New notification controls, audio-only livestreams, and a big party in Washington, D.C.
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 audio-only live video, new notification settings that give you more control, and sharing details about the New Media party we threw in Washington, D.C.
We’re always striving to improve this series, and value your input. Please share any feedback or suggestions in the comments.
News
Notification management. We’ve revamped notification settings in the app and on web to give you more precise control over how and when you’re notified about new posts, comments, and Notes.
Additional notification settings: Decide where and how you want to receive each type of notification—email, push, or both—for new posts, comments, and Notes. You’ll find these controls in your Notification Settings.
Pause notifications on Notes: You can now pause notifications related to individual Notes. Just tap the three-dot menu on any Note—whether it’s in your feed, profile, or elsewhere—and select “Pause notifications” to mute updates from that thread.
Audio-only live video. Starting next week, publishers will be able to go live without turning on their camera with the new audio-only mode. Listeners can join, comment, and subscribe, just like a regular livestream. It’s perfect for lower-pressure updates, call-in-style formats, or for publishers who prefer to remain anonymous. Just click the camera icon to disable video when going live.
Community
The Substack Sessions: Legendary producer Rick Rubin, multi-instrumentalist Andrew Bird, feminist punk icon Kathleen Hanna, country star Margo Price, and pioneer Patti Smith were just a few of the artists who hosted 32 live music and conversation sessions celebrating the sound of Substack.
Substackers take D.C.: Substack publishers were the toast of the town over the weekend of the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner. On Saturday, more than 500 of the country’s leading voices in politics and news gathered at Substack’s New Media party at The Line DC, where Mehdi Hasan, Sean Spicer, Meghan McCain, Tina Brown, Jessica Reed Kraus, Andrew Sullivan, Joe Walsh, Glenn Kirschner, Michael Cohen, Taylor Lorenz, Vicky Ward Investigates, Qasim Rashid, Esq., Rick Wilson, Bill Bishop, and many others raised a glass to the writers and creators reimagining the future of media. Gossip columnist Taffy Tidbits has the details.
About town: Ottessa Moshfegh and Eddie Huang fetched handsome prices for a gently used toothbrush and some fake Birkins, respectively, at an auction of their personal items for subscribers in New York City. Nick Hornby hosted an intimate listening session at Generation Records in Greenwich Village, with song picks and stories from Allison Moorer, Margaret Glaspy , Kimbra, Sam Kriss, and Jon Ronson. At a dinner in Paris, Garance Doré, Jessica Troisfontaine, Emilie Steinbach, Inès Leonarduzzi, Lili Barbery, and Camille Aumont Carnel celebrated Substack’s growing community in France. The Nymphet Alumni marked their April launch with friends eliza mclamb, rayne fisher-quann, Magdalene J. Taylor, and Camille Sojit Pejcha at a tiki bar in New York.
Photo credits: Top and middle rows by Anna Maria Lopez; bottom row by Augusta Sagnelli
Milestones: Daniel Saldaña París is among the winners of the prestigious O. Henry Prize celebrating short stories of exceptional merit. Ann Telnaes has been awarded the Pulitzer Prize for illustrated reporting and commentary. Miranda July and Bobbi Brown were named to the Time 100 list of the world’s most influential people. Writers Damian Kerlin, Hattie Morrison, Matt Taylor, and Sophie Underwood are celebrating a year of creativity as part of New Writing North’s A Writing Chance 2024-25 fellowship, which pairs mentors like Claire Venus ✨ and Jonn Elledge with talent in the north of England. In Summerland, California, Godmothers went live with Oprah Winfrey and Maria Shriver as they discussed the memoir I Am Maria. Justine Bateman’s film LOOK recently premiered on Substack. And at just over half a year old, London Centric is already going head-to-head with The Guardian and Financial Times for one of the U.K.’s most prestigious investigative journalism awards.
In the press: Adweek spotlighted TV news personalities Jim Acosta, Joy-Ann Reid, Mehdi Hasan, and Don Lemon launching shows on Substack. Fashion writer Erika Veurink talked to Elle about tariffs, thrifting, and the Midwest’s favorite recession-proof brands. In The Atlantic, Adam Tooze’s Chartbook was quoted on the treasury market. Subway Takes interviewer Kareem Rahma went behind the mic for WNYC’s Death, Sex & Money. In the New York Times, Tina Brown weighed in on the job she once made iconic: editor in chief of Vanity Fair. Entertainment Weekly reported on Cobra Kai star Courtney Henggeler’s Substack announcing that she had decided to leave acting. Forbes profiled Lucy Werner in a story about entrepreneurs who refused to quit. The Hollywood Reporter, The Daily Beast, the Washington Examiner, and The Information all covered that Chris Matthews brought Hardball with Chris Matthews to Substack. Inc. and Modern Retail reported Rare Beauty’s Substack debut. Writer and sex researcher Aella was profiled as one of the SF Standard’s SF100. And Melanie Ehrenkranz’s newsletter Laid Off was featured in the New York Times.
Have you hit a meaningful milestone, landed a press mention, or seen exciting growth on Substack? Are you proud of how you’re using a specific feature—like Notes, video, or recommendations—to connect with your audience?
If you have a story to share, get in touch. We’re always looking for ways to celebrate the work of our creators and share what they’ve learned with the wider community.
