Empowering Creativity: Building Businesses and Jobs In Europe’s Creator Economy

For centuries, Europe has been a cultural powerhouse, exporting its art, theatre, literature and music to all corners of the world. From Renaissance work of arts to the symphonies of Beethoven, Europe’s creators have formed the way millions of people we imagine and experience the world.

Today, this legacy continues, but in a vastly various landscape. The digital age has changed how content is produced and shared, democratising the tools of production and breaking down old barriers to gain access to. Anyone with a smartphone and a trigger of imagination can now become a content manufacturer and reach an international audience.

Platforms like YouTube have actually become main to this brand-new ecosystem. These platforms not only empower creators to share their stories, but likewise drive economic growth and neighborhood structure in methods inconceivable simply a few years ago. Today’s creators are not restricted to the beauty salons of Paris or the concert halls of Vienna – they are reaching millions from home studios, going beyond borders with a single upload.

In 2022, YouTube’s innovative community alone added over EUR5.5 billion to the GDP of the EU27 – and supported more than 150,000 full-time equivalent jobs. According to Oxford Economics, 7 out of 10 European creators who make money from YouTube concur that the platform helps them export their material to worldwide audiences which they would not access otherwise.

We require to encourage the work that young creators are doing, and assistance platforms and developers alike

This altering landscape was the focus of a recent discussion at the European Parliament in Brussels, where policymakers and YouTube creators came together to explore the profound impact of the creator economy. By analyzing how platforms like YouTube are reshaping the creative ecosystem, the event highlighted the potential for European creators to not only captivate but to generate jobs and strengthen Europe’s cultural footprint worldwide.

Zala Tomašic, an EPP MEP from Slovenia and a member of the CULT Committee, job kicked off the conversation with an individual story, revealing that she had actually once harboured aspirations to be a “YouTube star”. As a child she created a channel, however her aspirations fell at the first obstacle when she understood quite how much know-how is required throughout editing, noise, lighting, recording, and marketing for content production. “Companies employ huge departments to do what a developer does on their own, all on their own,” she noted.

Gaspard G – another of the guests – was more successful in his attempts at building a career on YouTube. G began posting on YouTube at the age of 10, and soon began his own channel, covering a mix of politics and existing events. Since then, his channel has grown to more than 1.1 million customers. He is also the founder of a creative media company, representing creators on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn.

Earlier this year, he was appointed Secretary General of the Union of Influence Profession and Content Creators (Union des Métiers de l’Influence et des Créateurs de Contenus, or UMICC), the very first expert federation devoted to the influencer sector in France. In his speech about becoming of a successful developer, he highlighted the increasing power and obligation of YouTube developers, some of whom progressively go beyond conventional media outlets in reach. This brings with it obligation to professionalise, he stated. Alongside supporting and representing influencers, UMICC intends to produce recognition and ethical requirements for online creators, to bring it into line with other identified occupations.

MEP that, while policy-makers must deal with some obstacles such as information defense and the spread of mis- and dis-information, they must not forget the “substantial favorable aspects” that platforms like YouTube bring. “They develop an environment where individuals can access information, remove barriers to the spread of understanding, and open up incredible opportunities for employment and development,” she stated, noting how numerous entrepreneurs and small companies use these platforms to reach wider audiences and developing their brands while producing brand-new task chances. Additionally, she kept in mind how social networks continues to magnify advocacy and awareness on social issues, providing an effective tool to set in motion neighborhoods and drive modification.

To ensure Europe understands its potential as a global center for creativity, she advised policy-makers to do more to support digital abilities advancement. “We need to increase the digital literacy abilities. We require to invest in the digital area. We need to encourage the work that young developers are doing, and we require to support platforms and developers alike,” she added.

Veronika Cifrová Ostrihoňová MEP, a former reporter, echoed these ideas, but expressed her concerns about the function of social networks in spreading false information. “Although social media is a fantastic tool for us to use, it’s simply a tool,” she said. “We need to tackle concerns like false information, disinformation, and algorithmic blind areas.”

David Wheeldon, Managing Director and Head of EMEA Government Affairs and Public Law at YouTube, highlighted the platform’s unique position in the imaginative economy. YouTube not only supplies an area for developers to share their work but also drives economic and community development. Creators are not simply developing careers for themselves. As Gaspard G shows, they are also shaping the future of media by producing jobs and constructing entire media business and sectoral organisations. As Wheeldon highlighted, YouTube developers in Europe are reaching a worldwide audience, with 65% of their watch time originating from outside the continent. This broad reach presents an opportunity for European developers to purchase their culture and creativity, extending their impact worldwide.

Looking ahead, YouTube is checking out ingenious methods to help developers reach even larger audiences. Wheeldon announced the approaching growth of AI tools, such as YouTube Aloud, which uses AI to dub creators’ voices into other languages. “We are going to launch YouTube Aloud in a growing number of languages in Europe, where AI will take your voice and lip sync and you will be talking in another language,” he explained. “We have actually got 5 languages up and running, and we’re going to develop that over time. This develops a massive chance for all creators in Europe to access audiences across the continent and beyond.”

The occasion highlighted the requirement for policymakers to acknowledge the potential of the developer economy and cultivate an environment that nurtures digital skills. MEP Tomašic kept in mind that the creative economy offers youths a special chance to turn their passions into occupations. “60% of Generation Z and millennials desire to turn their pastimes into an occupation,” she said, highlighting the sector’s value to future job markets.

By investing in digital literacy and supporting platforms that empower creators, Europe can solidify its position as an international hub of imagination and innovation. As MEP Tomašic concluded, the creator economy isn’t practically individual success – it’s about constructing a vibrant, sustainable cultural and financial community that benefits all of Europe.