DC BLOX Announces Second Subsea Cable Landing Station Campus, Located in Palm Coast, Florida
DC BLOX announces its plans to build a second subsea CLS campus in Palm Coast, Florida! The new campus will complement DC BLOX's first subsea CLS in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and is expected to be operational by Q1 2027.
The Palm Coast CLS campus will provide global access to the US through a diverse Southeast location, distinct from existing Northern, Mid-Atlantic, and Southern cable landings, ensuring more resilient and reliable international communications.
The new facility aligns with industry developments driven by hyperscalers' ambitious plans to expand international communications infrastructure while offering the key benefits of enhanced route diversification and direct connectivity to key markets.
The Palm Coast CLS campus, anchored by the recently announced Sol cable to Spain, will support five additional subsea cables that will land in Flagler Beach, Florida, and connect terrestrially to the CLS campus in Palm Coast. The new campus will complement DC BLOX's first subsea cable landing station in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and is expected to be operational by Q1 2027.
The Sol cable that anchors the campus, announced by Google today, connects Palm Coast to Bermuda, the Azores, and Spain. The Sol cable is a high-capacity cable designed for the demands of cloud and AI, is Florida's first direct connection to Europe since 1999, and it will be the only cable in service between Florida and Europe when it's lit.
Key Features of DC BLOX's Palm Coast CLS
Capacity for Hyperscale and Carrier Needs: Designed to support full colocation services, the campus will have capacity for six high-capacity subsea cables.
Strategic Location: Positioned to enhance connectivity and diversification among subsea cable landings, with direct access to the Southeast's growing digital infrastructure ecosystem.
Future-Ready Infrastructure: Built on over 20 acres to accommodate additional expansion, with state-of-the-art reliability, design, and sustainability.
'Florida is once again at the forefront of strengthening our nation's digital infrastructure. The anchoring of the Sol subsea cable in our state is a testament to our state's commitment to fostering an environment that is ripe for technological investment and innovation. We are proud to partner with companies like Google and DC BLOX on strategic infrastructure projects that will support the future of AI innovation and bring tangible benefits to our communities and the entire Sunshine State.' – J. Alex Kelly, Florida Secretary of Commerce
'The Sol subsea cable's arrival in Palm Coast will advance Florida's position as a technology destination and state-of-the-art connectivity hub, putting the Sunshine State at the forefront of digital infrastructure and accelerating AI in the U.S. We look forward to collaborating with DC BLOX to increase network reliability and resilience in Florida, the United States and across the Atlantic.' - Brian Quigley, VP, Global Network Infrastructure, Google Cloud
'The demand for global communications infrastructure continues to grow as hyperscalers expand into new international markets and invest in subsea cables to meet the growing requirements for cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and global data exchange. With the development of our second cable landing station campus located in Florida, DC BLOX reaffirms its commitment to delivering innovative, high-capacity infrastructure solutions that empower global connectivity and drive economic growth in the Southeast.' - Chris Gatch, Chief Revenue Officer, DC BLOX
'This is a landmark moment for Palm Coast, Flagler Beach, and Flagler County, and it's a clear signal that we are a community of the future, investing in our economic development and vitality. The Sol subsea cable is more than just infrastructure; it's a gateway to unprecedented global connectivity that will attract further high-caliber industries that our residents deserve. We are not just putting Palm Coast and our community on the map; we are building a direct route to the world's digital economy, ensuring a prosperous and dynamic future for our community.' – Theresa Carli Pontieri, Palm Coast Vice Mayor
The Palm Coast Campus reflects DC BLOX's commitment to building foundational digital infrastructure that supports the Southeast's rapid population and business growth. Together with the Myrtle Beach CLS, it underscores DC BLOX's leadership in creating a hyperscale-enabled ecosystem that addresses the evolving demands of the digital economy.
For more information about pre-leasing opportunities at the Palm Coast CLS, visit www.dcblox.com or contact DC BLOX today.
About DC BLOX
DC BLOX is a digital infrastructure provider in the Southeast that delivers integrated data center and fiber network solutions at scale to enable hyperscalers, enterprises, communications providers, and technology companies to offer enhanced digital services to their customers and accelerate the region's economic growth. DC BLOX's operating data centers are located in Birmingham, AL; Huntsville, AL; Chattanooga, TN; Greenville, SC; Myrtle Beach, SC, with new developments underway in Conyers, GA, Douglasville, GA, North Augusta, SC and Montgomery, AL. For more information, please visit www.dcblox.com, call +1.877.590.1684, and connect with DC BLOX on X, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.
