TheSoul Publishing

TheSoul Publishing was launched by web developers Pavel Radaev and Marat Mukhametov, who are Cyprus-based Russian nationals, in the Cypriot city of Limassol in 2016.{{cite web |title='5-Minute Crafts' Owner TheSoul Publishing Acquires Majority Stake In Underscore Talent |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/thesoul-publishing-underscore-talent-1235275860/ |website=Hollywood Reporter |date=6 December 2022 |access-date=14 December 2022}} It grew out of the duo's Kazan-based company AdMe, which focused on digital advertising and content distribution.{{cite news |last1=Rapoza |first1=Kenneth |title=These Two Russian 'Fake News' Outfits Get Billions Of Hits On Facebook |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/kenrapoza/2017/09/22/these-two-russian-fake-news-outfits-get-billions-of-hits-on-facebook/ |work=Forbes |date=22 September 2017}}{{cite news |last1=Ganzhur |first1=Elena |title=Станок, печатающий деньги в YouTube: как два приятеля из Казани создали крупнейшую фабрику контента для соцсетей|trans-title=A machine that prints money on YouTube: how two friends from Kazan created the largest content factory for social networks |url=https://www.forbes.ru/biznes/384229-stanok-pechatayushchiy-dengi-v-youtube-kak-dva-priyatelya-iz-kazani-sozdali |access-date=24 September 2021 |work=Forbes.ru |date=27 September 2019 |language=ru}} Later that year, TheSoul launched its YouTube channel 5-Minute Crafts, which became 13th most-subscribed YouTube channel in the world as of April 2023. In 2017, the company launched Bright Side, which became its second-most popular YouTube channel.{{cite web| last = Kaplan| first = Lisa| title = The Biggest Social Media Operation You've Never Heard of Is Run Out of Cyprus by Russians| website=Lawfare| date = 18 December 2019| access-date = 28 December 2019| url = https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/biggest-social-media-operation-youve-never-heard-run-out-cyprus-russians}}

In 2019, TheSoul said it had 550 employees and produced 1,500 videos a month.{{cite news |last1=Read |first1=Max |title=The Egg Is Bigger Than Before, or, Mysteries of YouTube's Third-Biggest Channel |url=https://www.thecut.com/2019/07/the-egg-is-bigger-than-before-what-is-5-minute-crafts.html|access-date=24 September 2021 |work=The Cut |date=26 July 2019}} In 2021, it was recorded that the company had 2,100 employees,{{Cite web|url=https://www.fastcompany.com/90654569/heres-what-happened-when-this-company-banned-meetings|title=Here's what happened when this company banned meetings|date=Jul 14, 2021}} 80% of whom work remotely{{Cite web|url=https://digiday.com/marketing/productivity-is-through-the-roof-why-companies-are-waging-war-on-meetings-to-tackle-burnout/|title='Productivity is through the roof': Why companies are waging war on meetings to tackle burnout|date=Aug 16, 2021}} and follow a "no meetings" policy.{{Cite news|url=https://www.ft.com/content/b69d4fb7-9b6b-4507-bb0e-ac9a02de37ba|title=Why modern managers are reviving old-school staff handbooks|newspaper=Financial Times |date=Jan 6, 2022}} As of October 2022, the company's employees are based in over 70 countries and six continents.

In March 2021, TheSoul was named Digital Studio of the Year by Digiday at its Video & TV Awards.{{cite news |title=Hulu, 60 Second Docs and Comedy Central Digital are Digiday Video and TV Awards winners in 2021 |url=https://digiday.com/awards/hulu-60-second-docs-and-comedy-central-digital-are-digiday-video-and-tv-awards-winners-in-2021/ |access-date=25 April 2022 |publisher=Digiday |date=25 March 2021}} In September, the company published a video launching its virtual YouTuber musician character Polar,{{cite news |title=TheSoul Publishing Reveals Its First Digital Music Artist |url=https://www.yahoo.com/now/thesoul-publishing-reveals-first-digital-110000119.html |access-date=23 December 2021 |publisher=Yahoo |date=28 September 2021}} which received over 3 million views by December.{{cite web |title=Polar – Close To You (Official video) |url=https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vWzGSQcQQ28 |publisher=YouTube |access-date=23 December 2021}} TheSoul also announced a distribution deal with French record label Believe in December.{{cite news |last1=McGlynn |first1=Declan |title=Music and the Metaverse: Are we on the brink of a virtual artist revolution?|url=https://www.rollingstone.co.uk/music/features/music-metaverse-are-we-on-brink-virtual-artist-revolution-14437/ |access-date=27 April 2022 |publisher=Rolling Stone |date=7 April 2022}}{{cite news |title=YouTube and Facebook content creator TheSoul Publishing launches music division |url=https://www.musicweek.com/digital/read/youtube-and-facebook-content-creator-thesoul-publishing-launches-music-division/085473#:~:text=In%20late%202021%2C%20the%20digital,stores%20and%20music%20services%20worldwide. |access-date=27 April 2022 |publisher=Music Week |date=21 March 2022}} In 2021, the company adapted content from its various DIY-focused channels (including 5-Minute Crafts) for distribution on Pinterest. This began with translating 5-Minute Crafts' videos into Portuguese and Spanish, a move that was recognized with the Best Use of Pinterest Award at that year's Drum Awards for Digital Industries.{{cite web |title=The Soul Publishing on crafting a DIY Pinterest strategy to boost brand awareness |url=https://www.thedrum.com/news/2021/10/14/the-soul-publishing-crafting-diy-pinterest-strategy-boost-brand-awareness |website=The Drum |access-date=28 June 2022}}

