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 employment music to all corners of the world. From Renaissance work of arts to the symphonies of Beethoven, Europe’s creators have shaped the way millions of people we envision and experience the world.
Today, this tradition continues, but in a greatly different landscape. The digital age has changed how material is produced and shared, democratising the tools of development and breaking down old barriers to access. Anyone with a smartphone and employment a stimulate of creativity can now become a material producer and reach a worldwide audience.
Platforms like YouTube have become central to this brand-new environment. These platforms not only empower developers to share their stories, but also drive financial development and community building in ways unthinkable just a couple of decades earlier. Today’s developers are not restricted to the hair salons of Paris or the concert halls of Vienna – they are reaching millions from home studios, employment transcending borders with a single upload.
In 2022, YouTube’s innovative community alone included over EUR5.5 billion to the GDP of the EU27 – and supported more than 150,000 full-time comparable tasks. According to Oxford Economics, 7 out of 10 European developers who earn money from YouTube concur that the platform helps them export their material to international audiences which they would not access otherwise.
We need to encourage the work that young developers are doing, and support platforms and creators 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 community, the occasion highlighted the potential for European creators to not only amuse but to produce tasks and enhance Europe’s cultural footprint worldwide.
Zala Tomašic, an EPP MEP from Slovenia and a member of the CULT Committee, kicked off the conversation with a personal story, exposing that she had when harboured aspirations to be a « YouTube star ». As a child she produced a channel, but her aspirations fell at the first hurdle when she realised quite just how much proficiency is needed throughout modifying, sound, lighting, employment recording, and marketing for content production. « Companies use big departments to do what a developer does by themselves, all on their own, » she noted.
Gaspard G – another of the attendees – was more effective in his efforts at developing a career on YouTube. G began publishing on YouTube at the age of 10, and soon began his own channel, covering a mix of politics and existing events. Ever since, his channel has actually grown to more than 1.1 million subscribers. He is also the creator of an innovative media firm, representing creators on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn.
Earlier this year, he was designated 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 devoted to the influencer sector in France. In his speech about becoming of a successful developer, he highlighted the increasing power and duty of YouTube creators, a few of whom progressively go beyond standard media outlets in reach. This brings with it responsibility to professionalise, he stated. Alongside supporting and representing influencers, UMICC aims to develop and ethical standards for online developers, to bring it into line with other identified professions.
MEP Tomašic worried that, while policy-makers should attend to some obstacles such as information protection and employment the spread of mis- and dis-information, they should not lose sight of the « big favorable aspects » that platforms like YouTube bring. « They develop an environment where individuals can access info, eliminate barriers to the spread of knowledge, and open unbelievable chances for employment and development, » she said, keeping in mind the number of business owners and little businesses utilize these platforms to reach broader audiences and constructing their brand names while producing new task opportunities. Additionally, she noted how social media continues to enhance advocacy and awareness on social issues, providing a powerful tool to set in motion neighborhoods and drive modification.
To ensure Europe understands its potential as a global hub for imagination, she prompted policy-makers to do more to support digital skills development. « We require to increase the digital literacy skills. We require to purchase the digital space. We need to encourage the work that young developers are doing, and we require to support platforms and creators alike, » she included.
Veronika Cifrová Ostrihoňová MEP, a former journalist, echoed these concepts, but revealed her issues about the function of social networks in spreading false information. « Even though social media is a wonderful tool for us to utilize, it’s simply a tool, » she stated. « We require to tackle concerns like false information, disinformation, and algorithmic blind spots. »
David Wheeldon, Managing Director and Head of EMEA Government Affairs and Public Law at YouTube, highlighted the platform’s distinct position in the innovative economy. YouTube not only supplies an area for creators to share their work but also drives financial and community development. Creators are not just developing careers for themselves. As Gaspard G shows, they are also forming the future of media by producing jobs and constructing entire media companies and sectoral organisations. As Wheeldon highlighted, YouTube creators in Europe are reaching an international audience, with 65% of their watch time coming from outside the continent. This broad reach presents a chance for European creators to purchase their culture and creativity, extending their influence worldwide.
Looking ahead, YouTube is checking out ingenious methods to help developers reach even bigger audiences. Wheeldon announced the approaching expansion of AI tools, such as YouTube Aloud, which uses AI to dub creators’ voices into other languages. « We are going to release YouTube Aloud in more and more languages in Europe, where AI will take your voice and lip sync and you will be talking in another language, » he explained. « We’ve got 5 languages up and running, and we’re going to build that with time. This produces an enormous chance for all creators in Europe to gain access to audiences throughout the continent and beyond. »
The event underscored the requirement for policymakers to acknowledge the potential of the developer economy and cultivate an environment that supports digital abilities. MEP Tomašic kept in mind that the creative economy provides young individuals a distinct opportunity to turn their passions into professions. « 60% of Generation Z and millennials wish to turn their pastimes into an occupation, » she said, highlighting the sector’s significance to future job markets.
By purchasing digital literacy and supporting platforms that empower developers, Europe can strengthen its position as an international center of imagination and development. As MEP Tomašic concluded, the developer economy isn’t simply about private success – it has to do with building a dynamic, sustainable cultural and economic community that benefits all of Europe.
