About Us

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

For centuries, Europe has actually 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 individuals we envision and experience the world.

Today, this legacy continues, but in a greatly various landscape. The digital age has changed how material is produced and shared, democratising the tools of production and breaking down old barriers to access. Anyone with a mobile phone and a stimulate of creativity can now become a material producer and reach a worldwide audience.

Platforms like YouTube have become main to this new environment. These platforms not only empower developers to share their stories, job however also drive financial development and neighborhood structure in methods unthinkable just a few years back. Today’s developers are not confined to the hair salons of Paris or the auditorium of Vienna – they are reaching millions from home studios, transcending borders with a single upload.

In 2022, YouTube’s innovative environment alone included over EUR5.5 billion to the GDP of the EU27 – and supported more than 150,000 full-time equivalent tasks. According to Oxford Economics, 7 out of 10 European developers who generate income from YouTube concur that the platform assists them export their content to worldwide audiences which they would not access otherwise.

We need to motivate the work that young creators are doing, and assistance platforms and developers alike

This altering landscape was the focus of a recent conversation at the European Parliament in Brussels, where policymakers and YouTube developers came together to check out the extensive effect of the creator economy. By examining how platforms like YouTube are reshaping the creative environment, the event highlighted the potential for European developers to not just amuse but to create jobs and enhance Europe’s cultural footprint worldwide.

Zala Tomašic, an EPP MEP from Slovenia and a member of the CULT Committee, started the discussion with an individual story, exposing that she had actually once harboured aspirations to be a “YouTube star”. As a child she developed a channel, however her aspirations fell at the first obstacle when she understood rather how much proficiency is needed across editing, noise, lighting, recording, and marketing for material production. “Companies use huge departments to do what a creator does by themselves, all on their own,” she kept in mind.

Gaspard G – another of the guests – was more successful in his efforts at building a career on YouTube. G started posting on YouTube at the age of 10, and quickly began his own channel, covering a mix of politics and present occasions. Since then, his channel has actually grown to more than 1.1 million customers. He is also the creator of an imaginative media agency, representing developers on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn.

Earlier this year, he was selected 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 first professional federation committed to the influencer sector in France. In his speech about becoming of a successful developer, he highlighted the increasing power and obligation of YouTube creators, a few of whom progressively exceed traditional media outlets in reach. This brings with it responsibility to professionalise, he stated. Alongside supporting and representing influencers, UMICC intends to produce recognition and ethical standards for online developers, to bring it into line with other acknowledged professions.

MEP Tomašic stressed that, while policy-makers need to deal with some difficulties such as information defense and the spread of mis- and dis-information, they must not lose sight of the “substantial positive aspects” that platforms like YouTube bring. “They create an environment where individuals can access information, eliminate barriers to the spread of understanding, and open up incredible chances for work and development,” she said, noting how numerous entrepreneurs and small companies use these platforms to reach more comprehensive audiences and building their brands while creating brand-new job chances. Additionally, she noted how social networks continues to enhance advocacy and awareness on social problems, providing an effective tool to mobilize neighborhoods and drive modification.

To make sure Europe realises its prospective as a worldwide center for imagination, she prompted policy-makers to do more to support digital abilities advancement. “We need to increase the digital literacy skills. We need to purchase the digital area. We need to encourage the work that young developers are doing, and we need to support platforms and developers alike,” she included.

Veronika Cifrová Ostrihoňová MEP, a previous journalist, echoed these concepts, but revealed her issues about the function of social media in spreading out false information. “Despite the fact that social media is a terrific tool for us to use, it’s just a tool,” she said. “We require to tackle issues 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 creative economy. YouTube not just supplies an area for developers to share their work however also drives economic and community advancement. Creators are not just developing professions for themselves. As Gaspard G shows, they are also forming the future of media by developing jobs and building entire media business and sectoral organisations. As Wheeldon highlighted, YouTube developers in Europe are reaching an international audience, with 65% of their watch time coming from outside the continent. This broad reach provides a chance for European creators to buy their culture and imagination, extending their impact worldwide.

Looking ahead, YouTube is exploring innovative ways to assist developers reach even larger audiences. Wheeldon announced the upcoming expansion of AI tools, such as YouTube Aloud, which uses AI to dub developers’ voices into other languages. “We are going to introduce 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 described. “We’ve got five languages up and running, and we’re going to build that over time. This develops an enormous opportunity for all developers in Europe to gain access to audiences throughout the continent and beyond.”

The event highlighted the for policymakers to acknowledge the potential of the developer economy and promote an environment that supports digital abilities. MEP Tomašic noted that the creative economy uses young individuals an unique chance to turn their enthusiasms into professions. “60% of Generation Z and millennials want to turn their pastimes into a profession,” she said, highlighting the sector’s significance to future task markets.

By purchasing digital literacy and supporting platforms that empower developers, Europe can solidify its position as an international hub of imagination and development. As MEP Tomašic concluded, the creator economy isn’t practically private success – it’s about constructing a dynamic, sustainable cultural and economic environment that benefits all of Europe.