In May 2022, TheSoul announced a partnership with Retail Monster to develop licensing and retail programs around 5-Minute Crafts.{{cite news |title=Thesoul Publishing Announces Retail Monster As U.S. Licensing Agent For Global Phenomenon 5-Minute Crafts |url=https://www.totallicensing.com/thesoul-publishing-announces-retail-monster-as-u-s-licensing-agent-for-global-phenomenon-5-minute-crafts/ |access-date=14 June 2022 |publisher=Total Licensing |date=25 May 2022}} In November, TheSoul launched a partnership with Samsung TV Plus which brought 5-Minute Crafts and TeenVee to TV audiences in Belgium, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain, and Sweden.{{cite news |date=24 November 2022 |title=TheSoul takes channels to Samsung TV Plus in Europe |url=https://www.digitaltveurope.com/2022/11/24/thesoul-takes-channels-to-samsung-tv-plus-in-europe/ |access-date=6 December 2022 |publisher=Digital TV Europe}} In the same month, TheSoul Publishing partnered with Kidoodle.TV to bring 5-Minute Crafts, Baby Zoo, and Slick Slime Sam to Kidoodle in both English and Spanish.{{cite web |title=TheSoul sends 150 eps to Kidoodle.TV |url=https://kidscreen.com/2022/11/03/thesoul-sends-150-eps-to-kidoodle-tv/ |access-date=13 January 2023 |website=Kidscreen}} In December, TheSoul Publishing acquired a majority stake in the management firm Underscore Talent.{{cite news |date=6 December 2022 |title=5-Minute Crafts' Owner TheSoul Publishing Acquires Majority Stake In Underscore Talent |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/thesoul-publishing-underscore-talent-1235275860/ |access-date=4 January 2023 |publisher=The Hollywood Reporter}} That same month, the company opened its Latvian branch in Riga.{{cite news |date=10 December 2021 |title='TheSoul Publishing' paplašina darbību Rīgā un meklē darbiniekus |url=https://www.delfi.lv/bizness/biznesa_vide/thesoul-publishing-paplasina-darbibu-riga-un-mekle-darbiniekus.d?id=53856617 |access-date=1 February 2022 |publisher=Delfi Bizness}}

In October, the company named its new CEO as Arthur Mamedov, who had been COO since 2016.{{cite web |title=TheSoul Publishing Names Longtime COO Arthur Mamedov CEO |url=https://www.licenseglobal.com/new-mediasocial/thesoul-publishing-names-longtime-coo-arthur-mamedov-ceo |website=License Global |access-date=14 February 2023}} This came after founders Radaev and Mukhametov, said they would "step away from day-to-day operations to assume non-executive advisory positions". Anastasiia Vinogradova was also promoted to CCO.

