Tribeca X – Tribeca Festival’s two-day summit where brands and entertainment meet—returns June 8–9th, 2026.

Tribeca sat down with Jack Coyne – co-founder of Public Opinion and the creator behind Track Star, one of the internet’s most-watched music shows – to talk about what it actually takes to build a creator-led business: how to integrate brands without losing your audience, why infrastructure is as important as creativity, and what he’s learned from turning a street corner game into a cultural institution with millions of viewers across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.

Tribeca X returns June 8-9th, and passes are now on sale. This year, Jack will join Gus Wenner and Yancey Strickler for a conversation about giving creators the tools and ownership structures to build something that lasts – and what brands need to understand to be a real part of that story. It’s a conversation about the future of creator-driven media, and you won’t want to miss it.

Q> You’ve built Track Star entirely online. How has the show evolved into a destination for artists, politicians, and actors to promote their work, and what makes it such a compelling platform from a storytelling perspective?

Jack> The entire evolution of Track Star has been super organic. We didn’t build this show with the intention of making it a destination for anyone; we just wanted to create a forum for really engaging conversation.

We started by interviewing regular people on the streets of New York, so I needed to develop a format. How do you get someone you’ve just met for the first time, immediately excited to start talking to you? One way is to play them a song they love. Ultimately, the show is fun for anyone to participate in, and even the audience is playing along as they watch. The mechanics create a lot of in-between space to ask interesting questions and encourage guests to let their guard down.

Q> Every interview show has that ‘pinch me’ moment. Do you have a memorable one from Track Star? (Tribeca Festival easter egg: you had Jaeden Martell on Track Star, who starred in Our Hero, Balthazar, a TF25 World Premiere!)

Jack> That I get to do this for a living and have a cool office to go to every day and get to work with a great team and some of my best friends, and I’m my own boss?! That’s the pinch me moment. As far as guests go… it was pretty special getting to hang with Elmo.

Q> You’ve worked with Jack Daniel’s, Beats, and Ross Dress For Less on some notable partnerships. How do you think about integrating brands into the show in a way that feels authentic rather than transactional – and how do you tailor each collaboration to the right artist and moment?

Jack> I genuinely enjoy advertising as an art form. Our business started as an agency and that gave us the runway to create original shows without having to worry about making money right away, so it’s in our DNA. Figuring out how to connect your show and audience through an original idea that excites the client is always a fun challenge.

Q> What have you learned this year from working with brands about what they actually want from creator-led content?

Jack> Recently, I’ve been getting the sense that brands really do want to work with creators in the most organic, non-invasive way possible. The more true the content is to the creator, the more the brand message will resonate with the audience.

Q> Your panel at Tribeca X puts you in conversation with Gus Wenner and Yancey Strickler to discuss giving creators the infrastructure to own their work. What do you think every creator building a business needs to understand, especially about brand relationships?

Jack> If you’re a creator and you want to build your business, you need to figure out how to maintain your love for the work. If you’re creating content just to make money, it’s going to feel like any other job, and there are many more efficient ways to make money.

The biggest thing I’ve tried to implement in my business is creating a solid infrastructure and team that allows me to spend as much time as possible on the creative work. The more barriers you can eliminate between you and making compelling content, the more successful you will be. If you’re able to make great work, brands will come to you and let you do your thing.

Q> Are there other creators building businesses, or examples of branded content, that have genuinely impressed you this year?

Jack> Colin and Samir hosted a conference in NYC in the fall and it was incredible – a real life manifestation of their YouTube channel. Jake Shane continues to grow and try new things. Everything’s working for him; he’s a superstar. Kareem Rahma did a series with UPS drivers that was super compelling. NewYorkNico recently launched a new show called Revival of the Fittest that takes place in a record store, and it’s brilliant.

Tribeca X fun fact: Nicolas Heller, AKA NewYorkNico, is a member of our inaugural Tribeca X advisory council!

Q> Dream guest on Track Star. Go.

Jack> Cher, Beyoncé, Dolly Parton, Bruce, Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones, Bad Bunny, President Obama, Eric Cartman… many more!



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