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Android Authority
an hour ago
- Android Authority
Which smartphone has the best battery life? I tested dozens to find the winner
If there's one thing we all want from our next smartphone, it's more battery life. Thankfully, battery cells are bigger than ever, while processors are increasingly frugal. This means that many, but certainly not all, flagship and mid-range handsets can take us through a day without leaving us suffering from battery anxiety. However, some phones are definitely better than others at lasting through more demanding work/life balances or taking lighter users through a second day. Not to mention, there's a massive variation in how quickly phones charge back up when they eventually run out of power. To help you pick the best phone for rock-solid battery life, we run all of our review units through a series of automated endurance tests, checking how long phones can survive daily tasks like web browsing, video playback, camera capture, and more. Based on that data and hands-on experience, these are the phones that I think you should buy. OnePlus 13: The best phone for battery life overall OnePlus 13 Gorgeous design • Clever AI features • Flexible cameras MSRP: $899.99 The OG flagship killer's killer flagship. The OnePlus 13 is the company's most killer flagship to date, offering a massive battery, speedy charging, and powerful cameras that give Google and Samsung something to worry about. See price at AmazonSee price at OnePlus Positives Gorgeous design Gorgeous design Incredible camera zoom and overall photography Incredible camera zoom and overall photography Helpful AI integration Helpful AI integration Excellent charging options Excellent charging options Simplified Oxygen OS experience Simplified Oxygen OS experience Great performance Cons Magnetic charging requires accessories Magnetic charging requires accessories Fewer updates than Samsung or Google Many powerhouse smartphones will survive plenty of hours of intense use. However, the OnePlus 13 stands out for a few reasons. First, its cutting-edge 6,000mAh silicon-carbon-enhanced lithium-ion battery is massive. Even before looking at our test results, it's clear the phone has the battery size to take power users through a full day or more. It's also the best phone I've tested for wired charging, and it's pretty quick with wireless charging, which we'll get to in a minute. Importantly, the OnePlus 13 powers through our battery life benchmarks exceedingly well. It puts in a well-rounded effort, surviving up to 24 hours of 4K video playback, nearly six hours of 4K video recording or photo capture, 12 hours of web browsing, or over 11 hours of video calls. I think you'll agree that's plenty of battery life for anyone, regardless of your daily mix, with some spare for the next day. That said, our battery life test results are quite close, with some phones having clear strengths and weaknesses. Technically, the ASUS Zenfone 12 Ultra is a little more frugal than the rest, while the Pixel 9 Pro XL is a great choice if you're primarily taking photos. To really separate the phones for daily use, we need to look at a few additional metrics. Charging speed is a hugely important factor, allowing you to quickly top up the phone if/when the juice eventually runs out. The OnePlus 13 is a clear winner here. It reaches full in just 35 minutes, compared to closer to the hour mark for our other four contestants. Better still, it managed to reach the 50% mark in just 12 minutes, ensuring enough juice to power through the day without spending ages attached to the wall. While it relies on SuperVOOC to reach those peak speeds, the phone also plays nicely with USB Power Delivery plugs and power banks, delivering at least 35W of power in my testing. The OnePlus 13 is also a beast when it comes to wireless charging. With an appropriate SuperVOOC wireless charger and after jumping through a few compatibility hoops, the phone can wirelessly charge to full in around 80 minutes. That's much slower than over a wire, but still far faster than other phones can achieve on a wireless pad. The OnePlus 3 lasts all day, charges back up quickly, and is affordable. What's not to like? Besides its brilliant battery, the OnePlus 13 boasts superb hardware elsewhere. A speedy Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, sublime-looking display, and a camera package that far exceeds previous models and even rivals the best in the business make the OnePlus 13 a superb all-around phone, especially if you want a flagship that'll last more than a day of heavy use. Oh, and it's very affordable too. Read more Google Pixel 9: Best small phone for battery life Google Pixel 9 Powerful Gemini AI tools • Excellent build quality, refined design • Extensive update policy MSRP: $799.00 The vanilla Pixel 9. The Pixel 9 rocks a 6.3-inch display, Tensor G4 chipset, 12GB of RAM, and at least 128GB of internal storage. See price at AmazonSee price at AmazonSee price at Google Store Positives Powerful Gemini AI tools Powerful Gemini AI tools Excellent build quality, refined design Excellent build quality, refined design Extensive update policy Extensive update policy Solid camera package Solid camera package Great battery life Cons Lacks Google's Pro AI features Lacks Google's Pro AI features Performance unchanged from last year Performance