How Pipeline are helping the creators YouTube & Twitch won’t

It’s no secret that large content creators generate a lot of money and that’s not just for themselves — the revenue generated from adverts and donations are split with the platforms they’re on, and thus it’s in their best interest to cater to the heavy-hitters that utilize what they offer. But what about the little guys?

That’s where Pipeline come in. Founded by former professional League of Legends player Stephen ‘Snoopeh’ Ellis and veteran creator David ‘StoneMountain64’ Steinberg, the company is catering specifically to aspiring video creators and streamers alike.

With attention being the main currency of the internet, it’s not always easy to make it as a creator. You’re not only going up against your peers for people’s attention but other avenues of entertainment too. Netflix and live sports matches are competition as much as YouTubers and Twitch streamers. It’s not a sure thing by any means.

With Pipeline, Snoopeh and StoneMountain64 are attempting to create a one-stop-shop for creators. However, not only have they utilized their experiences and resources to inform the next generation, they’re providing personalized experiences, and ultimately a community, for those who see a future for themselves in this corner of entertainment.

Supporting the next generation

“My co-founder StoneMountain64 and I are so fortunate that we’ve been able to do what we love for the last decade,” Snoopeh told Dexerto. “We’d love to help the next generation do the same. As a small-town kid from Scotland, I got the opportunity to compete at the highest level, travel the world, and stream to millions of viewers. I didn’t get much help on the way up and frankly, I made a bunch of mistakes.

“We’re building something we wish we had when we started and would love to help those who are just starting out avoid all the mistakes we made. While it’s early and there is no such thing as an overnight success, it’s incredibly fulfilling to see some of the members transitioning to becoming full-time creators.”

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As already established, it’s in the interest of the platforms to ensure their top creators are as successful as possible as they receive a cut of revenue and it can generate more attention for them. The inverse is true too however, helping more creators earn sustainable revenue they can siphon off for themselves would also benefit them — that’s more effort, though.

“Platforms do try and build support for new creators but it’s difficult for them to prioritize new creators when their top creators are driving the bulk of the viewership,” Snoopeh added. “They also have an inherent bias in that they’re not going to recommend alternative platforms to help you grow. For example, Twitch would much rather advocate for you to use their clips product instead of YouTube Shorts or TikTok and I don’t fault them for that.

“Our goal is to remain platform agnostic and focus on helping creators be successful. Everyone has the potential to be a creator and we want to help more creators turn their passion into a career.”

To improve the overall experience and the services they can offer to their members — there are plans priced at $28 and $34 per month — Pipeline have just unleashed their new platform. New features, new content aimed at specific topics and pain points, and a clearer vision than ever before, this revitalized platform has been crafted mindfully.

There’s a personalized dashboard with goal trackers, over 100 video modules hosted by subject matter experts, and a heavy focus on building a community. In Pipeline’s exclusive Discord server, they have channels for almost everything; mental health support, technology troubleshooting, and everything in between. If the likes of Google and Amazon won’t fully support the millions of people struggling to gain steam on their platforms, it’s clear that there is indeed a place for them.

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As Snoopeh explained to Dexerto, he and his co-founder have worked from the top down to help others achieve success of their own — however they define it. “It first started with breaking down everything Stone and I have learned over the last decade,” he explained. “We’ve got experience from being creators, negotiating deals, working with game developers to actually building a streaming platform. This took us months of late nights and weekends to distill it into a format that would help break it down for new creators.

“Over the year as our team at Pipeline has grown, we’ve continued to iterate and develop new content for our community. We also work with industry professionals and subject matter experts to go deeper into specific topics such as mental health, PR, or TikTok strategy. The content creation landscape is constantly shifting and we are staying at the forefront of it to help our community navigate these changes.”

Empowering and educating

Pipeline have a roster of partners who help them to support those who feel like they need a nudge in the right direction, and one of which is gaming brand CORSAIR. Together, they launched a scholarship program in December 2020 that identifies three creators who would really benefit from new equipment and personalized guidance.

IronSmithy, a former veteran and recipient of a scholarship, decided to start streaming on Twitch in March 2020. Despite never having broadcast gameplay online before, he identified it was something he was passionate about and joined Pipeline. With additional support from CORSAIR, he’s since made his hobby a full-time gig.

“I started streaming March 2020, playing Last Oasis and as the game died I transitioned to Sea of Thieves which I continue to focus on today,” IronSmithy said. “In just a year’s time, I have been able to grow from 0 followers to 7,000 and am now able to sustain myself and my family as a full-time creator!

“None of this would have been possible without Pipeline. From very early on I have felt nothing but encouraged and supported every step of the way! Both Snoopeh and Stonemountain64 have given their time to aid me along my journey both privately and publicly and so have so many others within the Pipeline Staff and community. I know they want to see each and every member of Pipeline succeed!”

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While not every creator in Pipeline’s ranks can be on the receiving end of the scholarship at once, Snoopeh and StoneMountain64 are empowering dozens upon dozens of people to progress to places when the very platforms themselves won’t.

As the internet develops and more monetization methods are devised, there’s no reason to believe that creating content full-time will be available to more people than ever before — regardless, having all of the resources in one place is a great place to start.