TheSoul is the largest media production hub in the world and is the largest company on YouTube and Facebook in terms of social media views.{{cite news |last1=Roxborough |first1=Scott |title=How a Start-Up in Cyprus Became the Next Big Thing in Online Content |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/how-thesoul-publishing-became-the-next-big-thing-in-online-content-1235000467/ |access-date=24 September 2021 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=20 August 2021}} The company has over 1.5 billion subscribers worldwide.{{cite web |title=What publishers can learn about TheSoul Publishing's road to 1B social subscribers |url=https://whatsnewinpublishing.com/what-publishers-can-learn-about-thesoul-publishings-road-to-1b-social-subscribers/ |website=What's New In Publishing |date=18 June 2021 |access-date=22 June 2021}} Most of its channels feature "life hacks" and have been categorised as content farms.{{cite news |last1=Barber |first1=Kayleigh |title=TheSoul grew revenue via platforms with viral social media life hacks |url=https://digiday.com/media/how-thesoul-publishing-grew-revenue-by-45-by-creating-viral-social-media-life-hacks/ |access-date=24 September 2021 |work=Digiday |date=12 February 2021}} The company also has a presence on Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok. In November 2021, Variety wrote that TheSoul had the ninth most viewed YouTube Short on its 5-Minute Crafts channel, as well as the most viewed YouTube Short overall with over 433 million views.{{cite news |last1=Donnelly |first1=Matt |title=Digital Studio TheSoul Publishing Dominating in Viewership for Newly Launched YouTube Shorts |url=https://variety.com/2021/digital/news/thesoul-publishing-youtube-shorts-viewership-1235114936/ |access-date=10 January 2022 |publisher=Variety |date=18 November 2021}} By April 2023, 5-Minute Crafts had amassed over 25.7 billion views and Bright Side had amassed over 10.6 billion views.{{cite web |title=Top 100 Subscribed Youtube Channels (Sorted by Subscriber Count) |url=https://socialblade.com/youtube/top/100/mostsubscribed |website=Social Blade |access-date=25 April 2023}}

In November 2018, Vox published an article calling TheSoul's content "cringy", "clickbait", and "bizarre".{{Cite web|last=Jennings|first=Rebecca|date=2018-11-12|title=Why YouTube is riddled with bizarre DIY videos|url=https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2018/11/12/18065662/troom-troom-5-minute-crafts-youtube-diy-prank|access-date=2021-05-27|website=Vox}} However, the article also stated, "To answer the implicit question, unlike many viral Facebook posts that came out of Russia over the past few years, TheSoul Publishing's content does not appear to be overtly political."

In December 2019, the company's channel Smart Banana was criticized by Lawfare for making "history videos with a political tinge". One video falsely claimed that Ukraine is part of Russia, another gave a "heavily sanitized" summary of Joseph Stalin's reign and incorrectly claimed that Alaska was a gift from Russia to the United States, and a third video predicted that the United States would likely collapse within 20 years. The Lawfare article's claims were picked up by American political commentator Rachel Maddow, who likened the videos to Russia's interference in the 2016 United States elections.{{Cite web|last=Maddow|first=Rachel|title=Russia working social media to manipulate American voters (again)|url=https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/russia-working-social-media-to-manipulate-american-voters-again-75485765668|access-date=2021-05-26|work=The Rachel Maddow Show|publisher=MSNBC}} However, Vice found no new political content on any of TheSoul's channels in the lead-up to the 2020 United States elections, and described it as more of a content farm than a channel intended to sway public opinion.{{cite news |last1=Koebler |first1=Jason |title=Viral Russian YouTube Channel Not a PsyOp, Just Good at Making Videos |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/v7mmqm/viral-russian-youtube-channel-5-minute-crafts-not-a-psyop-just-good-at-making-videos |access-date=24 September 2021 |work=Vice |date=3 November 2020}} Shortly after the Lawfare article was published, TheSoul apologised for posting "historically questionable" videos and removed the content, as well as announcing an editorial decision to no longer create history videos and stating that it had never worked with "any government or semi-government organization of any country".{{cite web |date=25 December 2019 |title=A message from TheSoul Publishing- Internet Archive |url=https://www.thesoul-publishing.com/post/a-message-from-thesoul-publishing |url-status=deviated |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510052709/https://www.thesoul-publishing.com/post/a-message-from-thesoul-publishing |archive-date=May 10, 2021 |access-date=December 25, 2019 |website=TheSoul Publishing}}

In June 2020, TheSoul's animated subsidiary channel Actually Happened was deleted, and references to the channel were removed from the company's website.[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDJzxR6B15M "What Happened To Actually Happened?"] by Jarvis Johnson. June 21, 2020.[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6sfqBBos6o "How Actually Happened Got Actually Deleted"] by Kenlimepie Plus. June 9, 2020. The channel, which had over 4 million subscribers, hosted cartoons of supposedly real events presented as firsthand experiences of American teenagers; the stories were often questioned.{{cite news |title=The fake, creepy world of YouTube's animated story channels |url=https://www.dailydot.com/unclick/youtube-animated-story-channels-actually-happened/ |access-date=11 October 2021 |work=The Daily Dot |date=9 April 2020}}

{{Reflist}}

• [https://www.thesoul-publishing.com/ Official website]

Category:TheSoul Publishing

Category:2016 establishments in Cyprus

Category:Mass media companies established in 2016

Category:Entertainment companies established in 2016

Category:Technology companies established in 2016

Category:Mass media companies of Cyprus

Category:Multi-channel networks

Category:Remote companies