unchanged from last year No telephoto camera No telephoto camera Still slow to charge While you won't find many 6-inch smartphones with huge battery capacities, that doesn't mean they can't last all day. According to my benchmark data, the Google Pixel 9 is the best relatively compact model for battery life, not to mention a great all-around phone, whether you want great-looking pictures or the latest mobile AI tools. In terms of numbers, it passed our benchmark with up to nine hours of web browsing, almost 13 hours of video call time, nine hours of 4K video capture, and more than five hours of snapping capture. The only blemish is a much more modest 10 hours of 4K playback than its competitors, but that's still plenty for most people. In other words, the Google Pixel 9 is a phone that'll see you through a day of solid use, no matter what you're doing. That 4,700mAh battery goes a surprisingly long way. Google's Pixel 9 is a superb allrounder with outstanding battery life. When the Pixel 9 eventually runs out of juice, the drawback is that it doesn't charge back up all that quickly. 85 minutes to full is pretty slow, but not far behind rivals like the Galaxy S25, and is faster than the iPhone 16. Given the phone's superb battery life, this is probably a worthwhile trade-off. Thankfully, it's easy to find USB accessories matching the phone's 27W USB PD PPS requirements. Read more Google Pixel 9a: Best phone for battery life under $500 Google Pixel 9a Built-in Gemini • Incredible camera • All-day battery MSRP: $499.00 All the Pixel essentials for less. The Google Pixel 9a brings built-in Gemini, an incredible camera, all-day battery, and seven years of updates for under $500. See price at AmazonSee price at Amazon Positives Solid, reliable cameras Solid, reliable cameras Excellent update commitment Excellent update commitment Clever AI-powered features Clever AI-powered features Great battery life Great battery life New, streamlined design New, streamlined design Excellent price Cons Relatively slow charging Relatively slow charging Aging Gorilla Glass 3 (again) Aging Gorilla Glass 3 (again) Missing Pixel Screenshots Sometimes you just need a big battery to brute-force your way through a heavy day of use, and the affordable Google Pixel 9a comes through with a hefty 5,100mAh cell. Better still, it scores consistently highly across our battery life benchmarks, ensuring it'll last no matter what you throw at it. Test data not enough? We felt exactly the same way during our Pixel 9a review. A little over 10 hours in our web and Zoom tests ensure the 9a can take you through more than a busy day of work and play tasks, while the phone manages a colossal 21 hours of 4K video playback. For the shutter bugs, you can continuously snap pictures or record 4K video for over seven hours before running the Pixel 9a's battery down. Bottom line, the 9a will last everyone a full day and possibly a little more. The best battery life $500 can buy? You can't beat the Pixel 9a. Of course, the Pixel 9a is much more than a big battery crammed in an affordable, compact shell. The phone sports a top-tier Tensor G4 processor, reliable dual cameras, many of Google's latest AI features, and an update commitment that can't be beat. It's hard to find another $499 phone worth recommending as much as the Pixel 9a, especially when it comes to battery life. The phone's only drawback is its sluggish 94-minute full charge time. It's definitely slower than other affordable phones at this price, but that's the price to pay to fill up that large battery. Read more CMF Phone 1: Best phone for battery life under $250 Nothing CMF Phone 1 Clever accessories • Solid battery life • Excellent value MSRP: $199.99 A more customizable budget phone from Nothing The CMF Phone 1 brings a customizable approach to the budget segment, featuring a removable back cover and an attachment point for basic accessories. The Nothing sub-brand's affordable handset also delivers a large battery and decent performance. See price at AmazonSee price at Nothing Positives Clever accessories Clever accessories Solid battery life Solid battery life Good Dimensity 7300 performance Good Dimensity 7300 performance Fun Nothing OS Fun Nothing OS Excellent value Cons Cheap plastic build Cheap plastic build Poor camera flexibility Poor camera flexibility No NFC No NFC Weak US support for carriers and accessories Very affordable smartphones with big batteries are increasingly easy to come by, and budget model specs tend to be a bit more frugal, which is already a recipe for multi-day battery life. Even so, a standout and very affordable model I've tested is the late 2024 CMF Phone 1. Its large 5,000mAh battery endured over 10 hours of web browsing or Zoom calls and over 18 hours of 4K video playback. The CMF Phone 1 has you well covered for daily essentials. It'll also handle seven hours of 4K video recording and over nine hours of photo capture, so it won't give out when capturing precious memories either. When you eventually need to top up, the phone is fully charged in about an hour. That's marginally faster than its rivals, and not far off many flagship phones, thanks to rather speedy 30W charging. Just like our overall best pick, this budget option has you covered on both sides of your battery needs. Frugal specs and a big battery maky the CMF Phone 1 a great budget pick. The CMF Phone 1 is