones like "50K," “100K,” or “1M+.”

It's less a public podcast scoreboard, more a virtual trophy case.

YouTube Enters The Chat

Then last week, YouTube launched its own podcast charts.

Updated weekly, it ranks podcasts based on watch time in the US.

The initial top 5 podcasts were:

The Joe Rogan Experience
Kill Tony
Rotten Mango
48 Hours
The MeidasTouch Podcast

Since then, Rotten Mango, a true crime podcast, has dethroned Rogan — claiming the #1 spot.

On Spotify, Rotten Mango is only ranked 26th on the US Podcast Charts. And on Apples Podcast's charts, it's ranked 33rd.

The Golden Globe Goes To...

One day after Spotify's announcement, the Golden Globes revealed a new category for 2026: Best Podcast.

Six podcasts will be nominated, selected from the top 25 most-listened-to podcasts.

But here's the catch: no one knows how they'll determine that top 25. Platform rankings? View counts? YouTube watch time? A third-party analysis?

It means every chart, play count, and platform push suddenly matters a whole lot more.

Insider Take

They say, "comparison is the thief of joy." But for creators, comparison can be motivation.

These awards and rankings remind me of when I helped launched "Creators on the Rise" when I worked at Youtube.

It was a section of YouTube's Trending tab for up-and-coming creators.

People went crazy to get featured. And it was a huge point of pride when they did.

They screenshotted it and shared it everywhere. Which led to other creators wanting it too. And the cycle continued.

These charts, awards, and public play counts do the exact same.

It's not just about the platforms celebrating their winners publicly. But signaling how you win for smaller creators looking for "model citizens."

Outdoor Boys Retires From YouTube With 15M Subscribers

After growing to 15M subscribers, Luke Nichols — the man behind Outdoor Boys — is retiring.

In a heartfelt goodbye, he didn’t mention burnout from making videos.

Instead, it was about fame.

Quote: “My wife and I have real concerns about what this will do to our family if I keep

growing my YouTube channel at this pace," Nichols said. "The time to stop is before this problem gets so out of hand that we can't live normal lives."

Backstory

Luke started Outdoor Boys over a decade ago. Just a dad filming backyard camping trips, survival skills, and family adventures.

Over time, it grew into two channels, 1,000+ videos, and over 2 billion views.

But the recent growth was different: 12M new subs since late 2022.

As the channel blew up, fans recognized him everywhere. Messages poured in. Strangers approached his kids.

Can You Scale Without Sacrificing Privacy?

For some, that means going faceless.

Channels like Fireship and Kurzgesagt have built massive audiences without ever showing their face on camera.

It’s a model that protects privacy by design — even if their real names are known.

But faceless formats aren’t for everyone, especially for creators whose connection to the audience is built on personality, family life, or...vlogging yourself hiking.

So creators who do show their face are getting smarter about how they show up. Such as:

Emma Chamberlain took multiple breaks, deleted early vlogs, and rebuilt her channel around her mental health.
Casey Neistat ended daily vlogging to reclaim family time.

Rhett & Link set hard boundaries to keep their kids off-screen.

Our Take

Luke Nichols gave creators something rare: permission to stop.

To grow, and then to say “enough” — even when things are going right.

And to remember that success means nothing if it comes at the cost of what matters most.

🎯 Weekly Roundup: YouTube Thumbnails

Why we love these YT thumbnails:

1-star review + Temu boxes during a lift gone wrong raises questions (Will Tennyson)
Crisp composition and bold colors make this gadget grid stand out (The Studio)
Limited color + bright turquoise creates a clean, striking look (Mrwhosetheboss)
Creators trapped in shopping carts with spilled food and shattered glass suggests chaos (Beta Squad)

🚀 Weekly Outlier

This video by easyway, actually has 2.6M views, which is 13,000 times higher than the channel’s average. Here's why it took off:

Relatable Pain Point: Opens with a universal pain point (forgetting what you studied).

Unique Cultural Angle: Shares lesser-known Japanese learning methods, like Kaizen and “Samurai-style” recall.

Highly Actionable: Instead of overwhelming viewers, it makes learning feel achievable: just 1% a day.

JOLLY is looking for a head of production
Dankyjabo is looking for a video editor
Pearl is looking for a YouTube producer

🎁 Forward This Email

Know someone who'd also love this newsletter? Refer them and get gifts.

Refer 1 friend: get my Infinite Ideas book, my 8 best tips to find viral video ideas.

Refer 5 friends: get my Top 50 Thumbnails book with a detailed breakdown of why they work to improve your packaging.

Copy this unique link and email, text, or post it: [RH_REFLINK GOES HERE]

🔓 See You Inside

Join our free Discord of 6,300 creators who are helping each other grow. Because nothing great is created alone.

- Jon

PS if this email was forwarded to you, join here. To advertise with us, go here. To read a past newsletter, go here.

Unsubscribe | Update your profile