Live video scheduling, new categories, and music mode
Bulletin: News, resources, and community updates
Welcome to the latest edition of the Substack Bulletin, where publishers get a roundup of the latest news, resources, and events, all in one place. Today, we’re highlighting live video scheduling, updated categories, and a new tool that helps you choose the title your audience is most likely to open.
We’re always striving to improve this series, and value your input. Please share any feedback or suggestions in the comments.
News
Live video scheduling: Writers and creators using the iOS app can now schedule their streams in advance, making it easier to build anticipation and boost turnout. Scheduling a live video generates an RSVP link that prompts subscribers to add the event to their calendar and can be shared via Notes, posts, and social media. Ahead of the livestream, automated email and in-app reminders ensure that your audience won’t miss a moment. Learn more about scheduling a live video in the help center.
Live video stats: Creators who publish the full recording of their livestreams can now see stats for their videos. These stats combine data from both the live session and the posted recording. You’ll be able to track video watch time, views, engagement, revenue, and new subscribers. Learn more about live video stats in the help center.
New categories: We’ve added new subcategories for our most popular topics. Under Culture, for example, you can now see topics like Movies & TV, Pop Culture, Video Games, and more. To check it out, go to your settings, click “Manage Interests,” and choose the subcategories you want to explore. This feature is currently available on web and the iOS app, with Android support coming soon.
New leaderboard views: We’ve expanded leaderboards in the Substack app to make it easier to discover even more voices across the platform. You can access leaderboards through the category tabs at the top of the Notes feed or by clicking on a publisher’s ranking from their profile.
The Top Bestseller view highlights the highest-earning publications, while the Rising view and the New Bestseller tab spotlight fast-growing publications, including those that became Bestsellers in the past 30 days. Learn more about leaderboards in the help center.
Publisher stats in the app: Accessible from your profile page in the app, these stats provide a real-time snapshot of overall performance. Stats for subscriber growth, total revenue, and post views from the past 30 days make it easier to understand what’s working and where to focus. Soon, we’ll also introduce a metric to show how close you are to earning your first (or next) Bestseller badge. Learn more about in-app publisher stats in the help center.
Music mode: Creators can now enable “music mode” during livestreams on iOS to disable audio processing and noise cancellation, preserving the original sound of their live video. To activate it, start a livestream, tap the music note icon on the right side of the screen, click “Change Wide Spectrum,” and then select “Wide Spectrum” from the pop-up window. Learn more about music mode in the help center.
App redesigns: We’ve rolled out exciting improvements and new controls in the Substack app. Here’s an overview of the latest updates.
Subscriptions tab: Keeping up with your subscriptions is the core function of the Substack app, and we’ve made it even easier. The “Inbox” tab is now called “Subscriptions,” and we’ve introduced a new grid-style view with larger title cards to make browsing posts more intuitive. You can now choose to view posts chronologically or sort by priority within your subscriptions to ensure you never miss an update from your favorite publishers. Filters at the top let you quickly view audio and video posts, content from paid subscriptions, saved posts, and recently viewed items.
Media tab: Discovery is equally important, especially for long-form content like podcasts and interviews, where surfacing key moments can be a challenge. To address this, we’ve redesigned the media tab into a scrollable feed that makes exploring multimedia content easier and more engaging. This update helps subscribers discover content they care about while giving creators more opportunities to grow their audiences. If a clip catches your interest, a prominent button lets you dive into the full post. We’ve also added a “Subscribe” button to help you stay connected to creators whose work resonates. For now, the feed features short clips from video posts, with long-form video and podcast previews coming soon
Resources
Live Video Scheduling Q&A: Following the launch of live video scheduling, Substack product manager Zach Taylor will be hosting a live Q&A on Friday, April 4, at 10 a.m. PT to walk through the new feature, share best practices, and answer questions. RSVP to the livestream and add it to your calendar.
Live Video Shows Masterclass: In case you missed it, we hosted a virtual masterclass covering best practices and key features for launching your own live show. You can view the full recording at the bottom of our Live Video Shows Guide.
Legal support for creators: We've partnered with the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) to protect publishers who are targeted by the government for the content of their work. Learn more about how Substack provides legal support to writers, and apply via the Substack Defender Program.
Chatbot question of the week: I’d like to move previous posts from another platform to my Substack. Is that possible?
Substack supports importing content from various platforms, including Medium, Ghost, WordPress, Mailchimp, Beehiiv, SeekingAlpha, Tumblr, and Blogspot. To import your posts: Log into your account and go to Settings. Click Import/Export in the left navigation. Click “Import posts.” Paste your blog/newsletter URL. Select “Import” once your archive is found. You can also upload a .csv file of your posts. If your platform isn’t listed, check if it has an RSS feed, as we support imports from platforms like Squarespace and ConvertKit through RSS.
Community
5 million paid subscriptions: Creators on Substack reached 5 million paid subscriptions!
Substack on film: We launched Substack on Film, a series of short videos that capture creators in their natural habitats—at home, in their neighborhoods, or wherever their ideas spark. Shot on 16mm film, the first film visits
writers and at Mac’s home in Oakland.Grubstack: Substack hosted a three-day live video food festival featuring chefs, writers, and creators such as
, , , and . More than 60 creators went live, hosting everything from intimate cook-alongs to knife skills workshops to deep conversations about the future of food media.
Substack Reads is now The Substack Post. The new name reflects the publication’s expanded ambition: to help you connect with and appreciate great culture in all its forms—writing, film, imagery, video, audio, and in-person experiences.
About town: Substack partnered with
to host Night of Desire at a bathhouse in New York. Listeners submerged while writers , , , , , , , and gave readings on the theme of desire. In Los Angeles, gathered , , , Coco Mocoe, , , , and others for drinks and discussion. Substack’s fashion community celebrated ’s newsletter launch: Francesca Scorsese, , Recho Omondi, , and others played Mad Libs between courses at ’s restaurant King. And in another corner of the city, partnered with Madewell to host , , , , , , and more, with dinner prepared by recipe developer and writer .
In the press: AOL and Adweek reported that
launched a Substack following his departure from CNN. In The Business of Fashion, Gen Z trend chronicler described the frenzy around exclusive sweatshirt drops. Page Six cited ’s scoop revealing that Melania Trump’s wedding dress is listed on eBay. In Mother Jones, wrote about his exit from the Washington Post. Inc. interviewed about her newsletter, and People wrote about ’s. The L.A. Times featured culinary couple Bricia Lopez and TJ Steele, who share five monthly recipes in From Oaxaca. was profiled in Vanity Fair. ’s Night of Desire was covered in Dazed by , and also in Paper, Office, Autre, and Elephant magazines, among others. New York magazine spoke with , , , and about the growing popularity and rich diversity of content available on Substack. And in Vogue, toasted its Substack debut alongside some of fashion’s most familiar faces.Congratulations to
, whose Substack has been shortlisted for the Scottish Press Awards in the Arts & Entertainment category.
Celebrating a milestone or press feature? Email milestone@substackinc.com or let us know in the comments.
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