an impressive little package for such an affordable entry. If you can spend a bit more money and fancy some additional specs, the brilliant CMF Phone 2 Pro only costs a little more and also offers very frugal battery life. Ryan Haines / Android Authority Read more Motorola Razr Ultra (2025): Best foldable for battery life Motorola Razr Ultra Blisteringly fast charging and excellent battery life • Ultra-flagship-tier performance • Top-notch materials and eye-catching Pantone colors MSRP: $1,299.99 High-end processing power in a folding shell Adding Ultra to the name, the Motorola Razr Ultra is the first folding phone from Moto with a top-tier processor. The 7-inch folding display is paired with a half-size front display to give you both a premium experience, and a compact and portable communication device. See price at Amazon Positives Blisteringly fast charging and excellent battery life Blisteringly fast charging and excellent battery life Ultra-flagship-tier performance Ultra-flagship-tier performance Solid dual camera setup Solid dual camera setup Top-notch materials and eye-catching Pantone colors Top-notch materials and eye-catching Pantone colors Two very vibrant displays Two very vibrant displays Clean, simple software Cons Moto AI feels half baked Moto AI feels half baked Limited software commitment Limited software commitment Long-range zoom kinda stinks Long-range zoom kinda stinks Expensive It used to be the case that foldable phones meant big compromises, most often in the battery department, which was especially true for compact clamshell models. That's not the case anymore; the Motorola Razr Ultra offers superb battery life and even outlasts bigger booklet foldables. The Motorola Razr Ultra bucks that trend, with a good-sized 4,700mAh battery that's on par and even bests some traditional 6-inch flagship smartphones. Whether it's daily web tasks, media applications, or even a spot of gaming, this cell powers through hours of screen-on time to ensure it can take you through a busy day. Robert Triggs / Android Authority When you do need to top up, the Razr Ultra supports pretty quick charging. We clocked it to full in just 57 minutes while pulling 45W from the wall, and the phone supports up to 68W when you can line up the perfect plug and cable. The phone will also manage 30W wirelessly with a compatible charger, double what rival foldables offer. Motorola shows that foldables don't have to compromise on battery life. The Motorola Razr Ultra is also a superb handset in the grand scheme of things. We love the phone's versatile camera setup, handy dual displays, and slick software experience. The clamshell's only real drawback is that all this tech comes with a steep price tag. Still, Motorola's more affordable Razr and Razr Plus clamshells aren't far off the pace for battery life either. Ryan Haines / Android Authority Read more Honorable mentions Asus Zenfone 12 Ultra Asus Zenfone 12 Ultra Superb battery life • Excellent universal charging • Blazing performance MSRP: $1,145.00 The AI-powered Zenfone. The ASUS Zenfone 12 Ultra packs Snapdragon 8 Elite power, a 5,500mAh battery, a 6.78-inch LTPO AMOLED display, IP68 dust/water resistance, up to 512GB storage and 16GB RAM, and a 50MP + 32MP + 13MP rear triple camera. See price at eBay The ASUS Zenfone 12 Ultra almost took top spot, with its surprisingly frugal battery life from a rather typical 5,500mAh cell. It charges quickly, too, sporting up to 65W over the commonplace USB PD PPS protocol. However, it's quite an expensive phone given its mediocre camera and software features, but there's no denying it'll take power users through more than a day of heavy use. We can't mention longevity without the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. While it doesn't quite last as long as the OnePlus 13 in camera capture times, it's not far behind in every other metric. Paired with a stellar update commitment, reasonably charging speeds, solid cameras, and one of the best software packages around, don't sleep on Samsung's latest ultra-flagship. Samsung Galaxy A36 5G Samsung Galaxy A36 5G Big, bright AMOLED display • Fast wired charging • Long software support MSRP: $399.99 Samsung's A series 2025 upgrade. The Galaxy A36 5G updates the popular A series line with an IP67 rating, 45W fast charging, and a slimmer and lighter design. See price at Amazon Save $50.00 With a giant 5,000mAh cell, the Samsung Galaxy A36 5G continues to offer the excellent battery life we liked about its predecessor. At just $400, it's a very affordable phone with brilliant longevity and 45W fast charging to boot. However, performance leaves a lot to be desired, so this one is only really recommended for those who desire battery life above all else. While it didn't survive our camera capture benchmarks as well as Google's flagship, the Samsung Galaxy S25 still offers plenty of battery life for daily workloads, especially if you need video playback for your commute. If battery life has you torn between this and the latest iPhone, Samsung's flagship is a clear winner. What to look for in good battery life Robert Triggs / Android Authority Obviously, the number one place to start with battery life is the size of the battery. The more milliamp-hours (mAh), the longer the handset typically lasts. It's as simple as that. In addition, a bigger battery at launch means that battery life