🗞️ THE WEEKLY DOWNLOAD
💵 YouTube Tests a Lower $20 Payout Threshold
Photo by Michael lima on Unsplash
On October 26th, YouTube announced a temporary experiment that lowers the minimum payment threshold from $100 to $20 (or the local currency equivalent). It starts with October 2026 payments, but only for a randomly selected group of creators in the U.S., India, and Indonesia.
If you're selected, YouTube says you'll get a notification and can track your payment activity in YouTube Studio on mobile. Prefer a higher threshold? You can change it in AdSense for YouTube.
This test doesn't change who qualifies for the YouTube Partner Program. It only changes when earned money can be paid out. YouTube hasn't said how long the test will run.
Why It Matters: For newer monetized channels, waiting months to reach $100 is real friction. If you're in the Partner Program, watch for the notification and check your payment settings in AdSense for YouTube.
🎬 Instagram Tests 90-Minute Videos, but Hasn't Said How It Will Pay
Photo by Ashwini Chaudhary(Monty) on Unsplash
Instagram is testing "Features," horizontal videos up to 90 minutes long, TechCrunch and The Verge report. The test started in Brazil and is expanding to a small group of U.S. creators. A related test, "Clips as Reels," lets creators turn parts of a longer video into Reels that link back to the full version.
The catch is money. Instagram hasn't announced ad revenue sharing for Features. A Meta spokesperson told TechCrunch it's "too early to share a long-term monetization model." According to The Verge, Instagram head Adam Mosseri later posted on Threads that the company is "exploring multiple options to help long-form creators get paid."
Why It Matters: If you make long-form videos, Instagram could become one more place to reach people. But YouTube still shares ad revenue with Partner Program creators. Hold off on shifting your long-form plans until Instagram explains how creators will earn.
🎙️ Beehiiv Adds Podcast Ads With No Download Minimum
Photo by Will Francis - AI & Marketing on Unsplash
On October 27th, Beehiiv launched Podcast Ads for shows hosted on its platform. Creators can sell their own sponsorships, turn on programmatic ads to fill unsold breaks, or do both. There's no minimum download count to get started, and dynamic ad insertion means you can swap creative without re-editing or re-uploading an episode.
Beehiiv says the tools include a campaigns manager, ad reporting, and IAB-certified download metrics. Ad breaks can go before, during, or after an episode, and you can add pre-roll and post-roll to your back catalog in bulk so older episodes keep earning. Podcast ads are available on all paid plans.
Why It Matters: If you already have a newsletter audience, Beehiiv is betting that's your head start into podcasting. And if you already host a show there, marking ad breaks is now a monetization step—not a separate platform chase.
Thinking about starting a newsletter? Side Hustle Field Notes runs on Beehiiv. Try Beehiiv → (That's my affiliate link. If you're thinking about starting a newsletter, I'd be grateful if you used it.)
🔎 WORTH A CLOSER LOOK
Amazon Influencer Program’s Creator Connections Has a Claiming Problem
Photo by Felix Mooneeram on Unsplash
Creator Connections lets brands pay Amazon creators a bonus commission for promoting their products. But two creators who watch the program closely say it's increasingly rewarding the click on "Accept" more than the video.
Amazon's own guides show why that's possible. The creator guide says submitting a content link is "not required" to earn the bonus, and there's "no penalty" if you don't. The brand guide says up to 800 creators can join a campaign, seats are first-come, first-served, and brands can't remove anyone who joins.
Here's what creators are seeing. McKay.C argues Amazon needs to "reward creating, not claiming," and says some people join campaigns in bulk by uploading a CSV. Rob (Fizz) of Oink for Influencers, who tracks campaigns daily, reports that 76% of the slots available in campaigns' first 10 days are now claimed. He also shared a brand's message, posted in creator Facebook groups, asking an inactive creator to quit its campaigns. These are creator observations, not Amazon figures.
Rob is my number one go-to for the Amazon Influencer Program and content creation. I lean on his videos more than anyone's, and honestly, I think he's the bees knees. If you want to follow along with the tools he builds for creators, check out his Oink browser extension. #affiliate
The benefits: Accepting campaigns costs nothing, and you earn the bonus on qualifying sales after you opt in.
The limitations: Seats are scarce. Rob expects few new campaigns in December since campaigns must run at least 30 days and many brands avoid running into the new year.
The risk: Amazon's guide says that once you accept, you can't opt out. Rob also suspects Amazon may not fully realize how the system is being used. If the rules change, accounts built on claiming alone could be most exposed.
The Takeaway: Accept campaigns for products you'll actually make content for, then submit the link. Every slot claimed and never used is one a creator who would have made the video can't get.
☕️ FROM MY DESK
Clearing Out Clothes on Vinted
Photo by appshunter.io on Unsplash
I've been listing clothes on Vinted after a local consignment event, clearing out what didn't sell. One night I listed only five items, and one sold within a few hours.
Prices seem lower than on other resale apps I've used, but it's a great way to clean out inventory. In my experience, eBay brings the highest prices, followed by Poshmark, then Depop, then Vinted.
What I appreciate is that Vinted doesn't charge sellers any fees. When a buyer uses Buy now with Vinted's prepaid label, the buyer covers shipping (plus a buyer-side Vinted fee at checkout), and what I price an item at is what I get.
If you're clearing a closet too, try Vinted with my referral link. Sign up with it and you'll get $20 to spend on Vinted after you list 3 items within 7 days, then another $30 when you make a sale.
Which resale platform works best for you?
What I'm Learning: A lower price isn't always a downside when you're clearing space and keeping every dollar of the sale helps.
💡 ONE THING TO TRY
Make One Video for a Campaign You Already Claimed
If you are in the Amazon Influencer Program, open Creator Connections and look through the campaigns you've already accepted. Find one product you have, or can easily get, that you haven't made content for yet. Make one honest video for it this week, then submit the content link in that campaign. Amazon says submitting a link isn't required, but its creator guide suggests doing it to strengthen your relationship with the brand. That's a small way to be the creator brands are hoping for.
Your Next Step: Choose one accepted campaign today and put that video on your calendar.
Until next time,
Emily
Have a side hustle you're curious about or a tool you'd like me to explore? Hit reply and let me know. I may feature it in a future issue!
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