How to listen to Vine: Six Seconds That Changed The World podcast

23 April 2025, 13:00 | Updated: 23 April 2025, 19:51

By Katie Louise Smith

Vine: Six Seconds That Changed The World details the rise and fall of the social media app through exclusive interviews with one of Vine’s founders, former Twitter staffers, tech journalists, and the creators who made it famous.

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Hi, welcome to Chilis! Road Work Ahead? Ah, yeah, I sure hope it does! Look at all those chickens! Fre-sha Voc-ado! I smell like beef, I smell like beeeef! Stopppp, I could'a dropped my croissant! Oh my God, they were roommates! Merry Chrysler! What the f--- is UP, Kyle?! LeBron Jamessssss! ADAM! Do it for the Vine!

Vine truly was THAT girl. The social media platform that created countless viral moments and spawned several massive creators, stars and musicians (Hi Shawn Mendes!) – but what the hell happened to it?

If you're desperate to know the answer, then today's your lucky day... Global has just released an eight-part documentary podcast uncovering the untold story of the social media platform that shaped the internet: Vine: Six Seconds That Changed The World.

Watch the trailer for Vine: Six Seconds That Changed The World

It was the tech world’s golden child - until it wasn’t. Launched in 2013 and acquired by Twitter before it even went public, Vine became one of the fastest-growing social media platforms in history. Before TikTok dominated our screens and headlines, before influencers had million-dollar brand deals… there was Vine.

The creator app introduced an entirely new format consisting of nothing but six-second looping videos. The platform didn’t just launch the careers of stars like Shawn Mendes and Jake and Logan Paul - it built an entire digital empire. But only three years after it launched, it was gone. So - who killed Vine?

Vine: Six Seconds That Changed The World details the rise and fall of the social media app through exclusive interviews with one of Vine’s founders, former Twitter staffers, tech journalists, and the creators who made it famous.

Hosted and created by Benedict Townsend (who you may know from Scroll Deep) and co-created by producer Mary Goodhart, uncover the genius, the chaos, and the betrayals that led to its unexpected demise.

If you want to understand TikTok, the creator economy, or the future of the internet itself, you need to understand what happened to Vine.

How to listen to Vine: Six Seconds That Changed The World

Vine: Six Seconds That Changed The World is available to listen on:

Global Player
Spotify
Apple Podcasts

You can listen to the first episode right here.

Click here to listen to Vine: Six Seconds That Changed The World. Picture: Global

Meet Benedict Townsend, the host of Vine: Six Seconds That Changed The World

If you’ve scrolled deep on TikTok, you'll know Benedict Townsend. Today, he’s got over 375,000 TikTok followers but he started writing and creating comedy videos online at age 14, organically building a cult following.

His signature sharp wit, obsessive research, and uncanny ability to decode internet culture by “scrolling deep so you don’t have to” has made him the go-to voice for understanding the digital world.

From his success with Talk of the Townsends, which he hosts with his wife Hannah; his British Podcast Award winning writing on David Walliams Marvellous Musical Podcast; and his viral internet deep dives on Scroll Deep, which hosts a 2.7 million strong following across social channels, Benedict brings an unmatched level of insight, humour, and storytelling to the chronicles of Vine.

Vine: Six Seconds That Changed The World is hosted by Benedict Townsend. Picture: Global

Who features on Vine: Six Seconds That Changed The World?

Joining Benedict with some never-before-heard insights about the Vine era are:

Vine and Twitter insiders: Rus Yusupov (one of the app’s founders), Karyn Spencer and Rich Arnold (the app’s last Head of Creators & Head of Design)
Viral content creators: Arron Crascall, Brandon Calvillo, Brendon McNerney, Chris Melberger, Manon Mathews, Kenny Knox, Jasmeet Raina
Leading tech & culture journalists: Taylor Lorenz, Ryan Broderick, Bridget Todd