will still last through a day as the battery ages and its maximum capacity gradually decreases. However, bigger batteries require more space, so there's a trade-off between the phone size you want and how long it can last. That said, advanced battery technologies, like silicon-carbon, are making it possible to increase capacity without increasing size. So keep an eye out for that in more handsets in the coming months and years. A big battery paired with frugal hardware specs is the recipe for multi-day endurance. While battery capacity is the biggest contributor, the phone's other specifications determine how quickly that battery drains. Bigger displays, more powerful processors, wireless modems, and much more all contribute to power consumption. More efficient, modern components can make seemingly small battery capacities last longer than you might expect, so don't necessarily write a phone off just because its battery isn't the biggest. Big battery capacity: Broadly speaking, 4,000mAh is considered a reasonable baseline for a moderate day's use and headroom as a phone ages. 5,000mAh will feel more comfortable for power users, while phones approaching or exceeding 6,000mAh should take most users well into a second day of use. Broadly speaking, 4,000mAh is considered a reasonable baseline for a moderate day's use and headroom as a phone ages. 5,000mAh will feel more comfortable for power users, while phones approaching or exceeding 6,000mAh should take most users well into a second day of use. LTPO displays: Displays are one of the biggest drains on your battery, especially with the brightness cranked up and content refreshing several times a second. LTPO OLED displays have a nifty trick to save power: dynamic refresh rates. By reducing refresh rates to as low as 1Hz while screen content is idle, LTPO displays save on battery life without affecting display quality. Thankfully, most high-end and many mid-range phones already sport this technology. Displays are one of the biggest drains on your battery, especially with the brightness cranked up and content refreshing several times a second. LTPO OLED displays have a nifty trick to save power: dynamic refresh rates. By reducing refresh rates to as low as 1Hz while screen content is idle, LTPO displays save on battery life without affecting display quality. Thankfully, most high-end and many mid-range phones already sport this technology. An efficient processor: While there's no hard and fast rule here, smaller, cutting-edge manufacturing processes (measured in nanometers) tend to produce more efficient processors that sap less power from a battery. 3nm is the latest cutting-edge process, but 6nm is perfectly suitable for less-demanding, affordable chipsets. Just try to avoid something too old paired with a small battery. While there's no hard and fast rule here, smaller, cutting-edge manufacturing processes (measured in nanometers) tend to produce more efficient processors that sap less power from a battery. 3nm is the latest cutting-edge process, but 6nm is perfectly suitable for less-demanding, affordable chipsets. Just try to avoid something too old paired with a small battery. Fast charging: While big batteries are important, even the biggest can't last forever. Fast charging can bring your phone back from the brink in little to no time. Measured in watts, it's worth having, but don't fall for 100W charging hype. 30W to 60W is often plenty. Why you should trust me Robert Triggs / Android Authority Testing phones is what I do best. From camera and charging, to performance and battery life, I've spent probably a few too many hours agonizing over the best testing methods and tools to quantify the intangibles that separate a good smartphone from a great one. I designed and built automated battery life benchmarks specifically to test everyday workloads. Battery life is a particularly tough nut to crack because there are so many variables. Everyone uses their phone slightly differently, and we all live in areas with different 4G/5G signal strengths and Wi-Fi networks that'll put different stresses and strains on our battery use. However, we can still compare phones against one another in a meaningful way by looking at common use cases and testing how long handsets can endure. I designed, built, and continually reevaluate Android Authority's automated battery life benchmarking tools, which measure the tasks we probably all use our phones for several times each week, if not daily. Web browsing, 4K video playback, and Zoom video calls make up the humdrum of day-to-day use, while our camera and 4K recording tests ensure your next purchase can keep up with documenting the lives of friends and loved ones. The very best phones offer balanced battery life across all these possible tasks. For more on our testing process check out our dedicated page. What do you look for in all day battery life? 0 votes The biggest battery possible NaN % An efficient display NaN % Cutting edge processor NaN % A little bit of everything NaN % Of course, the phone landscape changes quickly. New display, processor, and battery innovations continue apace, meaning that each new generation tends to bring something new to the battery life table. As such, I review our test data every few months and update this list to make sure you're always abreast of the best battery life that smartphones have to offer.
