Creating a channel
A new channel starts as an empty form. You fill in the format, optionally schedule autopilot, optionally connect YouTube, and save. Episodes start flowing the next time autopilot fires (or whenever you hit Generate Episode).
Step 1 — Name and thumbnail
Section titled “Step 1 — Name and thumbnail”| Field | What it does |
|---|---|
| Scenario name | A descriptive name for your channel (e.g. “Daily Coffee Facts”). Shown in the sidebar and on the channel page. |
| Channel thumbnail | Optional image used as the channel’s identity. |
Step 2 — Story template
Section titled “Step 2 — Story template”The story template is the prompt every episode is generated from. It can include @-mentions for elements (the same way you @-mention them in a regular movie chat).
Educational vertical short about the history of coffee. Hosted by
@Miloat@CoffeeBar. Score with@UpbeatMorning. Always end with “Brew better coffee” as a card.
The template stays constant across all episodes. What varies — the topic of each episode, the angle, the news beat — comes from the dynamic seed.
See Story template, dynamic seed & memory.
Step 3 — Dynamic seed
Section titled “Step 3 — Dynamic seed”The dynamic seed describes what should change from episode to episode. It’s the variability layer on top of the constant story template.
Each episode covers a different historical moment in coffee. The next episode should explore something not yet covered.
Popp uses the seed plus the channel’s memory of previous episodes (if memory is on) to decide what each new episode is about.
Step 4 — Memory
Section titled “Step 4 — Memory”A toggle:
- On — episodes know about previous episodes. They can reference them, build on them, or avoid repeating topics.
- Off — every episode is fully independent. Popp won’t repeat topics from prior episodes, but it also won’t reference them.
Use on for ongoing serialized content, off for repeatable formats where each episode stands alone.
Step 5 — Auto-generate schedule
Section titled “Step 5 — Auto-generate schedule”A toggle: Auto-generate episodes on/off. When on, you’ll see scheduling options:
- Frequency — Daily or Weekly.
- Days of week (when Weekly) — pick any combination of Sun–Sat.
- Generation time — the time of day, in your timezone, that Popcorn will start the episode.
See Scheduling.
Step 6 — Auto-publish
Section titled “Step 6 — Auto-publish”A separate toggle: Auto-publish. When on, every successful episode gets published immediately to your connected destination(s). When off, episodes are produced and saved for you to review and publish manually.
See Auto-publishing.
Step 7 — YouTube settings
Section titled “Step 7 — YouTube settings”If you’ve connected a YouTube account, you’ll see:
- YouTube title — Dynamic (Popp generates per-episode) or Manual (a fixed string).
- YouTube description — Dynamic or Manual.
- YouTube privacy — Public, Unlisted, or Private.
These apply to every episode published from this channel.
Step 8 — Save
Section titled “Step 8 — Save”Hit Save. The channel goes live. If autopilot is on, the next scheduled episode will fire at the configured time. You can also kick off an episode immediately with Generate Episode.
Editing a channel later
Section titled “Editing a channel later”Open the channel from the sidebar and edit any field. Changes apply to future episodes — already-generated episodes are unchanged.