8. Famous

Do you believe in life after Vine? On October 28, 2016, the app took its last breath. It left behind a bittersweet legacy that would shape the internet for years to come. In this episode, we unravel the truth behind the app’s demise: the million-dollar demands, the missed opportunities (lip-syncing, anyone?), and the seismic impact it had on creators and culture. With firsthand accounts from insiders and creators, we explore whether Vine’s early exit preserved its charm or whether it was always destined to fall.

Credits:

Benedict Townsend - Host & Creator

Mary Goodhart - Producer & Creator

Kevyah Cardoso - Narrative & Creative Producer

Patrick Lee - Sound Design & Score

Chris Janes – Mix

Lucy Chisholm Batten - Legal

Sophie Snelling - Executive Producer

Al Riddel - Head of Factual Podcasts

Vicky Etchells - Director of Podcasts

Archive acknowledgments:

CBS News/CNET/’It’s official: Twitter Shut Down Vine’

Bluezone Corporation/’Cinematic Session – Industrial Samples & Impacts’

Artwork acknowledgments:

Cathleen Dovolis

Brandon Moore 

B Bowen

Nicholas Fraser

James Morosky

Ava Ryan

This is the story of the social media app that changed the face of the internet before it crashed and burned in just three short years. Vine was the future - until it wasn’t. How did a platform so popular and beloved just disappear? Like any self-respecting chronically-online person, Benedict Townsend needed answers. In this 8-part series he tracks down Vine’s founders, social media power players and some of the most famous Vine creators to find out what really happened. What he found? A bizarre story of genius, chaos, and betrayal—and the blueprint for everything that came next. If you want to understand TikTok, or the modern internet itself, you need to understand Vine.

Contact us: [email protected]

• No. of episodes: 9
• Latest episode: 2025-05-06
• Society & Culture History

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