Los Angeles Times
an hour ago
- Los Angeles Times
This is the rare bright spot in a tough Hollywood job market
Toni Gray's phone is blowing up these days. The head of production at Dhar Mann Studios, which makes shows for YouTube and other online platforms, said entertainment industry friends in Los Angeles had once held out before seeking work in the digital realm. But now, with jobs few and far between at the legacy studios, they are reaching out 'all the time' looking for opportunities at the Burbank-based studio, known for posting family-friendly dramas addressing topics like bullying. Seeing some of her peers now flock to be a part of production companies built for distribution on YouTube and other online platforms is exciting for Gray, who worked in traditional television for more than a decade and joined Dhar Mann Studios in February. 'It's giving people hope that they can get back to work again,' she said. 'And it's not just monetary hope for their house and their kids. It actually is giving their own being life again to bring their creative element.' In Hollywood's TV and film industries, droves of workers are competing for jobs at a time when many companies are consolidating and laying off hundreds of people at a time. But one segment of the entertainment industry has emerged as a bright spot — the economy made up of people creating video for YouTube and social media. That part of the industry, once dominated by amateurs making funny viral videos with smartphones has blossomed into a formidable entertainment force, where video creators are setting up real businesses with large studios in Southern California funded through advertising by major brands. Dhar Mann Studios plans to add 15 positions to its staff of about 75 full-time employees. In Sherman Oaks, Pave Studios, which produces wellness- and true-crime-related shows, is adding 16 full-time workers to its staff of 67 contractors and employees. Nationwide, there were more than 490,000 jobs supported by YouTube's creative ecosystem last year, according to the Google-owned video platform, citing data from Oxford Economics. That's roughly 60,000 more jobs than in 2023, YouTube said. 'It's beginning to mature into creators really building businesses,' said Thomas Kim, YouTube's director of product management for creator monetization. 'We see more and more of that, and that also means that the number of employees and help that they need to sustain their business has grown over time.' Sean Atkins, chief executive of Dhar Mann Studios, called it a big growth opportunity in the market. YouTube is a major player in streaming, representing 12.5% of U.S. TV viewing in May, according to Nielsen, more than streaming services including Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. 'Everything is so new and nascent,' said Atkins, a former president at MTV. 'I imagine, particularly when you walk around our studio ... that this is what it looked like in the '20s when MGM and Disney and Warner [Bros.] were [founded]. Just this enthusiastic chaos where everyone's trying to figure out what this environment is.' The growth in Southern California influencer businesses is a boon to the local production economy that is otherwise struggling. L.A. County saw a 27% decline to 108,564 employees from 2022 to 2024 in the motion picture and sound recording industries, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Many Hollywood workers have struggled to find roles, as studios cut down on their programming after the 2023 actor and writer strikes and after overspending during the streaming wars. For years, productions have fled the area to take advantage of lucrative financial incentives out of state and abroad. Production in L.A. County also took a hit following devastating wildfires in January. Meanwhile, the amount of employment in the creator economy is trending up, according to the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp. Total workers in the L.A. County creator economy, composed of businesses such as media streaming distribution services and social networks, as well as independent artists, writers and performers, increased 5% to 70,012 from 2022 to 2024, LAEDC said. Companies in the creator economy space also increased 5% to 46,425 businesses during the same time period, according to LAEDC. The bleak job market has caused more people who have worked in traditional studio and TV networks to apply for jobs at digital media companies that produce content for platforms such as YouTube or work with influencers who are growing their staffs. The migration reflects changing realities in the business. Consumers' habits have shifted, where more people are watching YouTube on TV screens these days instead of on smartphones in the U.S., eating into territory held by broadcast and cable television. Video creators have adapted, building production teams and expanding into podcasts, merchandise and sometimes scoring streaming deals. For example, one of YouTube's top creators, Jimmy Donaldson, known as MrBeast, has a reality competition show on Amazon Prime Video, sells products such as Feastables chocolates and has brand partnerships and sponsorships. His North Carolina holding company, Beast Industries, employs more than 500 people. Kyle Hjelmeseth, chief executive of talent representation firm G&B Digital Management, said he is receiving more calls from people coming with traditional media backgrounds seeking collaborations with influencers. 'Five years ago, it would have been very different,' he said. 'Anytime that somebody from Hollywood or the entertainment complex talked about creators, it was with such a different lens ... a little bit like nose in the air.' His company, which has 25 contractors, part-time and full time employees, added four people last month with plans to hire more. 