Vine: Six Seconds That Changed The World

Global
Vine: Six Seconds That Changed The World

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]

Season 1

  1. Who Killed Vine?

    EPISODE 1

    Who Killed Vine?

    Launched in 2013 after an early buyout by Twitter, Vine quickly grew into one of the fastest growing platforms on the internet. The app created an entirely new category of online content: short, user-generated videos. It became the home of online creativity, birthed beloved memes and viral trends, and introduced a whole new generation of celebrity: the influencer. So, how did an app that was ten steps ahead die only three years after launch? 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 Sunday Morning/'From 2005: Four young internet entrepreneurs'/CBS News Jawed Karim/‘Me at the zoo’/YouTube Channel 4 News Theme/‘Best Endeavours’/Alan Hawkshaw Channel 4 News/’A year of Vine: the six second videos rivalling Twitter and Instagram’ The Fox News Channel Theme/‘The Five’ FOX 5/’CEO Chris Dessi Discusses Vine on Fox 5’/Brayden Shanks/The Fox News Channel PacificRimVideoPress/’Vine Famous Jake Paul Interview about Getting Girls, High School, Fave Shoes & More!’ Pop Trigger/’Breaking: Twitter Officially Shutting Down Vine’ FOX 4 Now/’Twitter Kills Vine App’/The Fox News Channel Sky News/’TikTok to be banned in the US from Sunday, Supreme Court rules’ BBC News/’Donald Trump’s inauguration set to take place’ NBC News/’TikTok is back up again in the U.S. following a shutdown overnight’ Mark Zuckerberg/’Mark Zuckerberg announces the end of Meta's fact-checking program in the United States’/Facebook Artwork acknowledgments: Cathleen Dovolis Brandon Moore  B Bowen Nicholas Fraser James Morosky Ava Ryan

    6 min
  2. Vine Street Confidential

    EPISODE 2

    Vine Street Confidential

    The term “influencer” has entered the mainstream, in large part due to the frat house ecosystem of Viners established by brothers Logan and Jake Paul. In this episode, Benedict and Mary search for one of Vine’s elusive founders, whose idea to simplify mobile video editing transformed modern internet culture. We want to trace Vine back to its very inception, understand who funded it, forged it in fire, and what happened the day Twitter came knocking. 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 acknowledgements: ABC News/‘Meet the Vine Stars Who Turn 6 Seconds of Fame into Big Bucks’ PacificRimVideoPress/’Vine Famous Jake Paul Interview about Getting Girls, High School, Fave Shoes & More!’ HLN/’Logan Paul: How to be Vine-famous in 6 seconds’/CNN Worldwide 60 Minutes Overtime/’Social media influencer Logan Paul talks to "60 Minutes”’/CBS News Squawk Alley/’Jake Paul Talks Transitioning From Vine Star To Disney Star’/CNBC Netflix Sports/’Jake Paul Wins | Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson’/Netflix Artwork acknowledgments: Cathleen Dovolis Brandon Moore  B Bowen Nicholas Fraser James Morosky Ava Ryan

    32 min
  3. Subway to Stardom

    EPISODE 3

    Subway to Stardom

    Vine is quickly becoming one of the world’s most downloaded apps, carving out a unique online identity. In this episode, some of Vine’s earliest creators share how luck, form, and strategy determined viral success and how they navigated the uncharted waters of online fame. 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 Artwork acknowledgments: Cathleen Dovolis Brandon Moore  B Bowen Nicholas Fraser James Morosky Ava Ryan

    33 min
  4. Not Demure

    EPISODE 4

    Not Demure

    As Vine’s influence grew, the seeds of its destruction were being sown. Brands wanted in and things were getting competitive. While most creators experimented and responded organically to engagement, opportunistic newcomers saw Vine as something else: a system to game and they were willing to play dirty to win. Creators soon found themselves falling victim to rampant plagiarism — the digital world’s new 'Grand Theft Auto.' 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: Tim & Dee TV/Haliey Welch ABC News/‘Meet the Vine Stars Who Turn 6 Seconds of Fame into Big Bucks’ Jools Lebron Brandon Moore Kayla Newman Marvel Studios/’Black Panther’/Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Valo/’I'm Semi I Stay Automatic’ Nicholas Fraser/’Why You Always Lying?’ GOFRESH/YouTube/’Jerome jarre and nash grier (mobbed iceland)’ NBC News/The Today Show/’In wake of layoffs, is Twitter in trouble?’ Artwork acknowledgments: Cathleen Dovolis Brandon Moore  B Bowen Nicholas Fraser James Morosky Ava Ryan

    44 min
  5. Do It For The Vine

    EPISODE 5

    Do It For The Vine

    As tensions rise, battle lines are drawn. Creators want money. Leadership want control. Founders turn their back on their biggest stars. And Twitter watches from the sidelines as its $30 million acquisition flounders. Behind the scenes - Benedict and Mary chase down the one person who might know who really pulled the trigger. 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 acknowledgements: GOFRESH/YouTube/’Jerome jarre and nash grier (mobbed iceland)’ NBC News/ Today/’In wake of layoffs, is Twitter in trouble?’ HQ Trivia Theme/Intermedia Labs Artwork acknowledgments: Cathleen Dovolis Brandon Moore  B Bowen Nicholas Fraser James Morosky Ava Ryan

    40 min
  6. VIVs (Very Important Viners)

    EPISODE 6

    VIVs (Very Important Viners)

    Vine is on the edge of collapse - creators are in open revolt, Instagram is circling, as Twitter turns a blind eye. With the sacred 6-second limit on the chopping block and creator trust hanging by a thread, time is running out. Enter Karyn, Vine’s newly hired Head of Creators – an outsider with a bold vision to save the app. Her strategy? A full-scale reinvention. But at a glittering Hollywood party packed with Vine’s biggest stars, it becomes clear: this rescue mission won’t be easy. The fate of Vine is teetering on the edge – and not everyone wants it saved.   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 Artwork acknowledgments: Cathleen Dovolis Brandon Moore  B Bowen Nicholas Fraser James Morosky Ava Ryan

    37 min

  7. SEASON 1 TRAILER

    Vine: Six Seconds That Changed The World - Coming soon - Subscribe now!

    Do you remember Vine? The six-second video app that sparked a cultural revolution, launched careers, and laid the foundation for today’s TikTok obsession? In Vine: Six Seconds That Changed the World, comic and host Benedict Townsend takes you deep inside the rise and sudden fall of the internet’s most chaotic, creative playground. Featuring exclusive interviews with Vine creators, tech insiders, and even a co-founder, this investigative series uncovers the shocking truth behind Vine’s mysterious shutdown. Was it just a money issue—or something more sinister? Blackmail, betrayal, profit over art... the real story is wilder than any meme. If you’re a fan of internet culture, digital history, or just want to know why your favourite app disappeared without a trace, this is the podcast for you. 🎧 First episodes launching April 23rd. Available on Global Player or wherever you get your podcasts.

    2 min

Trailer

About

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]

Information

To listen to explicit episodes, sign in.

Stay up to date with this show

Sign in or sign up to follow shows, save episodes and get the latest updates.
Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

Asia Pacific

Europe

Latin America and the Caribbean

The United States and Canada