'All the pressures of what's happening in Hollywood and the growth of the creator economy [are] crashing into each other in this moment, and that's why we're having a conversation about jobs, because there's such a shift in the energy, and we're certainly feeling it,' he said. Pave Studios launched last year with fewer than 10 employees and now has grown to 67 contractors and employees. Part of that growth is fueled by the increasing audience for its videos and podcasts available on platforms including YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts. The company is hiring for roles including executive producers, with a pay range of $95,000 to $145,000, depending on the show, said founder Max Cutler. 'As we grow and as the business becomes more complicated, you need more specialists and more people,' Cutler said. 'Video is definitely a leading growth area for us.' Jen Passovoy joined Pave Studios in January as a producer, after working for 10 years at Paramount on competition series such as 'RuPaul's Drag Race' and 'Ink Master.' 'Coming from a traditional TV background, I was drawn to how nimble and audience-focused the company is,' Passovoy said in an email. 'There's less red tape and more room to actually create. You get the energy of a startup with the same high-quality content you'd expect from a major studio.' Passovoy, 34, said the job market for traditional studio and TV network workers is really tough right now. 'I know more people out of work right now than working, which says a lot,' she said. 'The traditional TV model just doesn't exist in the same way anymore. Budgets are shrinking and the jobs that used to be steady aren't there. There have been so many layoffs across the industry, and it's forced a lot of incredibly talented people to rethink how and where they create.' Skills that people develop in traditional studio and TV roles can translate to digital-first roles, including video editors for influencers and digital media companies, industry observers said. The creator economy also has more specialized roles, such as thumbnail designers — people who create the images used to tease videos on sites including YouTube. Those jobs can pay six figures annually, as they can be instrumental for getting audiences to click on those videos. Roster, a hiring platform that lists job postings in the creator space, said the number of employers signing up to hire on the site has increased by nearly 80% from January to June 2025. Based on a sampling of 1,430 creator job posts in 2025, Roster said the most popular open position was video editor (representing 42.5%), followed by thumbnail designer (16.1%) and producer (10.6%). There are downsides. Not all jobs are full-time. Many creators opt to hire freelancers. 'Their production needs need to expand and shrink like an accordion,' said Sherry Wong, CEO of Roster. 'That's why we see a lot of creators, even if they're really big established creators, they are hiring freelancers, contractors, and being able to keep it as lean as possible.' With so many people looking for work, there's intense competition for those jobs, and the ways to apply can be creative and involved. Miami-based creator Jenny Hoyos found freelancers through a hiring challenge she hosted on Roster. Applicants were given 10 minutes of raw video footage and instructed to edit it down to a video short, roughly 30 to 60 seconds long. Hoyos, 20, requested that applicants create a final product that was engaging, cohesive and matched her specific style. She received more than 100 submissions. While there were strong contenders from California, the winners ended up being from Brazil and India. They became her two go-to freelancers, who she said are essentially working an amount equivalent to full-time editors. This method of seeking talent was Hoyos' way of making sure the people she brought on to her team were willing to go the extra mile, she said. Those hoping to break into the digital media world don't necessarily have to have grown up with YouTube and social media like she did, but they do have to 'commit to being addicted to watching' content, she said. Not everyone who works for YouTube creators gets paid. Screenwriter Natalie Badillo isn't earning a salary while she tries to build up an audience on YouTube. Badillo, who sold a self-titled project to HBO Max a few years ago, said she was looking for a way to 'not wait 8 billion years for a TV show to get picked up,' and creating a YouTube channel, 'Great Job Nat,' was a way to get her material out into the world. 'Why wait for somebody to throw you a party when you can just throw your own party?' she said. Badillo draws on her connections with folks from the traditional film and TV world to produce the YouTube videos. While the channel is getting up and running, collaborators work for low pay or simply for the fun of it and to gain experience. Still, her ambitions are big. 'I want to be the Jon Stewart of the West,' she said. The pay disparities can be an issue for people from traditional media industries looking for jobs. While some programs featuring influencers and vertical excerpts of TV shows and movies are covered by union agreements, other projects don't have those protections. 'With temporary hiring, it's like everything else in Hollywood — you either need to have another job that balances things out or you need to get to a critical mass of enough work on enough different projects,' said Kevin Klowden, executive director at Milken Institute Finance. 'The number of sustainable Hollywood jobs has shrunk.' But as the two worlds collide, traditional media companies are already paying attention to the popularity of creator shows and are trying to find ways to partner with influencers. Amazon earlier this year announced more seasons of MrBeast's reality competition series 'Beast Games,' and digital media companies are adding people with traditional media backgrounds to their staffs. 'It's still a lot more tiptoeing,' Hjelmeseth said. 'Everybody's kind of like looking at each other from across the room, like, 'Should we dance?''
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2 Growth Stocks to Buy Now With Less Than $500
Alphabet's investments in artificial intelligence (AI) continue to drive strong growth for the business. Snowflake is well-positioned to benefit from companies investing in advanced data analytics capabilities using AI. 10 stocks we like better than Alphabet › Growth stocks can help you get ahead of your retirement goals. But you don't have to chase high-risk stocks to achieve this. There are plenty of industry-leading businesses that consistently report above-average growth that can outperform the S&P 500. If you have around $500 or less to commit to a long-term investment strategy, here are two growth stocks benefiting from artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing that can deliver market-beating returns in the next five years. Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOGL) (NASDAQ: GOOG) continues to win on multiple fronts that is not reflected in the stock's modest price-to-earnings multiple. The company dominates search while its cloud computing business is outperforming the broader cloud market thanks to its AI investments. Alphabet generates most of its revenue from advertising on search, YouTube, and other services. It continues to benefit from the growth of the $700 billion digital ad market. The company's first-quarter earnings report showed strong growth across the business. Total revenue grew 12% year over year to reach $90 billion, exceeding Wall Street's expectations. Earnings jumped 49% over the year-ago quarter. Google's consumer services are the main revenue driver for Alphabet, but the company's hidden gem is its Gemini AI model, which powers the intelligent features across all the company's products, like AI Overviews and Google Lens. The first-quarter launch of Gemini 2.5 was widely recognized as the smartest model on the market, beating out OpenAI's ChatGPT and others. Google's advances in AI continue to be undervalued by investors. Management credited its recent growth to its full-stack approach to AI, including data centers, chips, research (e.g. Google DeepMind), and consumer reach with more than 2 billion users. AI is also driving strong demand and improving profitability in Google Cloud. Cloud revenue grew 28% year over year last quarter, outpacing the industry. The segment's operating income increased by 142%, now making up 7% of the company's total operating profit. Google recently announced the $32 billion acquisition of Wiz that will further strengthen Google Cloud's offering in cybersecurity. Alphabet stock has a long history of beating the market, and its current momentum should keep the streak going. Analysts expect the company's earnings per share to grow 15% on an annualized basis over the next several years, yet investors can buy shares for just 18 times this year's earnings estimate. This valuation should allow shareholders to earn returns comparable to, if not better than, Alphabet's future earnings growth. Companies are shifting their data systems over to platforms like Google Cloud to take advantage of AI services for data analytics and building AI applications. Snowflake (NYSE: SNOW) is a data cloud platform that helps companies simplify this process. Snowflake's Data Cloud platform is offered on all the leading cloud services like Google, and it continues to grow strongly. Snowflake's product revenue grew 26% year over year in Q1, reaching $997 million. The company has consistently posted around 25% or better revenue growth since its initial public offering in 2020. Snowflake brings in advanced AI models from all the leading vendors, including OpenAI and Anthropic, to give customers flexibility to use whatever they need. This makes its platform a one-stop shop for advanced analytics. Snowflake rolled out more than 125 new product features last quarter, which management credited for driving demand. A key metric commonly used by software companies to gauge demand strength is the revenue retention rate. Anything more than 100% is generally considered good, but Snowflake reported a 124% retention rate last quarter, indicating healthy demand from existing customers for services on its platform. It might be viewed as a weakness that Snowflake doesn't offer its own proprietary AI models for customers. However, by integrating third-party models, Snowflake can offer companies more flexibility in choice while saving money on AI research, which it can invest in more capabilities for its data cloud platform. This allows the company to report balanced top- and bottom-line growth. Over the last year, Snowflake generated $735 million in free cash flow on $3.8 billion of revenue. Wall Street analysts expect Snowflake's earnings to grow more than 35% on an annualized basis. The stock trades at a high multiple of sales and earnings, but assuming Snowflake delivers on robust earnings growth, the stock could outperform the S&P 500 over the next five years. Before you buy stock in Alphabet, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Alphabet wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $674,432!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,005,854!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,049% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 180% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of July 7, 2025 Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. John Ballard has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet and Snowflake. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. 2 Growth Stocks to Buy Now With Less Than $500 was originally published by The Motley Fool
